Mapping the Commons is a collaborative cultural innovation project which brings together some of the unMonastery projects - Object Research and Design with local artisans by Rita and Antonio, Walking Ethnographies by Lucia, Community Video by Maria, unGuide by Katalin, in collaboration with Open Tech School by Kei and possibly David’s project - with numerous existing initiatives and organisations in Matera (Casa Netural, OSM, Il Vagabondo, Agri-Neutral, the university of Basilicata, sociologist Emanuela Vita). Its first prototype focuses on the Piccianello neighborhood of Matera. As the result of the information we have gathered and relationships we have developed through our projects in Matera in the last 2 months, we have devised several strategies for addressing challenges and sharing ideas; collecting and retelling stories; gathering knowledge and recording the history of Matera.
Mapping The Commons is a long-term plan to develop economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability practices in Matera that leverage current local initiatives and build on existing knowledge and relationships. While we continue to gather information and refine the map of the cultural commons, we will begin to explore more deeply two areas of focus that have emerged from our conversations and interactions with people and organizations in Matera: tourism and local artisans/traditional practices.
CURRENT accomplishments:
- Research on Global Sustainable Tourism Council guidelines and indicators and the possibility for Matera to join the network (Katalin)
- Set up Sustainable Tourism Working group (Maria and Rita) first meeting April 16, next meeting May 6- initiate google group
- Develop project identity for external communication- eg name, style, etc (Kei, Lucia)
- Coordinate with Casa Netural on mapping empty spaces project (Maria, Lucia)
- Mapping sessions (Kei) First workshop: introduce 3 mapping technologies for plotting and uploading media - including sound, text, and video - to specific locations Second workshop: a follow-up to upload data gathered on one or several maps and layer participants’ media
- Communication: taking charge of direct communication with university, creating Facebook group, social drinks event for university (and its students) in Piccianello, and group mailing list for communication (Katalin).
- Gather information about permits to display things in public for unGuides, a new tourist route focusing on the Piccianello (unGuides: http://matera.unmonastery.org/en/projects/unguide) (Rita)
- Working with Emmanuele Curti and Sylvana Kuhtz to develop a written industrial history of the area Working with university, Il vagabondo, Casa Netural, OSM group, Emanuela Vita, to develop further possibilities (ALL)
- Discussions with local artisans (Rita and Antonio)
- Community engagement videos in Piccianello- focus on Unused spaces with Casa Neutral, Food/Market with MariaTeresa, Work, Artisanal practices with Rita and Antonio, and Tourism (Maria)
- Walking ethnographies with residents (Lucia)
DEVELOPING the project further: Website (Kei, with content by Lucia, Maria and Katalin)
- Schedule meetings with more collaborators eg. TILT
- Generate name and cohesive project description(s)
- Confirm “Piccianello Day” schedule in connection to the Piccianello conference (organised by the university) taking place at the end of May (day, participants, locations, activities)
- Satellite unMonastery hub in empty space in Picianello market (Rita) Develop idea w/ Emanuela for mapping the relationship between women, traditions and public space in Piccianello (Lucia, Maria)
- Develop idea to train local mappers with Il Vagabondo using Ramblr (Lucia, Il Vagabondo)
- Involve Marc and Elf to offer the implementation of Open Energy Monitors for local businesses (hotels, etc) in order to develop measurable sustainable tourism practices
- Work with the Walking the line project which focuses on the area of Piccanello
- Develop commons mapping toolkit so that this model can be transferred to other neighbourhoods (all)
Although the projects will be decided and implemented by the group we now are beginning to form, some possible outcomes could be:
- -The integration of the Piccianello into the tourist routes currently focusing on the Sassi, deepening the understanding of the city with its complex history and complicated relationship to the Sassi (by visitors and inhabitants alike), fabricating new narratives pointing towards possible futures
- -Utilise unused building(s) into shared communal spaces to nurture intergenerational relations, and provide an off-line interface for people to meet, share expertise, skills, resources and ideas
- -Develop online platform for continuing collaboration between local initiatives and the gathering of information, which then can be expanded to other parts of the city
- -Maintain relationship with their global equivalent (e.g. Global Sustainable Tourism Council)
- -Develop new traditions and bring into view existing hidden ones
- - a commons mapping toolkit that can be used by residents and local organisations for other neighbourhoods