Windows on the Future are thematic lenses through which we can look into the future to start regenerating remote places into more liveable environments. Discover more about it.
Window on the Future: Distributed Education
The Distributed Education initiative in SMOTIES Window on the Future focuses on cultivating local cultural and creative knowledge by leveraging the emancipatory potential of creative education. Through varied activities, SMOTIES partners work to:
- Support a wide range of cultural expressions
- Enhance access to less mainstream cultural repertoires
- Encourage local creators to foster rich knowledge exchange across communities
Their work aims at improving knowledge exchange and connection among societal groups—locals, outsiders, experts, and the public—this initiative lays the groundwork for building resilient and inclusive community narratives. Chosen by Cité du Design (Dorlay Valley, France), CLEAR VILLAGE (Penmachno, North Wales), POLIMI (Albugnano, Italy), and UIRS (Hills of Medvode, Slovenia), the initiative’s impacts span multiple communities.
Notable Examples of projects to improve knowledge exchange:
- CLEAR VILLAGE’s in Penmachno (North Wales): Oriel Machno serves as both an art gallery for local artists and a community hub for craft workshops, inviting locals to explore creative expressions and develop new skills.
- UIRS in Medvode (Slovenia): The “Majhni Kraji. Velike Ideje” (Small Places. Big Ideas) exhibition in Medvode raises awareness about the value of public spaces through events like workshops for schoolchildren, emphasizing citizen participation.
Primary School, Medvode, Slovenia – UIRS. In 2022, UIRS organized different events; a visit and workshop on public spaces for primary school children in Medvode, an exhibition called “Majhni Kraji. Velike Ideje” (Small places. Big ideas) and community creation called “Prevetrimo Tomaj” (Let’s air it out), in the Medvoškega kulturnegafestival.
- Cité du Design in Vallée du Dorlay (France): Through workshops on heritage textile techniques, held in collaboration with “Les nouveaux ateliers du Doral,” Saint-Etienne Higher School of Art and Design (ESADSE) students receive hands-on training. This effort supports intergenerational knowledge transfer within the local textile industry.
These events fostered by each Partner proved to be having positive community impacts:
- Cité du Design hosted three events with 72 participants; 58% rated their experience as “very good,” while 21% described it as “good,” highlighting satisfaction with shared learning.
- CLEAR VILLAGE organized 16 events across 2023 and 2024, engaging 90 participants, with 83% reporting skill increases—surpassing the project’s 80% skill improvement target.
- POLIMI promoted new community narratives with 29 cultural and creative activities in Albugnano, Italy, involving 11 locals in co-creating and participating in these cultural programs.
All partners that have chosen this window on the future have been building lasting community connections throughout their projects. SMOTIES’ Distributed Education efforts amplify cultural diversity and creative knowledge-sharing while nurturing lasting community ties. This approach demonstrates how sustained educational engagement, meaningful cultural exchange, and new inclusive narratives strengthen community’s education.