Sustainability WG
This WG was originally created to address issues of both environmental and economic sustainability. Through the participatory design process, it has further developed into the following three sub-groups:
Reclaiming public space WG
This working group aims to move art outside of the theatres/gallery spaces, making the whole city, our Common Ground, a stage. The participants in this WG, both artists and non artists, focus on ideas and projects that invite people to creatively re-inhabit the public space, as well as to rethink and reconnect with the city’s neighbourhoods, with a special focus on the most deprived ones. Through this WG, projects such as MahallArt and MandomahallArt, a festival in the neighbourhood of Ais Giannis, as well as the Princess Zehra promenade performance in the Skala Turkish Neighbourhood, have come to life.
Architecture and Design WG
The built infrastructure and the public space of the city are the focus of this WG, addressing issues of accessibility, sustainability and green mobility. It also aims to introduce design thinking as a tool for many different problems.
The launch event of Common Ground on May 12th has been designed, curated and realised by this WG. The project involved the creation of a promenade in the historic shopping centre on the history of the ECoC, presenting all cities that have been awarded the title on the shop windows. It also included a voting game on the empty shop windows, inviting citizens to tell their opinion about the city.
The project has been created in cooperation with the Historic Centre Shopkeepers Association, aiming to revitalise the historic shopping centre. Also, this WG is very much involved in projects related to the Design Centre, including the Larnaka BioDesign Festival.
Entrepreneurs WG
This WG fosters links between culture and economy. It consists of individual entrepreneurs, companies, as well as Associations such as the Historic Shopping Centre Shopkeepers Association. In this context, the Historic Centre Shopkeepers Association has joined forces with the Architecture and Design Working Group to co-create projects such as the Common Ground Passport, that promotes the historic centre as a shopping destination. Through this WG, we are developing Larnaka 2030’s private sponsors scheme.