THE PROJECT

Holis is one of six partners in the Village Hosts project, serving as trainers and mentors to participants. The Open School for Village Hosts launched its inaugural training program in March 2023. The program lasted six months and welcomed rural pioneers from across Europe.

Village Hosts are committed to revitalising small villages by identifying and leveraging overlooked community assets such as people, places, buildings, and skills, contributing to their social, economic, and ecological growth. They breathe new life into these spaces, promoting initiatives such as responsible tourism, nature experiences, outdoor activities, farm visits, educational trips, and wellness retreats.

THE OUTCOME

Over the course of two years, Holis led the creative process for the Open School for Village Hosts manifesto. This journey involved designing a comprehensive online training and conducting invaluable in-person sessions in Grottole (Italy), culminating in crafting this transformative manifesto.

The training curriculum covered essential topics: strategic vision design, resource mapping, place storytelling, activity curation, collaboration platform development, new business model creation, and pilot project design.

Embodying Holis' core value of collaboration, the manifesto symbolizes a collective journey. It was initiated by the enthusiastic participation of Grottole's community, then developed through cooperation with and feedback from esteemed partners and a broader audience.

Read more about the project here.