In about three months before the anniversary party of the street. The street became 100 years old in 2011.
Some neighbors wanted to make a party as the street in which we lived turned 100. I offered to layout an exhibition, in case that someone else decided to get all the material. Finally, I did most of the job, searching for material and stories and organizing the items in the exhibition.
Nobody was found to make the research and talk with the neighbors, so I did it all coordinating the help of another two persons. I digitalized images, put the story together using all the material we could get. I made interviews with the neighbors and heard a lot of stories, writing them down afterward. I organized the content, made the layout and the exhibition design. Curating all the material and organizing the content, laying out the posters for the shop windows. With all the material, I made a booklet one year after the celebration.
How to manage and encourage the involvement of the neighbors. How to make a project leaving everyone feeling that they are also a part of it and its success. If you ask anybody to volunteer and contribute with pictures, it is not a good idea to discard anything. Using everything shows the appreciation for the input.
Interviewing the neighbors. I always love to listen to the life stories of people, when they feel secure to tell. Learning about the history of the place where I live.
