BARCELONA

From HARBOR to HARBORS BCN

HARBOR was deployed in 2022 in Paris, where it addressed the reactivation and revaluation of the banks of the Seine through the construction of 19th-century-inspired wooden boats by different groups at risk of social exclusion. Now, HARBORS Barcelona aims to replicate its methodology in Barcelona, involving children and youth in the investigation of Barcelona’s historical relationship with the Mediterranean Sea to learn about the city’s maritime heritage, revalue the activities that have been historically associated with it and inquire into climate change consequences that are already noticeable. As the youngsters absorb the knowledge about the past and future of the Mediterranean Sea, they will have the opportunity to build their own wooden boat, which they will use to participate in a regatta on the Barcelona coast, accompanied by other boats, which will serve to corroborate what they will have learned through the collection of data and to clean the sea surface of marine debris.

PROJECT PURPOSE

HARBORS-BCN aims to re-connect Barcelona’s youngsters with the past, present and future of the Mediterranean Sea by exploring the historical relationship of the city with the sea and how climate change effects can change its ecosystem in the future. School pupils will participate in an innovative learning journey, where they will have the opportunity to co-design a wooden boat which they will later use to sail in a regatta along Barcelona coast.

The main objectives are:

Promote a sense of connectedness to the sea and belonging to the local community among children and youth
Learn about the city’s maritime heritage and revalue the professional and leisure activities that have been historically associated with the sea
Raise awareness of the causes of climate change and responsible consumption with the goal of influencing pupils’ change to more sustainable habits
Inquire into climate change consequences to the sea by assessing data about already noticeable effects

9 month, 5 goals, 1 common vision

Sept 2023 > March 2024

A report will be elaborated collecting the main learning insights from the HARBOR project in Paris and how to replicate them in Barcelona with a new dimension concerning climate change.

March > May 2024

Thanks to a mobile micro shipyard we will build a wooden dinghy in a Barcelona. This boat will be co-built by pupils using some spaces of their school as their own shipyard.

May 2024

A festive and dissemination event which will be held along the coast of the city. It will not only involve the first experience for the boat on water, but also conferences to raise awareness about the topics of the project.

.Sept 2023 > March 2024

A portfolio will be elaborated compiling all educational activities aimed at school pupils that will be held in Barcelona to revalue the historical maritime heritage of the city and raise awareness about climate change action and ethical consumerism.

.March > May 2024

A video for dissemination will be recorded and edited to show the main insights of all the process, including the shipbuilding and the regatta festive and dissemination event.

New Urban Waterlandscape

When we think about nature, we usually think about green spaces, but forget the blue. We forget that water is the element on which the first settlements were built and civilizations developed; the living heritage of our past and a mirror that shows us where we are headed in the future as it makes visible climate change effects.

HARBORS-BCN conceives the sea as a vector of social inclusion, a source of a powerful heritage and a symbolic lever of a resilient and sustainable transition. It aims to reconnect children and youth with nature through an innovative education journey that will guide them from the maritime historical heritage to the climate change effects that will shape the coast and transform maritime ecosystems.

By envisioning the sea as a learning stage, HARBORS-BCN demonstrates that resilience, sustainability and community are pillars that can be reinforced through education, while youngsters regain a sense of belonging to an essential and often-neglected natural environment.

Presentation. pdf document

Partnerships