Revitalization of the former public library into the Center for Narrative Practice
The Centre for Narrative Practice, a repurposed ex-public library, created through Manifesta 14 Biennial, serves as a hub for exploration, education, teaching and sharing of various forms of narrative practice. From poetry to podcasting, illustration and photography, the Centre offers a range of tools and resources for groups of all ages to engage with. Its goal is to support reconciliation processes between different communities through storytelling and sharing of diverse perspectives.
National
Kosovo
The institution is located in Prishtina, Kosovo. However, the programme has involved artists, students, creative industries professionals and participants from other municipalities in Kosovo as well as the Western Balkans region and Europe.
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
Creative Europe
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No
Yes
2022-12-31
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Manifesta 14 Prishtina Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Rina Last name of representative: Gurgule Gender: Female Nationality: Kosovo Function: Business and Development Manager Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Rruga UCK Town: Prishtina Postal code: 10000 Country: Kosovo Direct Tel:+383 43 887 557 E-mail:rinagurgule@manifesta.org Website:https://manifesta14.org/
Manifesta 14 Prishtina, the European Nomadic Biennial took place in Prishtina, Kosovo in 2022, with a mission to establish a permanent institution, the Centre for Narrative Practice, which will continue its operations for at least four years after the biennial is closed. The Centre has conserved and incorporated the history of the building by transforming it in a manner which was mindful of its heritage and by maintaining its character as a library, and as a welcoming public site of knowledge acquisition and exchange.
The Centre aims to provide a space for exploring and sharing multiple forms of narrative practices to support reconciliation processes between different communities and offer capacity-building opportunities for creative industries. Its goal is to challenge the notion that artistic thinking and practices are only for the privileged, and to strengthen the arts, cultural, and public sectors by providing necessary resources and facilities, making it open and accessible for all members of Kosovar society. The Centre emphasizes on social and cultural practices that bring forth new stories, including resistance, restoring the sense of belongingness, cultural heritage, arts, research, ecology, and reconciliation, to unite, empower, and sensitize individuals and diverse groups through storytelling. During the 100 days of the biennial, the center's public program included workshops, conversations, and site-specific music and art performances, with a total of 150 events organized, 5300 participants, and 13100 visits. Moreover, the center now also serves as a co-working and study space for students and digital nomads. The center's long-term legacy and permanent institution status will ensure that the impact of the biennial and its mission will continue to be felt in the community for years to come.
Cultural heritage
Refurbishment
Creative industries
Community-building
Education
Kosovo's cultural policy faces the challenge of modernizing cultural institutions to meet 21st century needs and standards. To achieve this, the focus should be on developing transregional, international, and interdisciplinary collaborations, to position Prishtina and Kosovo as a central hub for cultural exchange in the Western Balkans and beyond. This requires investing in infrastructure for the professional development of artists and cultural producers, as well as education and training in art and cultural management. Long-term cultural policies and the development of management skills and experimental cross-cultural programming in cultural institutions and the management and presentation of heritage sites are also priorities. The Center for Narrative Practice serves as a catalyst for reclaiming public spaces in Prishtina, creating new cultural and urban environments for education, culture, and art to flourish. It also provides a space for artistic innovation, co-production, competence building, and network building, serving both the community and professionals alike, as a sustainable investment in supporting local needs. The Centre for Narrative Practice addresses the discrepancy between education and job requirements in the creative industries in Kosovo, providing resources, tools and equipment necessary for competence building and professional development. The Centre provides a platform for young artists and professionals to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to produce works of art and to advance their careers in this field. It is a platform that fosters open discussions and critical analysis of pressing social issues, such as race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, economic inequality, environmental sustainability, education and health care, which play an important role in shaping public discourse and fostering positive social change.
The Centre for Narrative Practice, formerly the Hivzi Sulejmani Library, is a protected architectural asset of significant historical and cultural value. Built in the 1930s, it showcases Austro-Hungarian design and provides insight into life in Prishtina during that time. The library played a vital role in shaping the city's identity and intellectual development. It has a rectangular design, with a main entrance divided into two staircases taking you to the 2nd floor, featuring symmetry and floral decorations, designed to offer comfort and relaxation. The main building includes a reference library, podcast studio, exhibition space, screening room and a conference and workshop room. Additionally, the garden features two other structures - a side building now used as a community space and a children and young adults’ library, and a back building comprising three maker spaces (darkroom, wood and metal workspace and a risograph printing room) - creating a cohesive architectural ensemble.
