Problem statement:

Cartagena is a territory that suffers from a lack of SENSE OF BELONGING on the part of many citizens, this has resulted in neglect and apathy for the common good and the care of the city, which day by day is more deteriorated, with this project we seek to locally transform forgotten spaces of the city through its meaningful beautification, thus generating appropriation by involving the community. And, in the same way, by interacting with other communities outside the city, we seek to leave a little of the Caribbean artistic culture in the world, the intention is to generate cultural exchanges that can be reflected in tourism and the appropriation of the cities through the creation of artistic references and symbols that enable people to value their culture and territory.

Target groups: El pozón neighborhood (isla de León sector) and Klon (Germany)

Proposed solution:

Transformation of spaces (physical and mental) through a German methodology called RELATIONAL ART that seeks in co-creation activities to generate changes in groups and communities with the participation of their stakeholders, having as a final product one or several MURALS depending on the scope programmed by the managers and organizers. 

The intervention methodology generates participation, appropriation of the participants and tools in different topics such as entrepreneurship, art, environment and different topics proposed and raised according to the activity of the project and the needs of the communities or organizers.

Dates (Beginning and end of project): 26/06/2021 - this project will continue in the 2023-2024 period

Activities included in the methodology:

1. For the implementation of this proposal, a leader of the territory or group to be "impacted" should be contacted and a date(s) formulated (depending on the size of the group and the space to be transformed) in order to organize the chronogram with the participants.

2. Workshops: the workshops last approximately 3-4 hours (this depends on the number of people and the scope that the partners decide to propose and have). Divided in 3 moments 

Moment 1: the SELF (identification of my ideas)

Moment 2: The OTHER (how I recognize the other)

Moment 3: WE (how do we recognize ourselves as a collective)

3. Muralization: takes approximately 3 - 4 hours depending on the size of the wall or space to be transformed, the number of participants and the complexity of the elements chosen in the workshops. Divided in 2 moments.

Moment 1: Explanation about graffiti, it is interesting because this is the part that generates empathy with the project, new learning of topics that were not known. 

Moment 2: under the guidance of the workshop leader or artistic leader, everyone paints and co-creates the final mural product.

4. Reflection time: lasts approximately 1 hour, participants have the opportunity to comment on their experience and the lessons learned. 

Goals:

- Changing and beautifying spaces in a community.

- Generating economic reactivation through tourism.

- Promoting identity values such as cultural appropriation.

- Providing tools and knowledge about business moderation and vocational orientation through workshops.

- To integrate the participating groups as a single community.

- Achieve national and international cultural exchanges with artists from the territories to be impacted, in order to generate learning about social impact project management.

Available Metrics:

1. Level of commitment: number of participants listed for the entire process and each activity (90 people), and families impacted through the space transformation activity implemented (250 children and 400 families in the sector).

2. Spatial impact: number of houses or spaces impacted by the project (4 houses and 1 cultural center in Germany).

3. Economic impact: number of business activations, after the events held (2 businesses created around tourism: a boat rental business to tour the transformed space and a business selling pastries and coffee by one of the muraled houses).

4. Social impact: number of changes registered in the community after the recommendations generated, this follow-up is carried out by the project's partner entity or group (2 structural changes in the sector: repair of two houses' fences).

5. Artistic impact: number of local artists registered in the program (1 local artist joined the initiative, who 2 years later continues with his studies thanks to the opportunity to learn from the workshop leaders).

Collaborators: Sonrisas de leon foundation, Dusseldorf Hub, HENRYS, BONCHE, ALOMOBILE