Partner – Architektūros fondas
Location – Vilnius, Šalčininkai and Šiauliai regions
Since 2022
The Travelling Architecture Workshops was a project that aimed to encourage young community members to be active in creating their own environment. The goal of the project was to build a high-quality and aesthetic public space that would involve the local community and offer benefits as a communal setting in a particular town or village.
The project aimed to address the lack of quality public spaces in Lithuanian regions, as well as the lack of active participation in one’s lived environment. The project took place in the Šalčininkai and Šiauliai districts, and sought to demonstrate that taking care of the environment can be interesting, playful and engaging, and can be achieved through realistic means that do not require extensive materials or human resources. A team of volunteers including architects, creative professionals, youth workers and researchers implemented five-day workshops in various towns for local children and youth in two regions of Lithuania to build public community spaces that featured a wooden lounge platform, a pier and a bridge over the river, and a wooden amphitheater for community gatherings, among many.
The Travelling Architecture Workshops project fostered quality time in the community while encouraging its members to be proactive in creating their own space through utilising modern architectural, management and pedagogical tools. The project enhanced participants’ understanding of their environment, encouraged creativity and promoted a sense of personal responsibility, and activated place-based communities through involvement in a common experience.
During the project:
Over 220 students and 180 adults from local communities participated, as well as more than 40 volunteers from the architecture field
The implementation involved 11 towns from Vilnius, Šalčininkai and Šiauliai regions
The activities directly involved 9 teachers from local schools, with the aim of passing on the project methods and equipping the participants with the skillset necessary to draw communities together and empower social action