We’ll create a learning community with women from different backgrounds and nationalities living in the southern outskirts of Madrid to work, on the basis of inclusion and diversity, women’s experiences of the city and their life realities.
Using tools of psychosocial work, contemporary art and cultural mediation we’ll work to raise critical awareness and democratize spaces by rethinking public space and developing collective actions to include the perspectives of underrepresented communities.

Our activity will be focused on Carabanchel District on the southern outskirts of Madrid.

The main challenge we face is how to deal with diversity and fight against exclusion and discrimination. Our focus will be on strengthening our communities and building together a diverse identity where everyone is included. Due to the social situation of the District, and from our experience, we decided that our target group will be women, as they are the most vulnerable social group. Our mission is to create dynamic spaces for reflection and exchange that lead to create a support network
Our added value is our innovative approach: to mix Progestion’s experience working with women and La Liminal’s work with cultural mediation and contemporary art. In our experience, women can overcome their obstacles if they find a safe space where they can create and be aware of their capabilities

Our main target group are women from different backgrounds and nationalities living in Carabanchel. This area is one of the most populated in Madrid where a huge percentage is made by migrant communities. Most of these groups spend many time searching for a job or taking care of their families. Their leisure time where they can have fun or learn new things is very reduced which means that their linkage to their communities is also reduced, what makes them, too often, feeling isolated and lacking of social support
This initiative aims to create non formal supporting networks which will have a positive impact on their lives. The network will be the result of several group sessions where they will have the opportunity to reflect and share their experience, their fears and their hopes as well

1. Kick off. Research, contact other organisations, dissemination plan, recruiting participants
2. A learning community of women
10 workshops + 4 urban tours divided according to objectives: getting to know the neighbourhood, improve active citizenship, networking with community based organizations. Create a collaborative urban tour to get more women engaged
Urban tours open critical gazes over the city to redefine public space, encouraging women feeling of public ownership, crucial step to an active citizenship
Methodology will be community based, aware of the gender and interculturality dimension
Workshops will use contemporary art tools to activate processes of collective creation through which women can reflect their experiences and empower themselves
3. Evaluation and reports

Women participating will get tools to know their rights and gain them, having also capacities to express themselves and for self-representation in the public sphere. The group will be formed by diverse women and will engage both with other communities in the district and with other women movements in the city, with the aim to enhance connections and exchanges among communities over their differences, what will enrich the civic literacy of the district.
Group for 30 women, 15 female community leaders and change agents and 300 indirect beneficiaries, other women in the community
10 workshops on empowerment, democracy and gender
4 Urban tours to redefine ideas about the territory
A brochure and a map about the initiative, including methods, approach, results for women and professionals

Creating a learning community in which diverse women are the key actors that actively participate in all the stages empowers them and provides visibility to their thoughts and feelings. This initiative is looking for:
Create spaces for reflection and exchange of ideas about women experiences and democratic values
Build together a strong and diverse identity that enable an active citizenship to fight against exclusion
Enhance the connection with other communities and gather up their experiences to make it visible in the public sphere
Apply contemporary art tools to exercise their right to be cultural producers
Presenting results to achieve public recognition of their voices and social participation
Use cultural mediation to exercise their right to the city and cultural democracy

Madrid is one of the most unequal cities in Europe, with big social inequalities between northern and southern areas. Carabanchel, at the southern outskirts, has been a working class area receiving through the years a big migrant community.

This diversity, which greatly enriches its neighborhoods, makes necessary at the same time to develop mediation processes and establish bridges among the different communities living there, to create networks based on the values of diversity. To achieve that we believe that a women group can be very powerful because despite their differences they share the common experience of being women in a patriarchal society. And feminist and gender perspectives are more necessary than ever in a city where the exclusion processes are harder day by day

Human Resources. 29010 €
Management and coordination. 8640 €
Dissemination plan. 4000 €
Training materials. 7200 € (Workshop materials. Stationery, training materials, support materials, artistic materials, consumable, etc. 2800 €; Transportation support for participants. 200 €; Public activities: collaborative tour. Production: artistic materials, food, brochures, sound system, etc. 2000 €; Map showing the process network. 1000 €; Guideline of the process. 1200 €)
Office expenses. 1150 €

We would be very grateful for any kind of comment, opinion or advice. We would love to know if you like our idea and we are open to any suggestions to improve our project.
If you are working with women or in a territory that is similar to ours it would be lovely to share experiences.