Rural Social Innovation

Sobole, Poland

2018

What was the challenge

At Holis School 2018, we explored rural Poland's challenges and what we can do about them. We focused on this one question: How can we improve the lives of those living in the Polish Radzyń Podlaski County?

Collaborating with the local agents of change, from local businesses to civil organisations to the public sector, we looked for answers to the following questions.

How might we tell the story of Radzyn County, so that it becomes attractive to visitors and young entrepreneurs?
How might we keep the food tradition of Radzyn alive?
How might we design from scratch or hack existing public spaces to bring people together?
How might we introduce behavioural change to the people in the countryside that supports their well-being and is sustainable in the long term?

What are the
results

In August 2018, Holis School gathered 24 participants from 4 continents and 16 countries with backgrounds ranging from product and service design to psychology and coding in Sobole, Poland. On the grounds of the Sobole Foundation, a creative campus set up by the Polish studio Rygalik, participants were tasked with designing creative & business proposals to reactivate the countryside and fight rural exodus.

During the 10-day workshop, the group, divided into five teams led by five international women professionals from various disciplines, worked closely with Holis’ local partners (cultural associations and small businesses) to develop five unique projects (see below).