Kreativni vrt

2006-12-08T03:21:00.000-08:00

the box of ideas is being built. The aim is to give the users of the place the opportunity to suggest ideas on the way they would like to see the place, for them to feel more involved and connected with their environment. The aim is also to inform users about the project " kreativni vrt" and invite them to join it. Here is a draft for the informative poster that would goes alongside the box of ideas :

2006-11-28T06:21:00.000-08:00

How / Kako ?

creativity is not only about having ideas but also about how to implement them.
Which ingredients are necessary to make up the whole receipt of akcija ? a bit of organisation, a bit of time, a bit of inventivity, and a lot of energy... Here are some ideas of means of akcija.

- to organize the big mess of trash and old material we can use, to know where is what...
-to have a list of tools we have, to know how to use them...
- to organise free open workshops about some specific themes like " building boxes out of old material", " how to make music without instrument", some workshop about graffitis, painting, making mozaik, scuplture... the result of the workshops would fit to the garden.
Everybody could participate and leave its one work in the garden.

2006-11-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

Let´s take good care of our rubbish

In our every day habits, throwing something in the garbage doesn´t demand any particular attention, it even embodies the typical gesture of carelessness. As soon as we decide that a draft paper, an empty can or a cigarette butt don´t have any utility, we feel we shouldn´t be connected with it anymore, we are even ashamed to keep it, waste are indeed dirty, ugly, possibly smelly, and useless. We have to get a rid of them, the sooner, no matter how, no matter where.

-BUT : by throwing rubbish wherever, we also throw our own responsability.

Rubbish won´t disappear on its own, it will stay where it was left and bears the gesture of the one who threw it.

- BUT : as long as there is matter, there is life.

the lifetime of a cigarette doesn´t stop once it is smoked, the plastic wrap still exists when you got what was inside. There is life before you get the rubbish ( people to make it, energy and materials to be spent and waste), and there is life after you throw it (people to pick up, collect and recycle, visitors to check if a place is clean or dirty...)

Why to recycle

- some ineresting figures :

for each ton of recycled cartboard, 2,5 tons of wood are saved.

Each sheet of paper that is reused allows to save 1 liter of water, 2,5Wh of electricity and 15g of wood. For one ton of recycled plastic, 700 Kg of crude petroleum are saved.

- BUT (nothing is perfect, there is always a but ) : recycling is very costing ( specially recycling glass), and is not enough to meet our fast growing release of waste. The first solution must be to produce less and less waste, thus to live a drastic change in our consumption habits.

The responsible consumer

- If we are responsible of throwing rubbish, we are also responsible of buying them.

Again, we can buy in conscience by choosing products according to some ecological labels, the quality, the quantity. And to buy consciously, we don´t only have to think how the product was made but how it was transported : a solid pack of laundry soap take less place than a drum of liquid soap, thus less trucks are recquired to freight them, thus less pollution... and lots of other exemples could be find. But this is a whole process of thinking we are not so used to when we enter a store. Buying is not enough thoughtfully connected. We all think about what we need and how to get it, but who would like to have a long and well balanced considering in front of the supermarket shelves when choosing a toothbrush...?

It´s all about changing our common perception and our every day habits, just thinking about it might be the first step.

- The cheaper doesn´t mean the most economical.

The price mustn´t be the only criteria when selecting a product, the quality and durability must be also considered. For instance, a fluocompact light bulb is 4 times more expensive than a normal one, but lasts 5 times longer and consumes a lot less energy.

A flat screen cost more than a normal one but use a lot less energy and has a better quality.

On the long term, we eventually save money and energy. It´s all about going further in reflection, having a look at the user guide, and again, taking a bit more time in the store, thus changing our habits...

recycling in the kreativni vrt

- as we noticed that the recycling initiative was not of the most effective, an idea was to add signs to inform about the meaning of recycling. Of course, all this moralistic bla bla wouldn´t be of any effect, we need a subversive way to render this task pleasant and concretly significant. Why not to highlight the "home made" recycling, like making ashtrays out of empty beer cans, wallets out of milk packs...

if you have any idea, skip to the section idejo so v zraku to add your comments.

