With the goal to revitalize the historic town of Tržič, a series of online bootcamps has been designed for the international group of selected young talents and local stakeholders. These sessions aim to foster collaboration, identify challenges, and outline revitalization strategies for this historic site. The bootcamps, led by an Art Director, serve as an intro to live experiments that will explore these strategies in depth.

 

The first bootcamp, held on March 5, 2024, from 2 to 5:30 PM CET, served as an introductory session. Young talents introduced themselves using the "pecha-kucha" format, presenting 10 images in 20 seconds each, offering insights into their personal and professional backgrounds. This exercise helped both the young talents and local stakeholders get acquainted for the first time.

 

Following introductions, expectations for the project were set using a Miro board. Participants, both local and international, shared their hopes for the experiment and the project as a whole. These expectations will be revisited post-experiment to assess which were met, unmet, or exceeded.

 

The most crucial part of the session was a presentation on the experiment and its challenges, delivered by Andreja Rauch from the Tržič Museum. The REVIVE experiment aims to rejuvenate existing structures, uncover new perspectives, and engage residents in joint actions to accelerate the regeneration of Tržič's old town. Focus was placed on the specific site - the Museum garden, with goals to develop a dual-concept revitalization plan—both spatial and social—and to prototype these ideas. The broader vision includes transforming the garden into a vibrant green area integral to the town’s cultural and tourist infrastructure.

 

The young talents were presented with two main challenges:

1. Comprehensive garden design with a long-term vision.

2. Defining the garden's social role, including community engagement.

 

Post-presentation, participants engaged in hands-on work using SWOT analysis to outline their roles, skills, and interests. This exercise, conducted in breakout rooms, provided valuable insights into the young talents' profiles and needs, shaping the agenda for the next bootcamp session.

 

Between the two bootcamps, young talents received guidance from mentors and worked on preliminary ideas using the Miro board. Mentors provided feedback on these concepts, assessing their feasibility.

 

The second bootcamp, held on April 17, 2024, from 2 to 5 PM CET, built on insights from the first session and a subsequent survey identifying knowledge gaps. The session began with a presentation on the New European Bauhaus (NEB) principles by Marko Zlonoga from the North-West Croatia Regional Energy and Climate Agency. He shared the NEB compass and toolbox and highlighted successful examples of heritage building renovations aligning with NEB principles.

 

The remainder of the session was practical, moderated by Art Director Vid Ratajc and supported by AHTS expert Julija Marošek. Young talents presented their initial brainstorming solutions for Tržič’s challenges. The group discussed these solutions, refining them further.

 

The vision for the site includes:

- Creating a social space connecting the museum with citizens and visitors.

- Attracting people who care about the space, fostering a sense of intimacy and energy.

- Accommodating both structured activities and casual visits, prioritizing local residents.

- Ensuring easy maintenance, keeping the space green, and allowing for future growth.

- Enhancing interaction between the museum, garden, and Sun House, maintaining good visibility and connectivity with the historical town.

 

For the garden:

- Serving multiple purposes including cultural events, exhibitions, performances, and casual visits.

- Keeping it open with minimal separation from the street.

- Emphasizing the importance of lighting.

 

For the Sun House:

- Functioning as a cinema with wall paintings.

- Providing space for museum expansion.

- Serving as an interactive venue for target groups and internal museum needs.

 

Further considerations include gathering more input on space users, addressing nighttime pollution by youngsters, and obtaining local feedback on the ideas.

 

At the session's conclusion, young talents were tasked with individually envisioning the site’s renovation and creating visualizations of their ideas based on their perspectives and discussions.

 

These ideas will be brought to light, examined and executed during the live experiment in June/July 2024.