Bauhaus of the Seas Sails

Bauhaus of the Seas Sails

Bauhaus of the Seas Sails was the sixth EU-funded Lighthouse project dedicated to developing so-called Lighthouse Demonstrators as part of the New European Bauhaus initiative.

The project began with the question: How can culture and participation be used to foster more regenerative relationships between European cities and the oceans? 

Bauhaus of the Sea Sails Malmö

Bauhaus of Seas Sails Malmö engaged residents, local cultural and environmental organizations, and the community in the Öresund region. The project was carried out through a collaboration between K3, Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Malmö University, and the Marine Knowledge Center. 

The project engaged residents, local cultural and environmental stakeholders, and the community in the Öresund region. Together with local stakeholders in Malmö, the project explored various ways in which a new maritime culture could emerge. The work was based on overarching principles such as sustainability, inclusion, aesthetics, and local engagement. Issues linked to these principles included: 

• Sustainability: How can we promote well-being for both people and marine life? 
• Inclusion: How can we encourage interactions between different groups and communities in Malmö that don’t usually come together? 
• Aesthetics: How can we use cultural and creative activities to foster new encounters between Malmö residents and marine life? 
• Local engagement: How can we create synergies with various long-term processes and between established and new actors and platforms? 

Local stakeholders were engaged through both a Sea Forum and a program for so-called Sea Ambassadors. The Sea Forum consisted of stakeholders working on one of the principles of sustainability, inclusion, or aesthetics, and was tasked with serving as advisors to the project owners. 

Sea Forum’s mission was to develop a long-term strategy for the initiative that extended beyond the project’s timeframe, to assist in the recruitment of Ocean Ambassadors, and to evaluate the initiative. 

The Ocean Ambassadors were individuals who created experiences that gave Malmö residents new insights into—and a stronger emotional connection to—the ocean and the life it supports. 

Malmö University was responsible for developing a co-design process for all partners in Europe, ensuring that the New European Bauhaus principle of inclusion was upheld and that all principles were implemented in a way that was locally grounded. This work was carried out by Anna Seravalli, Ann Light, and Froukje Zumbrink. The project was researched by Ann Light, Anna Seravalli, and Anders Emilsson from the Department of Art, Culture, and Communication at Malmö University.