ORGANISATION

Valle de Kuartango Foundation-Kuartangoko Arana Fundazioa

CHALLENGE

To identify possible uses for the old spa facility in Zuazo de Kuartango by focusing on potentialities related to leisure and nature in the valley. These could additionally be linked to cultural and innovation activities in the primary sector.

IMPROBABLE COLLABORATOR

Vivero de Iniciativas Ciudadanas (VIC) is an open collaborative project aimed at promoting, disseminating, analysing and supporting critical initiatives and processes with the proactive spirit of citizens, with special emphasis on transfers to the territory, city and public space. The goal of Vivero de Iniciativas Ciudadanas is to create updated links in society, listening, studying and proposing routes on specific situations and helping to reunite theory and practice.

PROCESS

Conexiones improbables and the Valle de Kuartango Foundation have conducting the “Urratsera” project to identify new uses for the old spa facility in Zuazo de Kuartango, Álava, by using artistic- and cultural-based processes that can promote community culture and local development. The project has combined a work of shared strategic considerations with the Creative Pills format of Conexiones improbables.

The project has revolved around 4 agents: a steering group of strategic considerations, a broad group comprising people with stakeholders in the valley, a group of artists and the team at Conexiones improbables.

After identifying 6 possible scenarios for action, the broad group decided to work on the scenario that referred to leisure and nature. Nine people from the valley are working on this Creative Pill.

RESULT

The work undertaken by the Creative Pill participants has resulted in a commitment to implement KuartangoLab, a people laboratory for innovation in rural areas that would take place over an entire week. It would be a space for experimentation in which multidisciplinary teams devise and develop innovative projects to address economic, social and environmental needs. The objectives would be:

• To create a network of innovation spaces in rural areas.
• To prototype innovative projects for the territory and its community.
• To schedule talks and meetings with experts that are open to all citizens.
• To conduct visits so that people unfamiliar with Kuartango can see the assets of the region.

A mapping of resources was conducted during the Pill that aimed to seek communities or people who could become involved in the projects and this led to the creation of a project bank:

• Kuartango Energy: This would involve setting up a cooperative of alternative energy consumers. The biomass of mountains would be cleared and used as fuel to provide energy to the spa.
• Kuartango CoHousing: The construction of 6 environmentally friendly, low-rent community houses for young people. This project would help to attract talent, create new employment networks, new ways of life and consumption and, in turn, new business models, including those with the primary sector.
• Kuartango Artistic Creation: Spaces for artistic creation on an assignment and/or rental basis.
• Kuartango Tec: Technological spaces for education, training and production. Leisure for teenagers, with activities such as robotics, drones, digital manufacturing and 3D printing.
• Kuartango Coworks:  Co-working and a project incubator.
• Gure Azoka: This would involve combining a technological tool and a local product in such a way that it connects the territory to local, zero-km products. The spa could be a logistics or reception centre.
• Kuartango Rurban: Rural well-being and alternative lifestyle experiences.