Bridging Cultures: Digital Storytelling & Creative Connections for Community Empowerment

Intercultural Roots (Coventry, UK) and MakingCulture (Coburg, Germany) will collaborate, using participatory arts and ‘EcoGPX’ AR storytelling to empower marginalised communities, nurture dialogue and sustainability, and reimagine public space.

Intercultural Roots (UK) and MakingCulture e.V. (Germany) are proud to launch a groundbreaking partnership under the Cultural Bridge 2025-2026 programme, uniting Coventry and Coburg through participatory arts, digital innovation, and intercultural dialogue.

Purpose:

Building on IR's EcoGPX Launchpad Coventry - which engaged 450+ participants in place-based storytelling - and MakingCulture's sustainability initiatives (e.g., Coburg's Sustainability Days), the partnership pioneers innovative community-driven solutions. This collaboration seeks to empower marginalised communities, amplify underrepresented voices, and address shared societal challenges - such as sustainability, equity, and cultural democracy - through creative co-creation.

The project merges IR's PLACES by EcoGPX® app - a geo-tagged storytelling platform - with MakingCulture's experimental arts expertise to reimagine public spaces.

Key Activities (April 2025 – March 2026):

* Hybrid Workshops: In-person sessions in Coventry, UK (City of Peace and Reconciliation) and Coburg, Germany (historic innovation hub), combined with virtual exchanges to foster cross-border collaboration. These workshops engage marginalised communities, artists, and youth in creative dialogue and participatory arts practices.
* Digital Storytelling: Using IR’s PLACES by EcoGPX® app, participants co-create augmented reality (AR) narratives tied to heritage sites such as Coventry Cathedral’s Reconciliation sculpture and Coburg’s reconstructed 1888 Flocken Electric Vehicle. This innovative approach bridges history and technology, enabling communities to share their stories in public spaces.
*Community Co-Creation & Sustainable Dialogue: Engaging local artists, youth groups, and racially minoritised communities in collaborative projects that address shared challenges like environmental justice and social inclusion. Activities include intercultural storytelling, sustainability-focused workshops, and creative practices that strengthen community cohesion and resilience.

Innovation:

*AR Technology: Redefine public spaces as interactive platforms for community voices.
*Hybrid Engagement: Combine grassroots workshops with digital tools to ensure accessibility and scalability.

Impact:

*For Communities: Develop skills in digital storytelling, sustainable arts practices, and intercultural collaboration.
*For Partners: IR integrates participatory arts methodologies; MakingCulture adopts ethical tech tools to enhance accessibility.
*Long-Term Vision: Create a scaleable and replicable model for cross-border cultural partnerships addressing global challenges like climate justice and social inclusion.

Cultural Bridge Themes:

*Re-invigorating post-industrial communities through heritage storytelling.
*Increasing cultural engagement in underserved areas.
*Redefining public spaces with AR-enabled narratives.

Workshop registration opens April 2025.

This project is funded by Cultural Bridge, which celebrates bilateral artistic partnerships between the UK and Germany through the collaboration between Arts Council England, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, British Council, Creative Scotland, Fonds Soziokultur, Goethe-Institut London and Wales Arts International / Arts Council of Wales. Cultural-bridge.info

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