Revitalisation means revival or rebirth and each revitalisation begins by drawing attention to the problem. In the case of Cres, it refers to folk architecture and the modern life framed by it.

“Kantuni” (corners), “dvori” (courtyards) and “kale” (alleys) are starting points for the Dialogue with the Community – meetings, conversations and workshops on conservation and revitalisation, during which experts and the community will discuss space together. The People Make the Island, an exhibition of photographs of the men and women of Cres, will be enhanced with “klapa” songs rendered the old way. Our daily laundry will show visitors where they need to go. You will no longer get lost in the historical centre because the Štorije (Stories) will be your guides and the European dimension will be expanded by introducing the Swedish collective DIS/ORDER.

PRE-PROGRAMME
Presentation of the process behind the footbridge initiative

Introduction of the European partners from Sweden
DIS/ORDER Collective
(the collective will be introduced with videos and a presentation in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines)

Time: 3 p.m.
Venue: Italian Community – Cres – 14 Frane Petrić Square

PROGRAMME
Opening ceremony and handover of the time capsule from the Crikvenica Neighbourhood
(the programme will be opened by representatives of the Town of Cres, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, the City of Rijeka, and Rijeka 2020)
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Arsan Square – Cres – 7 Ribarska Street

Štorije – circular walk
Time: 4.45 p.m.
Location: Old Town

Our Daily Laundry
Exhibition by the Ruta Association
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Old Town

People Make the Island
Exhibition of portraits of men and women from Cres
Time: 5.30 p.m.
Location: Old Town

Cres jazz performed by Filip Flego
Socialising over Cres biscuits
Time: 6.30 p.m.
Location: Arsan Square – Cres – 7 Ribarska Street

ABOUT THE PEOPLE MAKE THE ISLAND PROGRAMME

The People Make the Island is a Cres neighbourhood initiative that centres on the promotion and presentation of Cres’ historical centre with the aim of protecting and preserving it for future generations. The goal is to raise awareness of the importance of heritage and its protection from decay and damage by emphasising the beauty and value of the old town. The new content will take a modern and witty approach to awaken the senses of passers-by. Lights, sounds, sculptures and quotes, among other things, will highlight the contrast between the modern and the old as you take a stroll through the town. The rundown area of Cres’ historical centre will be upgraded with new amenities in order to make it more interesting and available to the locals and visitors to Cres all year round.

The revitalisation of Cres’ historical centre is an idea powered by the vast potential of Cres that contributes to the removal of identified deficiencies. This initiative will restart abandoned processes through various stages and features:

Dialogues with the Community are envisioned as a platform for meetings, discussion and workshops aimed at the local population in cooperation with the municipal authorities and expert conservator-restorers, who play a pivotal role in the process of revitalising the old town. The aim is to encourage, stimulate and motivate the local residents through discussions and meetings to engage in the creation of social life and daily content by focusing on the needs of the locals, while adhering to conservation guidelines and the views of the municipal authorities.

The People Make the Island – Portraits of Men and Women from Cres – photographs of the town’s real inhabitants that bear witness to a time and life in the historical centre will be displayed in corners and courtyards, while the songs of “klapas” will take chance travellers back to a time when songs were “sung the old way”.

The exhibition The People Make the Island, which is set up in advance, will take you on a stroll through the town’s narrow streets with the aid of photographs from old photo albums and chests and are scattered along the narrow alleys of Cres, which will resound with traditional local songs rendered by the Teha “klapa”.

Our Daily Laundry – white laundry, sheets, linen, blankets and tablecloths will hang in front of the windows and over the narrow alleys in order to provide a slice of everyday life in Cres.

Štorije (Stories) – the idea is to place educational information boards that tell stories about the town and its residents, which will be collected in person by talking with the townspeople who live in the historical centre. The aim of the initiative is to reveal the town’s hidden history and values that are preserved in the memories of its residents and present a vision of how to preserve the culture of living.

The old historical centre and the empty streets will be discreetly marked with educational “signs” so that the Town Museum could expand into the town itself and reach the townspeople (for example, a sign that says “No urinating or defecating!” will be put up near the church with the explanation that this was a provision of the Statute of Cres from the 16th century that regulated residential conduct in the town). In addition to information signs, a map showing the layout of the town and basic information will also be displayed. A dozen such boards are expected to be installed in the town streets. The stories were created in cooperation with the townspeople, who decided on the topics and stories about themselves and their town.

The neighbourhood of the historical centre participated in various activities, such as staging theatrical performances at Pjaceta.

Most / Bridge – in cooperation with the EU Japan Fest. The architects Hideyuki Nakayama and Tetsuo Kondo have contributed designs for the proposed footbridge at Cres port. It is a necessity for the residents of Cres due to impeded communication and crowding. The townspeople can vote for their preferred version of the footbridge. Following presentations of the conceptual designs, public surveys and consultations with local institutions and local conservator-restorers, Tetsuo Kondo’s design was selected.

The conceptual designs by these first-rate Japanese architects were displayed in the atrium of the Italian Community building in Cres in 2019, after which the public voted on the construction of the footbridge in a survey whose results will be shown in the Cress Living Room.

Japanese architect (1975). Graduated from the Nagoya Institute of Technology.

Founder of the Tetsuo Kondo Architects studio (Tokyo). In addition to working in his studio, he is also a professor at the Tokyo University of Science, Japan Women’s University and Hosei University. He has won a slew of awards, including: the 2008 Residential Architecture Award given by the Tokyo Society of Architects and Building Engineers, the 2009 Grand Prix Award for his chair design in the Landscape with Chair competition and was runner-up in the 2011 AR House Awards competition.

Another project by the Tetsuo Kondo Architects studio is A Path in the Forest (2011), which is a path that cuts through the 300-year-old Kadriorg forest in Estonia. He also participated in the 2010 Venice Biennale of Architecture with the installation Cloudscapes, designed the green infrastructure in Valletta, Malta and was a guest at architectural workshops on Vis Island.

Green infrastructure is also in the works in order to make the bleak and gloomy town brighter and give it a more human touch. One possibility is to plant miniature green oases of Mediterranean vegetation or large and easy-to-handle pot plants, such as oleanders or olive trees.

It has been suggested that good neighbours could bring the flowers (pot plants) when visiting Cres, which would pay this forward to other neighbours with presents that suit their desires and needs.

The purpose of the aforementioned features is to attract people to the historical centre, increase identification with the town and promote a new type of tourism and culture, which truly permeates the lives of the people of Cres.

You can enjoy jazz performed by Filip Flego while mingling and trying Cres delicacies.