Senior Associate Iva Tolić Mandić from the Department of Resource Economics, Environmental Protection, and Regional Development, along with Research Assistant Lucija Gegić from the Department of Culture and Communications, participated in the summer school of the HORIZON Europe project IN SITU – Place-based innovation of cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas, titled Place-based creative solutions for cultivating caring and sustainable communities. The summer school took place on the island of Zlarin from September 20 to 24, 2024. Through the BORE and CULTMED projects, IRMO representatives engaged in all activities of the summer school, which included seven lectures on topics such as cultural and creative industries in non-urban and rural contexts, communities as centers of sustainability, regenerative tourism, place management, care, and local communities. Additionally, there were five workshops focused on innovations and methodologies for working with communities, tourism, culture, and the sustainability of non-urban spaces, as well as ecological sustainability.
Aside from the lectures and workshops, participants visited the Croatian Coral Center Zlarin and held discussions, as well as tours of key island locations with members of the Tatavaka Association, who gave a lecture on the role of the community in making Zlarin the first plastic-free island in Croatia. The summer school brought together about 30 participants from Canada, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Israel, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Serbia, and Croatia. In addition to education, it also provided opportunities for networking among various actors – researchers, artists, network representatives, and community and cultural project leaders – to meet, exchange experiences and ideas, and establish contacts for potential future collaborations.
