THINKtent Beograd Human City – THINKtent Belgrade Human City

THINKtent Beograd Human City aims to offer the people of Belgrade an intimate, beautiful and safe space for them to come together for conversation and reflection.

In this fast (and fast-changing city) and in our jangled (and notoriously noisy) contemporary times, THINKtent Beograd Human City allows people to enter a new form of public space: a stable space where you can slow down, reflect and exchange views and ideas – away from the relentless distractions of smartphones, social media and the demands of daily life.

Dr Natasha Cica hosts and facilitates all sessions of THINKtent Beograd Human City, takes handwritten notes and still photographs, which inform future publications and presentations about the project.

No recording or phones are allowed inside the tent, but vox pop exit interviews may be filmed and broadcast.

Books, poems, songs and other cultural artifacts are welcome inside THINKtent Beograd Human City.

Appropriate and charming refreshments are served in sessions to enhance the sociability of this experience.

Key actors

THINKtent Beograd Human City is an initiative of Dr Natasha Cica, director of change-focused initiative Kapacity.org.

THINKtent Beograd Human City is developed in collaboration with Belgrade Design Week.

THINKtent Beograd Human City deploys an interior created by Belgrade interior architect Milivoje Stojanovic of PROTOTYPE of Cumic Design District in central Belgrade, with Miroslav and Jasna Stojanovic.

THINKtent Beograd Human City engages the people of Belgrade as participants.

Role of design

Design is central to the project – informing the chosen structure, the physical interior and the dialogue-based methodology of the conversations comprising THINKtent Beograd Human City.

In terms of the chosen structure, the size (relatively small) and circular, tapered shape of the bell tent encourages a feeling of intimacy that supports and generates human connection between participants. The height and shape of the tent’s opening is especially welcoming to children.

Regarding the physical interior, plums are core business in Serbian culture, and this deeplyinformed the design brief executed by Belgrade interior architect Milivoje Stojanovic of PROTOTYPE, with Milivoje and Jasna Stojanovic. The thematic is ‘Who Plums You?/ Ко те шљиви?, a Serbian saying that translates into something resembling, ‘Who cares … ?’. The result is a curation that populates the tent interior with specially commissioned furniture, lighting, cushions, textiles, fruit and a bespoke perfume … a wonderful blend of old and new, dark and light, east and west.

Concerning the methodology, the programming and facilitation of each session of THINKtent Beograd Human City deploys design thinking through dialogue, to create human capacity for shared and sustainable change – consonant with community development methodology.

CONTACT (of the editor)

Vesna Jelovac – Organization: BDW – Email vesna@belgardedesignweek.com