Adriatic Workshops on the basics of stone carving for youth- guest workshops
We are an initiative that brings together people who are aware that caring for stone is one of the basic needs on the way to preserve the ambiance of the Adriatic coast. The authentic ambience is the largely conditioned by the restoration of the stone and its manual processing for new projects. In order to achieve the goals, among which the overarching goal is to raise awareness of youth, we act publicly trough workshops in our own arrangement in the way that is acceptable and easy to learn.
Regional
Croatia
Istra/Rovinj, Dalmatia/Pučišća
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Udruga Kultura Stine Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Mate Last name of representative: Pribilović Gender: Male Nationality: Croatia Function: President Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Driovier 11, Town: Rovinj Postal code: 52210 Country: Croatia Direct Tel:+385 98 130 6924 E-mail:kultura.stine@gmail.com Website:https://kultura-stine.blogspot.com/
Our initiative is at the forefront of the sustainability of the Croatian contemporary stone economy . We are the first that took our working benches on public area for the demonstration of the traditional Roman techniques that we consider absolutely must have when we talk about to gain the feeling towards stone as material used for product design, monochromatic effect or texture for interior design, dressing surface for landscaping design and Architectural design. The initiative Adriatic Stonemasonry school aims to regain a sense of belonging by bringing together people who are aware that caring for stonework is one step forward on the way to preserve the ambience of the Adriatic coast. Initiative is largely conditioned by the restoration of stonework and its manual processing (transmission of traditional know-how and skills) for new projects. To achieve the goal among which the overarching goal is to raise awareness of youth, association acts publicly through workshops in their own arrangements in a way that is acceptable to children, suitable for retired people and challenging to employees in the field of culture and art also open to random citizens with general interest on culture and art as well as traditional stonemasonry. This technique is responsible for building up the European architectural heritage and is specifically reflected in Adriatic types of stone such as Veselje, Kanfanar, Roman Travertine.
ambience of wellbeing (manhood)
visual culture
source of belonging
source of inspiration
stone architecture foundation
Stone dressing or shaping by iron forged-Roman style hand tools is surely sustainable in its original ancient setup and no carbon emission is left behind. Handwork gives us a good thinking drive because it is a forerunner on themes related to sustainability. Life of people has always been sustainable until hyper-manufacturing and global accessibility did not change it. Stone and marble are not exceptions and because of their weight stone and marble shipping stays an issue.
The key objective of our initiative is preserving sustainability in local material sourcing and producing. This has worked in the preindustrial era and must be an imperative way of thinking for future sustainable solutions.
Ad-hoc designing is the simple way for proportion to be defined and the size fit on max. or on suitable size. Shaping cube by manually carving into modern decorative architectural or everyday objects is for sure the original lifetime experience for secondary school children or random citizens. One is free to try holding iron forged tools in both hands while flatting the rough side of the stone block from the quarry by hitting the stone surface with tools tipping points. The beauty of aesthetics in manually flatten or dressed stone surfaces is shown in the eye of man as sun rays hit the dressed surface and uneven texture made by tools is exposed and drives people's positive emotions. Cultural benefits are shown in a feeling of source of belonging. After this experience people can gain different feelings when walking through historical sites. That can not be achieved by CAD machine processing.
Our intention is to start with education in formative years that means work with secondary school. The Workshops we developed are free of charge and accessible to anyone interested to take part. We use public spaces with no barriers that can limit the access and exchange of opinions and conclusions. By using four working spaces where different steps of manual processing are shown we try to make the process easier to understand as a whole. Children did not have prior chance to remember anything similar through collective memory but only by visiting local Heritage museums and that did not include their own experience. They could not learn manual processing from their parents because it was erased from our society through industrialization (neglect of heritage), globalization and consumption society.
The citizens of Rovinj and Croatia are very self-centred because of very hard and sometime brutal transitional period that they have been through in period of Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995) until today and before because of one party system ruled by Josip Broz Tito and afterwards because of corrupted party in power chosen by the same course of citizens that suffered the transitional period the most (demagogy and populism in Balkan way). The needs of most citizens (the ordinary people) for culture have been unsatisfied and neglected in this culture niche for over a half of century on the local and national level despite the existing source of stonemasonry craft from the beginning of century. In these social and cultural circumstances our initiative is behaving as a reminder for generations in pension years that might be remembering this stonemasonry ambience or testimony. These testimonies will hardly be heard by the new generation but give our initiative the source of origin that brings a glance of mystic to our initiative and therefore seen as authentic. The main initiative impacting the youth is to gain a source of belonging, inspiration, pride and understanding for craft that built our civilization and hopefully made an opinion towards education in only school of that sort in Croatia: Klesarska škola in Pučišća on Brač Island. Otherwise our initiative is happy whenever we witness the awareness rising by individuals who come across our workshop and make questions regarding stone architecture foundation while reflecting a humility and manhood in their attitude.
The City of Rovinj authority has founded our first edition (this initiative) of pilot education workshops through the annual call for public needs in culture. Furthermore, Mr. Cerin is an association promoter that has his own private initiative towards solving our association basic room facilities needs requirements. This gentleman has visited our initiative in 2022 by walking towards us and offering promotional efforts. He is the proud owner of one of the few authentic Rovinj´s restaurants that shines with some of the beautiful original stone structures preserved and presented through its true beauty. Head of the administrative department for the economy, public procurement and European funds within the authority of the City of Rovinj has been known for our initiative through previously held meetings and analysis towards our association's basic room facilities needs-requirements solving options. This lady encouraged us from very first meetings on our lead trough initiative and is now the initiative partner on applying for future initiative development funding from EU funds. Mr. Marić is an association initiative adviser and promotor towards local regional action plan for the project education workshops initiative offered to the City of Rovinj Head of the Department for Construction and Maintenance of Facilities of the Administrative Department for Municipal Economy and Construction in 2021.
