Digital PlatformsGROUNDED URBAN PRACTICESYear: 2021 CLUSTER is glad to announce the launch of “Grounded Urban Practices (GUPs) by CLUSTER and Non-Fiction. This study contains an in-depth investigation of the work of GUPs in several countries, based on an extensive research and several meet-ups with a selected number of GUPs in many cities. The research focused…
PublicationsGROUNDED URBAN PRACTICES IN BERLINYear: 2020 Independent urban actors in Berlin, as in many other cities in Europe and across the globe, are critically engaged advocates for a more just urban environment, inclusive housing policies and diverse public spaces. While the number and impact of alternative, locally-rooted and experimental urban practitioners continues to grow worldwide,…
ProgramsWatch Video CREATVITY IN ACTION: ENHANCING VISUAL IDENTITYYear: 2020 Location: Ard al-Liwa Scope: Workshops As part of the Creativity in Action project supported by Developing Inclusive and Creative Economies (DICE) to promote creative and social enterprises, and in partnership with DUCO, CLUSTER’s ALFABRIKA carried out its first Urban Shutters workshop on December 25th- 27th 2020.…
ResearchGROUNDED URBAN PRACTICES: BERLINYear: 2020 Location: Berlin Client: Creative Industries Fund NL Scope: Research Grounded Urban Practices (GUPs) refer to alternative initiatives engaging cities and public space that have emerged over the past decade in response to economic and political shifts. They engage space as an agent for change, an approach known as spatial activism,…
ProgramsWatch Video SCAVENGING JUNK, MAKING FURNITURE: UPCYCLING WORKSHOPYear: 2019 Location: Alfabrkia, Ard al-Liwa Scope: Workshops The objective of the first up-cycling workshop, “Scavenging Junk, Making Furniture,” was to engage artisans, introduce new applications of production, and experiment with functional designs while using waste materials in practical pieces of furniture. This second workshop in “cluster makes”…
ResearchGROUNDED URBAN PRACTICES: CAIRO AND AMSTERDAM/ROTTERDAMYear: 2019 Location: Cairo, Amsterdam/Rotterdam Client: Creative Industries Fund NL Scope: Research Grounded Urban Practices (GUPs) refer to alternative initiatives engaging cities and public space that have emerged over the past decade in response to economic and political shifts. They engage space as an agent for change, an approach known…
PublicationsGROUNDED URBAN PRACTICES IN CAIRO AND AMSTERDAM ROTTERDAMYear: 2019 This study contains an in-depth investigation of the work of GUPs in both countries, based on an extensive research and several meet-ups with the selected GUPs in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Cairo. The research focused on 1) the roots and reasons behind their emergence; 2) their structure…
PublicationsCREATIVE INITIATIVES: ECONOMIC IMPACT ON DOWNTOWN CAIROYear: 2018 This Creative Initiatives Toolkit offers stakeholders and researchers alike a guide to measuring the economic impact of the independent arts and culture sector as a segment of the creative sector on a district, in this study, downtown Cairo. Through an economic impact assessment of the arts on…
Digital PlatformsAMMAN STAIRWAYSYear: 2018 The Amman Stairways Mapping Project builds upon on earlier archives and databases developed by local art, architecture and urban communities in Amman, as well as research practices developed by CLUSTER in collaboration with the Center for Spatial Research (CSR) and Studio-X Amman at the Columbia Global Centers | Amman. The project…
Digital PlatformsCREATIVE URBAN INITIATIVES PLATFORM (CUIP) AMMANYear: 2018 CUIP is a community based, user- generated interactive map, directory, and a shared calendar of events for art, culture, architecture, advocacy, urban development and interdisciplinary initiatives and organizations. Launched in 2013 by CLUSTER in Cairo, CUIP is a directory and calendar of emerging initiatives focusing on the…