Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CULTUURCAMPUS (Cultuurcampus: a sustainable hub of arts, research, learning and community as catalyst)
Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2024-03-31
Cultuur&Campus Putselaan (C&CP) pilots a new approach to city making through education, research, policy and culture, in the heart of Rotterdam South. In its contribution to tackling societal and environmental challenges, it supports the coming together of different types of knowledge - theoretical, practical, from the arts and sciences - with the lived experiences of citizens. First, by co-creating a vibrant site of encounter, dialogue and shared learning. C&CP will be housed in a historical building located on the Putselaan, in Rotterdam South. The refurbishment of the building unites a sustainable re-design vision of students of architecture and built environment, integrating the wishes and needs of local stakeholders, in a part of town where higher education and cultural institutions are scarce. C&CP will be a hub for students, residents, social enterprise start-ups, lecturers and researchers – a place for learning, studying, community, art and culture. The hub will also host creative placemaking initiatives, centred around artistic and cultural collaborations with practitioners and citizens. While focusing on the renovation of the building, we started programming activities and events in other locations and in partnership with stakeholders locally, and also at our temporary location at the Hillevliet, enabling us to build momentum for C&CP prior to the official opening of the building. Second, C&CP facilitates the co-design of impact-oriented learning curricula that can make the area more sustainable, inclusive, and enriching. We have transformed our curricula at Bachelor and Master level courses, where we are testing innovative didactic approaches geared towards activating and inspiring citizens, students, and lecturers in shaping a better future for Rotterdam South. By transforming our curricula and developing innovative education, we are also leveraging the power of arts and culture learning and research for inclusive and sustainable city-making. We are also working towards lifelong learning formats and micro-credentials that can open up learning and exchange to learners beyond our student cohort. In transforming our education, we are also teaching outside of the campus, including at our temporary location in Rotterdam South. Third, our project is based on participatory research and citizen science, engaging residents in the processes that shape their city and delivers a sound understanding of the area, its challenges, and opportunities, based on shared ownership. Our research plans have been co-designed with residents, and based on a participative needs assessment. Similarly, our creative placemaking programming builds on the strengthening connections with local stakeholders and practitioners. Our C&CP pilot works towards a longer-term vision for a larger space for learning, culture and community partnership and initiatives in Rotterdam South, centred around the city’s arts and culture higher education institutions and the municipality. We are also evaluating our experience, and identifying the most effective strategies for delivering territorial transformations that build on situated knowledge and visions shaped and implemented through multi-stakeholder and multi-level collaborations.
The project has successfully established the pilot location at Putselaan in Rotterdam South, with rental agreements finalized among partners. The tender for the contractor was published and work is expected to start in Q3-2024, with work expected to be completed in Q3-2025. In terms of education and research, the project and the pilot location have been the subject of various educational courses, including one workshop marking the first phase of the design of the internal outfitting of the building and the garden. Moreover, the project has redesigned and delivered multiple courses, incorporating NEB principles, offering hands-on experience through student internships, and the project team is developing a collaborative Bachelor Minor program to be developed on site. Research into micro-credentials and edubadges is underway, supporting lifelong learning. Placemaking efforts have advanced with the formulation and delivery of the initial cultural and artistic event programming plan. A needs assessment engaging residents and stakeholders was conducted, aligning the project activities with NEB Compass principles. Despite delays with the pilot location renovation, a significant amount of creative placemaking events have taken place in collaboration with residents, local initiatives and businesses, and other stakeholders. We have also rented a temporary location at the Hillevliet, not far from the Putselaan building, to strengthen our ties with the neighbourhood and ensure on-site presence before the official opening of the pilot building. Effectively, the need to program offsite due to renovation delays has strengthened the relationships the project has established with its local stakeholders, likely much more so than if programming was initiated solely out of the Putselaan building. To transition from pilot to full-scale Cultuurcampus, key strategies were identified, including a top-down approach for vision implementation and a bottom-up strategy for stakeholder partnerships. Citizen engagement remains a priority, with the establishment of Stakeholder and youth-stakeholder groups, completion of a needs assessment, and co-development of an Action Plan for Participatory Research. Additionally, the project has actively engaged in open consultations on policy and programmatic developments in Rotterdam South and beyond.
The project has adopted a, beyond the state-of-the-art, co-design approach across all tasks and deliverables, facilitating the development of a shared Theory of Change and a more adaptable co-design methodology. This approach allows for dynamic engagement with diverse team members and stakeholders, tailored to the specific requirements of each task. By flexibly assembling stakeholder groups for reflection and implementation, the project maximizes the utilization and integration of expertise from external partners, community members, and local initiatives. Notably, the project collaborates closely with the Cultuurcampus Doklaan Sounding Board and Core Group to secure administrative and financial commitment from RDAM, EUR, HR, and COD, ensuring alignment between the C&CP project and the broader campus plans. This collaborative effort is integral as the insights gleaned from the pilot initiative directly inform the activities of teams working on the full-scale Cultuurcampus Doklaan initiative, which in turn guarantees the long-term uptake and success of C&CP beyond the project lifetime.