(re)vuelta al patio

What space is there for children in our society?

The association hablarenarte seeks to promote listening mechanisms that contribute to fostering the participation of boys and girls as active subjects within and outside cultural institutions. Mechanisms that facilitate a space for listening, dialogue and action in response to the growing invisibility and privatization of parenting in contemporary cities.

The first edition of (re)turn to the patio begins with two research / action residencies in collaboration with the neighborhood. The artists Paula Valero (Paris / Valencia) and Cristina Fraser (London / Barcelona) have been invited to articulate and accompany spaces for dialogue, rehearsal and co-creation with a community of local families,  activists and associations with whom to devise and shape non-adult-centered spaces for artistic participation within the framework of the cultural Centre Conde Duque in Madrid. 

The residencies are preceded by an investigation and mapping of the immediate social context of the neighborhood (detecting key initiatives and agents) as a basic mediation tool for the institution, the artists and the community. Each of the residences is linked to the following themes: play + thought + autonomy + space. Through one or several community workshops, two actions will be designed within the framework of a free play laboratory, seeking to reflect on the place that children occupy in cultural spaces and thus promote channels of active and collaborative participation. The resident artists will be hosted at Planta Alta, the residence space of hablarenarte, where various artistic and curatorial research programs are initiated and accompanied. 

Promoting gender equality, intergenerational ties, the participation of diverse families and migrants, two types of proposals will be designed:

Ephemeral game action, inside Conde Duque.

Play action in the street, political consciousness and activism in the neighborhood.

The long-term objective of (re)turn to the patio is to create more stable communities linked to the cultural center, beyond the public who occasionally visit it, so that visitors acquire an active role. Ultimately, it is about creating a space where childhood is not understood as other, but as part of an active community that listens and proposes. Given the organic nature of the project, the dates of each phase will be defined throughout the process and can be checked on the Conde Duque website.

(re)turn to the patio residences are part of the European Cultural Creative Spaces and Cities project that, over the course of two and a half years, has brought together citizens, public administration and the cultural sector to co-create cultural public policies. As partner of the project, hablarenarte has focused on the issue of children participacion in collaboration with local partners like Medialab Prado, Intermediae Madrid and the Madrid City Council's Sub-Directorate for Innovation. Throughout this time, tools have been explored to sharpen children's listening and strengthen dialogue between cultural institutions and the community. International collaborators of the project are: Trans Europe Halles (Sweden), European Cultural Foundation (Amsterdam), Peer2Peer Foundation (Holland and Greece), University of Antwerp - Prof. Pascal Gielen (Belgium). Together with the following independent organizations: City of Lund (Sweden), Northern Tzoumerka (Greece), Skåne Region (Sweden), Ambasada (Romania), CIKE (Slovakia) and Kaapeli (Finland)