The responsibility for the refurbishment of the building was delegated to Manifesta. Adaptation interventions reflected the architectural identity of the site. The garden and surrounding area were part of the redesign concept. The restorations included greening to minimize emissions. The building was also supplied with solar panels which provide clean electricity, as well as heat pumps for efficient heating and cooling, contributing to a decreased carbon footprint.
The garden, an arboretum, serves as a tranquil oasis amid the city's concrete structures, providing an ideal setting for quiet reflection, peaceful studying, outdoor events, gatherings, and cultural activities, including performances and discussions. The Centre for Narrative Practice has conserved and incorporated the history of the building by transforming it in a manner which was mindful of its heritage and by maintaining its character as library, and as a welcoming public site of knowledge acquisition and exchange.
The Centre for Narrative Practice is created together with its engaging audience and run by individuals who have a deep understanding of the community's needs and culture. Through extensive research on various aspects of culture, such as consumption, use of public spaces, mental health and inclusion of marginalized communities, its programme and initiatives are tailored to the specific needs of the community and are more likely to be embraced and utilized by local residents. This approach informed the program and design of the center, which aims to bring people together and reduce feelings of isolation in Kosovo. One of the main goals of the center was to create a space that is open and inclusive to a variety of ethnic communities, given the multi-ethnic nature of the neighborhood in which it is located.
The center engages with a diverse range of individuals and communities through talks, education, family and community programmes, music and art events, and podcasts. The center actively fosters partnerships with local, regional, and international organizations in order to expand its reach and impact. Furthermore, the center provides a wide range of activities and resources that are open to the public and free of charge, which can help to make culture and education more accessible to individuals and families regardless of their socioeconomic status. This is particularly important in a country like Kosovo, where access to cultural resources and opportunities can be limited for many individuals.
The center is also designed to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, with wheelchair accessibility and designated bathrooms. Additionally, the center's libraries include books in a variety of languages, including Albanian, English, Turkish, French, Serbian and Bulgarian, catering to the diverse linguistic needs of the community. This can help to build bridges between communities and foster a more inclusive society.
Manifesta has integrated a series of research and knowledge production instruments to create a more participatory and inclusive bottom-up process to support the citizens of Kosovo in their ambition to reclaim public space, connect with the heritage as well as restore the sense of belonging with the institution. The programme and functionality of the Centre was created together with the people and not only for the people. The renovations and establishment of the Centre for Narrative Practice are based on the research on Collective Memory Mapping of ex-Hivzi Sylejmani library, Citizen Consultations and Public Survey, where we investigated the relevance of cultural spaces and the role Manifesta 14 could play in setting up an interdisciplinary programme and center.
The 100-day programme was built around addressing the needs of citizens articulated during the research phase, such as: reclaiming public space, strengthening participatory democracy, extending the cultural infrastructure beyond the boundaries of the inner city, establishing and maintaining spaces for well-being, improving diversity and inclusivity in the cultural fields and making Prishtina greener. In line with this output, a community garden in the Center is built together with communities and local artists to address issues around green space.
Other key concerns around diversity, accessibility and lack of transparency in decision-making processes, are addressed through creating activities for different communities, in a variety of languages and ensuring the building and garden are wheelchair accessible, which is a big concern in Kosovo where the majority of public institutions are not accessible for people with special needs. Furthermore, transparency has been central to how Manifesta worked with people from the neighbourhood, creating an open institution for the whole community regardless of their ethnic or social background to benefit and enjoy.
Manifesta 14 Prishtina was initiated by the International Foundation Manifesta (IFM) based in Amsterdam, the Municipality of Prishtina, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, establishing a unique collaboration in Kosovo. The Bid to host Manifesta 14 in 2022 was made by the Municipality of Prishtina in cooperation with Kosovar civil society, thus bringing together many relevant stakeholders from the very early stages of the project design.
