How GrandAngoulême’s HUB-IN set up an artistic community committed to discovering a hidden heritage
How has the Metropolitan Trail project brought many local partners together to gain a better understanding of their urban environment?
Since the first scouting of GrandAngoulême‘s metropolitan trail in December 2022, local stakeholders have learned more about the city’s history, particularly its industrial history and environmental wealth. They have also acquired tools for practicing the territory differently (learning to learn). This collective experience has also given rise to a new view of the city: a city where heritage is not always where you expect it to be, and which has many assets to meet the challenges of the future.
Investigating and mapping the historical heritage
The project team recognized itself in the UNESCO definition of historical landscapes, as it reflects the local issues of the GrandAngoulême area. In a city so impacted by industrial history, it was important to broaden the notion of heritage beyond the elements already listed, generally located in historic centers. The new database created as part of this project has identified and documented over 150 heritage sites: ancient social housing projects, water mills and small canal networks, ancient manufacturers, etc. The majority of these sites have no special protection. This inventory was accompanied by residents’ interviews and a photographic study.
Co-Design a Metropolitan Trail
How do you create a Metropolitan Trail? It’s a long-term process, requiring a great deal of scouting, usually collective, reading and research, as well as workshops in local communities and dialogue with local associations. This trail was conceived as the meeting place for our HUB, the Caravane Creative Lab, a place to live, meet and find inspiration for new projects. After more than 2 years of work, the 140km GrandAngoulême Metropolitan Trail will be inaugurated in May 2025.
Set up an itinerant hub of innovation: Caravane Creative Lab
In a region home to so many artists – over 300 comic strip authors live and work in this small town – and image industries, it was important to create a framework that would enable them to meet and exchange ideas. The Caravane Creative Lab gathered together talents. Around a hundred local personalities came to at least one of the 13 Caravane walks organized especially for them. Meeting during a walk and exchanged views about the city, its future and its heritage stimulated creativity and collective emulation, which is important in this type of business.
Engaging artists to raise awareness about cultural heritage
To get the project off the ground as quickly as possible, the local HUB-IN team organized 3 open calls for artistic projects. Out of 85 submissions, 29 projects were awarded, ranging from comic strips and podcasts to photography, tales, and contemporary dance. Each one shares a vision of one or more heritage elements that make up GrandAngoulême’s historic landscape. These projects constitute a unique collaborative portrait of the area, offering the public a renewed experience of its territory and a different vision of heritage. In choosing to fund a large number of small projects, the team wanted to stimulate creativity and open the door to both established talent and beginners. For many, this open call was the key to entering the Caravane Creative Lab HUB.
Key lessons learned from the project’s experience include the importance of establishing good relationships with local stakeholders, and commitment to convince them to join the project.
Even though it will be officially inaugurated in May 2025, the Metropolitan Trail has already enabled many local partners to meet, build original projects, and generate a new sense of belonging.
Discover the stories of the European cities involved in the HUB-IN project: have a look at the Storytelling Booklets!