2006-11-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

PERMACULTURE : a sustainable way of life

One of the main objectives of the Kreativni vrt is to work according to ecological and sustainable principles, and thus to arise awareness and sensivity to one´s environment.

A garden is quite a small space compared with the broad land expanse on our blue planet,alright, but it is still a piece of this earth, and imagin the proportion of earth´s surface that would represent all these gardens together...

In the context of ecological threat and earth deterioration, it is thus very inportant to care for the least parcel of soil and to consider a garden as part as the whole garden of earth. (I´m not telling you about the holy paradisiac garden of Adam and Eve...Our garden is a lot more down to earth). By exploting and polluting most of of the natural area, we are fast approching the point where we need refuges for all global life forms, and a garden might be an appropriate refuge.

("cultivons notre jardin" / let us cultivate our garden as wrote VOLTAIRE in conclusion of his philosophical and satyrical novel Candide in 1759. The ecological concerns were probably not the same at that time, but gardening might also be connected with a whole way of thinking and philosophy of action).

So we are coming gradually to the point : permaculture is indeed a design system of agriculture and also a comprehensive way of life ( " maximum contemplation, minimum action. Permaculture is about thinking before you act").

Permaculture focuses on thoughtful designs for small-scale intensive systems which are labor efficient and which use biological resources instead of fossils fuels.

permaculture validates traditional knowlegde and experience but also new technologies.

It can be applied in any ecosystem, no matter how degraded.

an exemple of permaculture in practise

Principle explanation: This south facing window collects heat and light for this home in Wales, whilst the solar panel heats the water. By correct placement of the window and panel, we make use of the sun's light and heat to provide for our needs.

this exemple comes from the abundant informative web site about premaculture : http://www.permaculture.org.uk/

for further information you can also check these interesting websites:

http://www.permaculture.org.au/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permaculture

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/perma.html

2006-11-21T03:07:00.000-08:00

LA VITRINE

the begining

The idea to build the "vitrine" came out during the youth exchange : we need something noticeable and visible at the entrance of Pekarna, to promote the place but also to inform the visitors about what is going on behind these walls covered up with graffiti...a group of Belgian guys size the idea and starts assembling woodcuts, piercing, nailing down, screwing down, painting....but 10 days are not enough, come back very soon guys !

the ending...and more

They came back indeed in november to finish building it...and more : the first work of one belgian artist was added on one side, and there will exibited in the vitrina each month a different artist...From an idea to a project, from a short term limited result to a long term network of creativity ; easy, isn´it ?

a detail of the first work exibited in the vitrine, by Antoine MILIAN

The following : more details about the project

PRESENTATION :
- la vitrine is managed by Benoit Milan, Paul Destieu, Maxime Berthou, Luce Moreau, as part as the association la vitrine located in Belgium
- la vitrine is a contemporary cultural space, involved in promoting and developing european quality art practices.
- la vitrine is divided in two spaces : a four meter square show room designed to exhibit an artist´s work selected each month, a five hundred meter square galery in which events and collectiv exhibitions will be set- up every six months, gathering works and artists exhibited in the show room.

- la vitrine ´s financial is based on private money investments, european and local public money investmants, sponsoring and volonteer involvments that each managers of the association la vitrine develop.

- la vitrine is willing to develop comunication between Pekarna center and a larger local and european public.

2006-11-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Idejo so v Zraku ! some ideas in the air...

here are some projects that could fit in the garden, some of them are in the air, some other in minds, but they are all waiting for some hands to make them comimg down from the sky to the real soil...they are listed in the order of priority. But alongside with these projects, some less creative tasks are needed like cleaning and ordering the wooden shed for tools !