The City of Prishtina reached out to Host Manifesta 14 Prishtina with an invitation to develop strategies to reclaim public space, recreate a sense of collectivity and rethink the urban future of Prishtina as an open-minded green metropolis in the heart of the Balkans. Manifesta is based on a co-creation model that links critical urban research, community building and contemporary culture with local identities and visions. With this strategy, the project prioritized co-creation with artistic communities, local citizens, grassroots organisations and institutional partners, aiming to transform cultural infrastructures. Besides the close partnership with local and national institutions in Kosovo, relevant and credible partnerships have been established with global institutions incl. UNDP/ UN Habitat, Embassies, (inter)national organisations, private funding bodies as well as individuals. Partnerships with former and future Manifesta host cities such as Marseille, Palermo, Barcelona have been created in transferring know-how, and their experience in implementing inclusive, sustainable projects. Through the Creative Europe Western Ballkans grant, during the biennial programme, Manifesta 14 has been able to collaborate with 11 regional partners during different phases of project implementation thus taking into consideration their input, expertise and ideas in shaping the content of the programme. The established partnerships in local, regional and European level have set the ground to strengthen exchange and collaborate further.
The centre's programme focuses on innovation and co-creation through integration of various fields, including architecture, urban planning, education, cultural heritage, human rights, arts, and culture. The partners involved bring expertise in arts, urbanism, education, community building, and peace-making, and their goal is to study the impact of the cultural institution on promoting regional reconciliation and community-building in Kosovo and the Western Balkans.
In terms of urban planning, the programme engaged the services of Turin-based architecture studio CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati. The studio used A/B Urbanism, which combines bottom-up and top-down processes, to create an Urban Vision for Prishtina that seeks to reclaim public space and inspire a new kind of permanent cultural institution. The education and mediation department was developed in partnership with public schools, local organizations and Municipal Directorates of Education in Prishtina and Fushe Kosova that specialize in research and education and have assisted in identification of cultural educational needs of youth and networking. The cultural heritage component of the programme and the revitalization of the Centre involved collaboration with local organizations that have expertise in cultural heritage, oral history, and field research.
The education and community as well as the main program of the biennial were designed to meet the needs of the general population, with a focus on community-building through initiatives such as the community garden of Centre for Narrative Practice, participatory library making, Games in Public Space as well as the schools' project dedicated to neighborhoods' cultural heritage, multilingual mediation programme, and accessibility of the biennial venues among others. Overall, the programme represents a unique collaboration that seeks to bring about positive change through the integration of various fields and the collaboration with local organizations.
The Center of Narrative Practice, established as part of the Manifesta 14, has been developed through a three-year collaborative process with a focus on innovative and participatory approaches. The project aimed to revitalize cultural and historical heritage and provide opportunities for community development, cultural policy, education, and international networking.
The Education team, through collaborative efforts, created an inclusive environment at the library for children and young adults (OAZA) to encourage cultural engagement and education. The facilities received positive feedback from teachers and students and serve as a hub for a multi-disciplinary program including workshops, exhibitions, conversations, and site-specific art and music performances. With 150 events organized, 5300 participants and over 13,000 visits, the Center of Narrative Practice has proven to be a successful platform for cultural engagement.
Mediation, a key component of the Education program, was established to introduce and contextualize the practice of cultural mediation in Kosovo. Through this program, cultural institutions in Kosovo can benefit from incorporating cultural mediation into their programming and outreach efforts, in partnership with the Center, to train new profiles of cultural mediators.
Moreover, the Center's focus on "Telling Stories Otherwise" in a post-conflict society such as Kosovo has a significant impact, serving as a platform for the second generation to deal with their traumas and stories. Through its participatory methodology, the Center of Narrative Practice stands out as a unique and impactful project in the cultural landscape of Kosovo and the Western Balkans region.
“The main challenge of this edition is therefore to connect art, architecture, and civil society to reimagine a public space that has melted away since the war and independence, while revealing the assets of a city that aspires to emerge from its near-invisibility” - Le Monde
The Center is a unique hub that brings together cultural practitioners, artists, technologists, urbanists, educators, and designers to collaborate and share ideas. This unique blend of talent and expertise results in a rich program that provides a space for interdisciplinary exploration and experimentation.
In addition to its programmatic offerings, the Center also boasts a prime location with historical relevance and a commitment to environmental sustainability. These factors, combined with its capacity building opportunities and ample networking possibilities, make the Center a one-of-a-kind project in the cultural landscape of Kosovo and the Western Balkans region. As a hub for cultural and narrative practices, the Center provides a dynamic platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration and exchange, driving forward the development of innovative approaches to cultural heritage preservation, community building, and education. The Center's continued success and impact are a testament to its innovative and forward-thinking approach, making it a standout player in the cultural landscape of Kosovo and beyond. This includes utilizing virtual and augmented reality to create immersive experiences that deepen audience engagement and facilitate the exploration of art and methodologies in the creative industries.
