Nothing special?

We all know villages where the locals will tell you that there is nothing special there, but we know better. In the summer of 2022, our teams of scouts and researchers visited four villages in the Bakony to discover what makes Borzavár, Nagyesztergár, Bakonynána and Jásd unique.

Led by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Kőszeg (iASK), this social innovation project was launched to mobilise the region's internal resources through broad partnerships, national and international cooperation. It involves in-situ interdisciplinary work, with studies covering local history, gastronomy, dance and folklore traditions, the natural and built environment, environmental protection and sustainable development, social mobility, local identity and their interrelations, all of them over a broad time horizon.

The new innovative “Creative City - Sustainable Region” development concept (Kraft) of iASK provides the methodological base for the research. This concept states that the key to successful development and investment is the effective cooperation and collaboration between economic, municipal, civil and academic actors in the given area.

The project began in March 2022 in close cooperation with residents, organisations and regional development institutions, institutions of musical culture, cultural programmes and local stakeholder meetings. The iASK experts work hand in hand with local actors to develop activities that have the potential of being family-friendly and sustainable elements of the VEB 2023 programme and beyond.

Following discussions with the four municipalities, an open call for applications was issued for researchers and development experts from various backgrounds and professions to work in the municipal teams. The recruitment process was completed by the end of May 2022. Project participants range from communication experts of multinational companies, graphic designers, urban planners, cultural anthropologists, geographers, geologists, botanists, historians, linguists and tourism development experts.

The method for the concerted work is the so-called "co-creation process", whereby development proposals are developed by the teams together with local residents. The project’s main objectives are to raise awareness of the existing values of the settlements, to support the local communities in promoting these intrinsic values and improving cohesion between and within the villages. Researching and raising awareness of these values can be a way to bring old residents and newcomers together, and the combined development of the values of the four settlements and their surroundings can lead to stronger solidarity.

By autumn 2022, hopefully, the joint work will result in viable programme proposals that will make Borzavár, Nagyesztergár, Bakonynána and Jásd an integral part of the 2023 ECO C Year. Everyone involved shares in the hope that the project will provide lasting experiences and ammunition for the future to the local communities.