- to build the box of ideas and some attractive sign to explain it

- to finish building the compost toilets

- to add some signs alongside the recycling trash can ( see article about recycling)

- to make a real playground for children, a limited square with sand, some games drawn on the floor, some solid swings ( one of the two that were built has been destroyed), some musical instrument to play with)

- to highlight the signage and the promotion of the spot : a map of Pekarna, some directions to give a general atmosphere to the garden (with a kind of portal to define an entrance, a title maybe ...)

- to make some low brick walls and design some narrow and slopy paths on the floor

- to make some small hills to give relief to the place, to make a hole at the top of some of them in the shape of a sofa.

- to have a "relax" part with some comfortable chairs, tables...

- to add some plants and flowers, to explore the idea to have a vegetable garden, to plant some fruit trees.

- to have some animals

Ideas from volunteers

" finish painting the scupture black (oil base) ; compost might need a sturdier/long lasting door ; plants for prepared garden beds" (Shanon, Canada)

" put the rest of the mirror tiles on the fountain" ( Alex, Scotland)

" put a mirror in the bathroom"

" i would like to finish my zebra crossing, would like to make it myself because they are different directions to take. Don´t finish it i will be back in few months ! " (Amandine, Belgium)

" chill out zone" ( Eva, portugal)

" make the plan of Pekarna" (Laurent, belgium). see the explanation :

"give more green around Gustav, bring kids to the land of kids" ( Joao, Portugal) .

The land of the kids is an idea that is already being implemented in Portugal, in order to arise sensibility to your own environment : a parcel of soil is given to a group of children, and with the advice of some professional people they can plan, build whatever they wish, they are their own responsible.

2006-11-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

3- WHAT HAS BEEN DONE OR STARTED...

From september 2006 29th to october 7th took place in Pekarna a youth exchange under the name of Pekarna green refit, organized by Rui a former EVS volunteer in Pekarna who came back to implement the idea he already had in mind. Around twenty people came from Portugal, Brasil, France, Belgia, Great Britain, and of course, from Slovenia ; with the idea to do "something" with the place and specially in the garden.
With so many different people, it is obvious that the international and cultural sharing was part of the project , and this worked as a very burgeoning and productive incubator of ideas, projects and ambitions, and also sometimes even overrided the "akcija" part. So that is why some projects remained unfinished, some others are still in mind, some are still in the process of operation, some will be done very soon....In a word, this exchange gave a new breath to the perpetual movement of creation floating aound there, pushing it forward in various directions.

Just have a look at these pictures, it might be more talkative.

1- DURING THE YOUTH EXCHANGE

Rui and Max. Eva, Hailey and Stephen

2- WHAT HAS BEEN DONE

to promote the place

to let nature growing

To keep the place clean and recycle the trash. In order to check the success of the recycling project, just make a comparison of the two pictures on the top and try to find the intruders in the second one. To emphasize the recycling awareness, read ideas on the section idejo so v zraku

To add colours and life

the chess board was a smart idea, it´s quite very often used ( when it is sunny of course), i think we need more of these games so that the users have another reason for coming that only seating...

The small mirrors might give you some photographic ideas

to see more pictures, have a look at Ryan´s page, one of the participants from Scotland.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ravanwin/album?.dir=9c50scd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//www.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

2006-11-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

3- GARDEN SLOVAR

" I´m looking for this thing , you know, long, sharp, used to cut wood..."

As most of us don´t use English as a mother-tongue language, some specific words might be difficult to translate. If you are searching all the place for "this thing" and if you can not even explain what you are looking for, please don´t get discouraged. Here is a linguistic tool where you can, by chance, find the word you need in order to cut your piece of wood or something else... And because it is a creative garden, we can develop a creative language as well, by mixing some words from different origins. In my opinion, lopata sounds a lot better than spade shovel, what do you think ?

you can find the words at first in Slovenian, then in English, and then in French, if you are from a different nationality, you can post your own translation !