Furthermore, the Center's commitment to sustainability and environmental awareness is another hallmark of this innovative approach. The old, damaged furniture located at the center underwent an upcycling process with the participation of architecture students during a 2-week long camp. The camp offered an opportunity for architecture students to actively engage in a hands-on learning experience, by emphasizing the environmental importance of reusing & sustainable design. The transformation process of the cultural and historical infrastructure & promotion of sustainable practices have set a high standard for the development of cultural initiatives in Kosovo.
Manifesta revolutionized the traditional curatorial structure by implementing a creative mediation model that engaged citizens of Prishtina in the conceptualization of its program. The former library, which served as a gathering place for the community interested in literature, culture, and learning, was transformed into a collaborative space through a bottom-up approach.
The center's program was shaped through comprehensive pre-biennial research conducted in 2020-2021:
-Collective Memory Mapping of ex-Hivzi Sylejmani Library,
-Citizen Consultations,
-Public Survey,
-Recurring Neighbourhood Meetings and
-Urban Interventions.
This research focused on documenting and archiving the building's rich history and understanding the needs and ideas of the local community. The Collective Memory Mapping initiative aimed to gain insight into the historical background of the building by conducting research, documentation, and archiving of various memories and experiences from former visitors and employees. This information served as a foundation for contextualizing the institution and taking into consideration the building's rich history and its significance to the citizens of Prishtina. The Citizen Consultations were conducted to assess the cultural needs and aspirations of the local community regarding the future of the building. The results of the Public Survey indicated a desire for increased children's activities in the area and for a multi-functional institution.
The participatory approach resulted in an inclusive and representative institution and program that reflected the diverse experiences and identities within the community. This also fostered a sense of ownership and investment among people, leading to higher levels of engagement and sustainability. The innovative approach not only created a dynamic and inclusive space for the community but also promoted cultural exchange, a sense of belonging, preservation, and access to education and art projects.
By combining interdisciplinarity with a participatory approach, the project has managed to empower citizens, art communities and cities to re-think their relationship with the historical/cultural heritage, build trust among different communities as well as strengthen the feeling of belonging for people of Prishtina, Kosovo and beyond.
A successful, long-term sustainable institution for the communities can serve as a model for other cities and could be replicated in different contexts. The bottom-up approach has proved to be very successful in Prishtina’s case, community involvement in project design and implementation has also highly impacted people gaining ownership for the institution as well as connect with the environment, nature and communities around it.
At a social level, a center focused on "Telling Stories Otherwise" in post-conflict societies like Kosovo can have a profound impact. It serves as a tool for the second generation after the war to process their traumas and narratives, and demonstrates substantial potential for the expansion of similar initiatives to other post-conflict places as well as throughout the region and Europe too.
By adopting a flexible approach, the center has created a new model of education, which emphasizes participation and collaboration. This approach prioritizes creativity, inclusiveness, and empowerment, which are key elements in addressing global educational challenges.
The center offers a dynamic and innovative educational program, where children, young adults, teachers, and the wider community can engage with various forms of cultural expression and learning opportunities. This not only provides them with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century, but also promotes a sense of ownership and investment in their education and future.
The center's programs also aim to build capacity and promote entrepreneurship in the creative industries, fostering innovation and sustainability. This can spur innovation in the green sector and open up job opportunities in creative industries such as graphic design, digital media, photography, film production, and sustainable design, as well as environmental management.
Moreover, the center's focus on cultural mediation and storytelling helps to address the gap between formal education and practical skills by incorporating the lived experiences and perspectives of its participants into its program. This creates a more inclusive and representative education system that recognizes and values the diverse experiences and identities of individuals. Moreover, it highlights the importance of a flexible and inclusive education system that prioritizes creativity, community engagement, and sustainability.
The Center aims to serve as a benchmark in addressing global challenges by providing young artists with the necessary resources and support for self- and co-production, the Center contributes to the development of a more sustainable and equitable creative sector, while mitigating the disconnect between formal education and practical skills.