In our initiative we implemented knowledge about heritage, architecture and traditional Roman technique of manual stone processing that we combined with modern design to create a special ambience. In initiative, except students of secondary school we involve random and intending citizens that are owners of small restaurant business and tourism related economic activities. The added value is reflected in the learning process by connecting to the team idea of stone masonry craft perceived as a self learning skill, respected in a way and as such very self defining.
In early spring/summer/autumn period when the city of Rovinj is most busy and crowded with tourist as the inhabitant suffer great hassle and have no quiet time for the half of the year around because of mass tourism politics has been chasing the record number of tourist coming in to town until it become great problem for local authorities and now they think around of how to come across these problem of uneven development?!?)
These representatives of private business are gaining a manly attitude towards the public when trying to use iron forged tools to flatten the rough surface of the stone block.
While them are using one tool at the time in now days digital environment ensuring the transmission of the traditional way of thinking that may attract one or two youngster to fall in love with traditional craft of stonemasonry that could lead them to enrol of high school called Klesarska Škola in Pučišća island of Brač.
Also we cooperated with an Art teacher regarding passing the basic knowledge about architecture and design to students of secondary school.
We are an initiative with the main source of action through our four places workshop suite with one place in demonstrative action and innovative character is seen in philosophy quote: It is about how it is done rather than to look at what it is to be done. In the field of the initiative the only actor on the national level is the institution of Klesarska škola that is a stonemasonry high school in Pučišća on the Island of Brač. Also there is one ngo in the field called "Stinja" - association for the promotion of the traditional, artistic and economic aspects of the material stone from the island of Brač.
Our initiative in whole its form is ready to be replicated, transferred to other places, groups beneficiaries and contexts as it is workshop in form of "Guest in the schools". Our primary methodology is pretty much working by sistem of trying called "Try and faul" by using Roman technology in slow step by step processes that provide one with true feel and strong sense to stone as material or as media. Basically this is achieved by shaping rough stone to perfectly flatten-smoothen surface in product shape of perfect cube, rectangle or ball.
Generally we have no problems with choosing methodology and approach because of the contrast that authentic set up is making in public space while making people react naturally and spontaneously. At this point it makes it easier to find methodology and approach to each one in the group. Approach to youth is easy because it is easy for them to come to the conclusion of what tools may be tented to be used and explanation is used just to inter connect the tools in perspective to the final result- the flatten or smooth stone surface. First we let children try and experience which mostly results in euphoria because they never tried something similar but at the same time physically hard. Next point is challenging in a way for youth to overcome the next step in a sense of visualisation of final results but after continuous repetition as they gradually progres they become closer to visualise. From this point on it may lead them to work through a syllabus of technique while enjoying one at the time results are noticed while working on flattening the rough to fine stone block surface and the result is smooth stonework traditional or contemporary in design. We also developed a more detailed methodology through "Plan and Program of Educational and Project Workshops of Manual Stone Processing and Installation Techniques with the Associated Technical Knowledge". Program plans six-month workshops.
The number of participants is limited to five because of the highest quality transfer of knowledge and skills which is based on practice and experiential learning. The transfer of knowledge and skills or training would be carried out in the stonemason's studio-gallery in Rovinj and on projects of restoration of protected cultural goods and monuments.
The initiative tackle child ability to perceive physical world in stone material by related traditional stone masonry, stone carving skills in a authentic way as digital world-metaverse is talking over youth perception and dexterity in modern surrounding environment and because of it, it's not possible to revitalize build heritage environment rather then just as a coulisse in commercial manner by private company.
We have implemented the initiative by its first 2022 pilot edition of educational workshop on the subject of using traditional stonemasonry in contemporary environment and related matters as contribution to providing social bonds and cohesion via first time experience in work with and in stone . This has happened after years of making the way(progress) out through the public call bureaucracy ( Building up the administration capacity to be able to submit an application which the New Bauhaus Prize really made a difference because of the open & flexible approach that has enabled us to submit an application ). In this year we want to go through secondary schools on a regional level with initiative educational workshops where we would seek for talented individuals while offering every child a chance to be involved in real life skills. The other aspects of this initiative envisaged results and benefits is awareness rising by use of authentic stone build heritage restoration methodology and techniques taken on with Roman style forged iron hand tools as well as research and development for the sector of natural stone, architecture and product design in stone with European outreach especially for new build(e.g. Antico style dressed paving slabs patterns, Antico texture Lampshades) or via events like Rovinj Design District.
This initiative is thought to be run for the long time as a forhend trend in the related economy and we will achieve this on the following way: our goal is to provide public workshops in autumn/winter time for children by collecting financial founds over spring/summer time by running paid cultural tourism/active vacations arrangements. In this way we are connecting tourism and local needs into sustainable local culture without need for public or private funds.
We are also investing in intellectual future developing opportunities to build up the skill of manual roman technique in stonemasonry, offering to youth a sense of belonging and identity. Our initiative is also helping green transition by using natural material that can be restored, reused and creates ambience.
We also strive to use more sustainable options for transport and make sure that the transit from electricity grid to solar and recycle where we produce no direct waste else from stone dust (chip offs). The other way of sustainability is seen via stonework sector organic growth that include cooperation with local authorities in the field of development of the local economy of the city of Rovinj, i.e. the revitalization of the economic branch of
Stone masonry (activity according to the NKD: cutting, shaping and exploitation of stone) by achieving the conditions for the organic economic growth of the branch through the modernization of the economic process to level 4.0, and otherwise the traditional economic branches of stonemasonry that are losing market share. Our desire is to create a stonemason workshop according to the trends and standards that are formed at the Marmomac fair, which is held every September in the city of Verona.