TOOLS

Samokolnica weelbarrow brouette

prikolica trailer remorque

lopata spade-shovel pelle

grablje rake rateau

kramp pioche

klešče pincers tenailles

kladivo hammer marteau

izvijač screw driver tournevis

vijak screw vis

žebelj nail clou

vrtalni stroj boring machine perceuse

lektrična žaga electric saw scie circulaire

žaga saw scie

metla broom balais

vedro bucket seau

paleta palette palette

vrvica string ficelle

vrv rope corde

svinčnik in radirka paper pen and eraser crayon de papier et gomme

čopiči brushes pinceaux

kreda chalk craie

blago fabrics tissus

pilica lime lime

2006-11-10T04:35:00.000-08:00

2 - Green refit following, or the creative garden

objectives :
- to make Pekarna´s garden a place for creativity, realize some original/artistic projects (get some practical skills, share ideas with other, breed enthusiasm and motivation)
- a socially open space : to change the perception of the place by getting in touch with the local users and involving them in the projects, thus creating not only artistic but also long term and adapted structures
- to use the space according to some ecological and renewable principles, and thus promoting and informing people about it (recycling, gardening)

The idea of the project directly comes from what was implemented during the Youth exchange, but on long term ( some projects remained unfinished, some ideas didn´t have time to take shape), and insisting on the social interest.

Steps of the project :
- to build a "box of ideas" to put on the garden, with a sign to explain what is it (if you have an idea about what you would like to see in the garden + contact where you can share your idea )
- to make up a team of volunteers (at the begining, the slovenian participants who were already involved in the youth exchange, EVS volunteers...and then whoever is interested)
- to spread the info about it ( postacard with the picture and the adress of the box + date of meeting with all the volunteers who want to join the project, or just contact)
- to have regular meeting (one day or afternoon per week) to discuss ideas and above all, to realize them in practise
- to have meeting with the responsible of the place to check to possibility of the projects

ideas already in mind :
- to highlight the meaning of the recycling trash cans by adding some signs
- to enlarge the gardening space with flowers, bushes, fruit trees
- to bring some soil to make up some small hills
- to add some games for a playground space( for more ideas, view the complete list "idejo so v zraku" )

what is needed :
- a free acces to the different places where we can find trash (at the time of our meetings), a precise list of what is inside, what we can use and what we can not. ( a photographic list will be on the blogg soon)
- some financial support to pay for the extra material we will need (glue, colours, rope, some tools...) even if the point is to use mainly what we already have.
- some advicing support for gardening, building...

to be continued...and eventually modified...

2006-11-10T03:50:00.000-08:00

1 - INTRODUCTION

hey guys and girls !
after having tried several times to gather people at the same place at the same moment, i finally came to the conclusion that virtual meetings are probably easier to hand...With this blog you can get information about the project whenever you want, from wherever you want, and you can also spread the information to other people avoiding big discussions by simply giving the address. But of course, a project can not be only virtual, and internet is still not efficient enough to built compost toilet or to plant trees from your computer, so this is just a tool to facilitate the process of AKCIJA !
Please, feel free to add your comments, or even to post some articles if you have a precise idea to describe, or something that you think is needed ( the password will be recquired but you can send it to me and then i will publish it...). This blogg must be an open/common/free/sharing space.
As you can see this is an international kreativni vrt, English language is imposing itself as the most easy one for communication, but you can use the garden slovar tool for some precise words. You can also post comments in Slovenian, we will find translators !
If you have a precise project and want to come and realize it, add your idea on the list,and don´t forget to check before which material and equipment you will need , make up a list, send it, so that we can see what we have and what we don´t ...

The day dedicated to meetings and akcijo will be on each thursday/četrtek, it doesn´t mean that you can come only on this day, but it means whoever can come on these četrtek popoldan and be sure to find someone to discuss about what shall be done. Otherwise you can always email me(mathildebaud@gmail.com ) or Régis (lemoineregis@gmail.com )

the garden is waiting for your creativity !
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