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I have been in Granollers, Barcelona 5 weeks. Last Saturday we had the first community event in a park called La Bovila. We utilized a community group Sardinada - sardine BBQ, to coincide with the event. We had 4 tables set up with different visual art activities which required everyone (20) to reflect on how they saw their neighbourhood. It was a lively and sunny afternoon, with lots of children participating. I lament that i didn´t spend enough time talking to the children while they were creating because many council people came including the Mayor and media who wanted to chat with me. The next events are Bookcrossing - 20 books distributed in the four neighbourhoods in which everyone has a page to write, draw do what they like and then pass it on and a children´s colouring comp based on ´how do you see your neighbourhood´or ´what is the neighbourhood you dream of´. .Then in a month we have 3 weeks of Photovoice, where we give out cameras inthe neighbourhoods and through discussions and workshops with their photos we will construct an exhibition.
Something i find difficult about my time here, is that the Granollers Council asks me to do alot of PR work and present the project called
EL SOMNI - The Dream at several forums. So my role extends from working with four neighbourhoods and four photographers to educating on the philosophy of CCD to many artists, community workers and people interested in CCD. They appear to be doing their own CCD projects but just haven´t defined it as such.
We are working closely with 9 neighbourhood associations but i am concerned that there are many people, especially recently arrived migrants..African and Latin American that we are not reaching. So i will work on wider publicity to invite them to upcoming events in which they can participate.
Tomorrow we are speaking on Radio Catalunia about the project and what CCD is. Last Tuesday i led a forum about it at a place called Experiementam L´Art in Barcelona.
I feel like my role is very diverse..each day is different...mediator, photographer, designer, press release writer, group leader, guest speaker and many more..Sometimes it is frustrating to speand whole days at the Council Office in front of a computer when i´d rather work on deeper contact with the communities. However the extend of the skills i´m working on is fantastic.
Next week is Easter and in Catholic country everthing stops. I think i am going on a car trip for three days with some friends to Valencia.

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