Udmurt Republic
27 september 2020
27 september 2020
Izhevsk
Rayonnale: Socgorod in a New Light
project context
"Socgorod" is an informal name for one of Izhevsk’s neighbourhoods, built in the 1930s. Today, the area continues to evolve: new housing is appearing, and plans are underway to create public spaces. However, every urban development project needs strong community connections and the involvement of residents in shaping the places where they live. The central theme of Rayonnale was to change how residents perceived their neighbourhood and to discover new meanings and values associated with the area.
The festival aimed to show the Socgorod in a new light.
The festival aimed to show the Socgorod in a new light.
festival concept
The Izhevsk edition of Rayonnale pursued four goals:
- To strengthen residents' appreciation of their neighbourhood and improve its image among the wider population of Izhevsk.
- To explore the area's identity through artistic practices, research, and educational tools.
- To strengthen connections among residents and local organisations, and to identify and bring together people committed to the area's development.
- To foster civic responsibility among local teenagers through practical action to improve their surroundings.
The festival was conceived as an open urban environment workshop, inviting residents and other interested citizens to co-create a new vision for Socgorod.
The courtyard of School No. 57, located in the centre of the neighbourhood, was chosen as the venue. Traditionally used for outdoor recreation, the schoolyard became a local public space through the festival.
Tactical urbanism techniques — including painting the pavement and building functional structures by hand — helped prepare the site.
The courtyard of School No. 57, located in the centre of the neighbourhood, was chosen as the venue. Traditionally used for outdoor recreation, the schoolyard became a local public space through the festival.
Tactical urbanism techniques — including painting the pavement and building functional structures by hand — helped prepare the site.
festival
Festival activities were organised into three main zones:
-
FORUMA space for discussing the neighbourhood, its future development, and initiatives to improve the local environment. It brought together residents, NGO representatives, public officials, businesses, and urban activists for meaningful discussions. - ARTA space for creative exploration of the neighbourhood and its identity through exhibitions, interactive installations, and art workshops.
- LIVING ROOMA welcoming space for informal conversations, new connections, and friendly neighbourhood gatherings. A large communal table served as its central symbol.
One of Rayonnale's defining features is that residents themselves propose and organise festival activities.
Preliminary research, for example, identified a cycling community interested in developing cycling infrastructure. Local environmental activists proposed a second-hand market and other eco-friendly activities. An engaged teacher from School No. 57 compiled a catalogue of the neighbourhood’s small gardens, which was later presented as an exhibition.
The Udmurtia Centre for Territorial Development and the Ostrova group of companies developed a landscaping proposal for the local boulevard and presented it at the festival. All these initiatives found a place in the festival’s open, collaborative format.
Preliminary research, for example, identified a cycling community interested in developing cycling infrastructure. Local environmental activists proposed a second-hand market and other eco-friendly activities. An engaged teacher from School No. 57 compiled a catalogue of the neighbourhood’s small gardens, which was later presented as an exhibition.
The Udmurtia Centre for Territorial Development and the Ostrova group of companies developed a landscaping proposal for the local boulevard and presented it at the festival. All these initiatives found a place in the festival’s open, collaborative format.
As in all Rayonnale programmes, involving teenagers in the development of their neighbourhood was a key priority.
In workshops leading up to the festival, participating teenagers explored the local area, identified specific problems, and developed artistic and research projects to draw attention to them or take initial steps towards addressing them.
Their projects could focus on a contradiction, a question, or a distinctive feature of the environment — anything that might inspire a new initiative.
Presenting the teenagers' work at the festival, an atmospheric, welcoming, and inclusive event, gave them a comfortable way to engage with their neighbourhood on their own terms and according to their interests.
This approach not only helps teenagers develop a sense of responsibility and transferable skills, but also builds an active core of young people involved in the life of their community.
In workshops leading up to the festival, participating teenagers explored the local area, identified specific problems, and developed artistic and research projects to draw attention to them or take initial steps towards addressing them.
Their projects could focus on a contradiction, a question, or a distinctive feature of the environment — anything that might inspire a new initiative.
Presenting the teenagers' work at the festival, an atmospheric, welcoming, and inclusive event, gave them a comfortable way to engage with their neighbourhood on their own terms and according to their interests.
This approach not only helps teenagers develop a sense of responsibility and transferable skills, but also builds an active core of young people involved in the life of their community.