Moscow
13 OCTOBER 2018
13 OCTOBER 2018
KHOROSHYOVO-MNEVNIKI
Rayonnale: Neighbourhood Festival
project context
Khoroshyovo-Mnyovniki was changing rapidly. Modern high-rise buildings were replacing older five-storey apartment blocks, and the new physical environment was challenging the area’s familiar character.
The organisers wanted to create a space for dialogue where newcomers could meet long-time residents and organisations from different eras could establish new forms of collaboration.
The private school Khoroshkola supported the idea and joined the development of the concept alongside the Berendey Cultural Centre and the curatorial team.
The nearby V. F. Stozharov Children’s Art School also joined the working group.
Since all the organisers worked with children, involving children and teenagers in the design and delivery of the project became a central part of the concept.
The organisers wanted to create a space for dialogue where newcomers could meet long-time residents and organisations from different eras could establish new forms of collaboration.
The private school Khoroshkola supported the idea and joined the development of the concept alongside the Berendey Cultural Centre and the curatorial team.
The nearby V. F. Stozharov Children’s Art School also joined the working group.
Since all the organisers worked with children, involving children and teenagers in the design and delivery of the project became a central part of the concept.
the preparation process
The curators held meetings with teachers and children at each participating organisation. Children chose which festival preparation team they wanted to join.
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ArtistsThey developed artistic projects using dance, songs, drawing, and other art forms to tell their own stories. Their work became part of the festival programme. - ResearcherThey explored the neighbourhood, created their own maps and visual interpretations of Mnyovniki, and investigated the relationship between a place and the people who live there.
- Technical produsersThey designed the festival infrastructure and exhibition system to showcase the artists' work. They also brought their ideas to life in a hands-on architecture workshop.
- CuratorsThey developed the overall concept and promotion strategy, created the programme, and coordinated colleagues from the other teams.
festival
On 13 October, an outdoor festival took place on General Karbyshev Boulevard.
Children and teenagers shared their interpretations of the neighbourhood with local residents — their friends, parents, and neighbours.
Participants created 12 social and artistic projects for the festival. These included:
Children and teenagers shared their interpretations of the neighbourhood with local residents — their friends, parents, and neighbours.
Participants created 12 social and artistic projects for the festival. These included:
- Neighbourhood mind mapsMaps highlighting places to eat, take selfies, discover great graffiti, and much more, accompanied by the creators' own explanations and guided tours.
- VerbatimReadings of stories about the neighbourhood’s past and present, recorded from local residents.
- CulinariumThe tastiest part of the celebration. Children served guests homemade snacks, tea, and non-alcoholic mulled wine.
Food became a way to tell the story of the neighbourhood: cabbage pies evoked cuisine from the time of Ivan the Terrible; homemade apple marshmallows recalled the 1960s, when vast apple orchards flourished in the area; chocolate cakes brought back memories of kartoshka, a popular dessert of the 1980s; and rice-paper wrapping referenced the Asian food boom of the 2000s.
The culinary workshop was supervised by Anna Semyonova, an enthusiastic Khoroshkola teacher who grew up in the neighbourhood. - Ceramics exhibitionParticipants from the Kuvshinka ceramics workshop created sculptures of animals and plants representing the flora and fauna of Serebryany Bor. An audio track and carefully designed exhibition turned the works into an engaging installation.
- Charity market, Dance flash mob, Street art, Installations and other objects and activities
Teenagers also designed and built exhibition structures by hand in the architecture workshop. The unified exhibition design gave the festival a bright, stylish look, while the collaborative construction process demonstrated that building something together is one of the best ways to strengthen a team.
The festival ended with a neighbourhood disco, where children, adults, visitors, organisers, and even mothers with babies danced together right on the stage.
Since then, dancing has become an essential part of every Rayonnale festival.
Around 1,000 people attended the event.
The Neighbourhood Festival was both a vibrant celebration and a meaningful project — a distinctive example of successful collaboration among the many people and organisations that shape local life. Such partnerships are essential to creating a healthy urban social environment.
Since then, dancing has become an essential part of every Rayonnale festival.
Around 1,000 people attended the event.
The Neighbourhood Festival was both a vibrant celebration and a meaningful project — a distinctive example of successful collaboration among the many people and organisations that shape local life. Such partnerships are essential to creating a healthy urban social environment.