Stakeholder Interviews Completed – Local Workshops Begin in the Szigetzug

Interviews are done, workshops kick off!

The PLACECRAFT project has reached an important milestone in its Hungarian pilot area: the stakeholder interview phase has been completed, and preparations are now underway for the first local workshops in the Szigetzug region.

Learning from Local Stakeholders

Over the past months, the project team conducted a series of interviews with key local stakeholders to better understand the heritage, opportunities, and challenges of the participating villages.

These conversations provided valuable insights into the cultural life, community initiatives, and local actors who actively shape the identity of the settlements. The knowledge gathered during this phase will serve as an important foundation for the next steps of the project.

Workshops in the chosen Pilot Region

The next phase focuses on participatory workshops that bring together local stakeholders to jointly explore future possibilities.

The first meetings will take place in the Szigetzug villages of Szigetszentmárton, Szigetbecse, and Makád, where representatives of local institutions, cultural organisations, community groups, and active residents will be invited to take part in collaborative discussions.

During these workshops, participants will reflect on the insights gathered during the interview phase and collectively identify potential directions for placemaking interventions.

The sessions will focus on:

• mapping local values and cultural heritage

• identifying existing community initiatives

• exploring new cultural programmes and community activities

• discussing possible spatial interventions that could strengthen local identity and social life

A Participatory Approach to Rural Placemaking

The workshops are part of the PLACECRAFT methodology, which emphasises bottom-up and participatory processes in developing rural placemaking strategies.

By actively involving local residents, municipalities, and organisations, the project aims to co-create initiatives that build on local heritage and respond to the real needs of the community.

In parallel, the project team has also started working with the nearby village of Lórév, known for its strong Serbian cultural traditions.

Discussions are currently underway with local community members and tradition bearers about organising a heritage-focused event that could highlight and celebrate these living cultural traditions. Such an initiative could help preserve intangible heritage while also creating opportunities for community gathering and cultural exchange.

Strengthening Rural Communities in the Danube Region

These local activities form part of the broader PLACECRAFT project, which seeks to revitalise community life in rural Danube settlements by building on local cultural heritage, creativity, and community participation.

Through participatory design processes, cultural programming, and pilot actions, the project aims to strengthen community ties, increase local pride, and unlock new opportunities for sustainable rural development.

The Beginning of the Co-Creation Phase

The upcoming workshops mark the beginning of the co-creation phase, where ideas developed together with local stakeholders will gradually take shape as concrete placemaking initiatives in the Szigetzug region.