Austrian capital to demonstrate alternative use of public spaces with Park(ing) Day for Fitness!

Vienna is a unique site for such activities: the emergence of Wohnstrassen in recent years (streets considered by law a public space made available to citizens to use), actively encourages citizens to take ownership of their streets. Vienna is also home to numerous active sports organisations and non-profits. As XsentrikArts, our strength has always been in collaborating: so we set out to create a unique format, by partnering up with local organisations and groups.

The results were impressive, as we not only managed to organise numerous P-Spot activities, but partner with local initiators such as Mei Meidling and Space and Place and collaborate with them, to reach wider audiences.

LoginsLeben Festival

Our first series of P-Spot activities were organised with LoginsLeben in the 15th District, where we joined their anniversary celebrations. The street was shut down, and reserved for festivities, which included food, a live music band, and activities. We offered table tennis, boxing and dancing activities on the street

Closing down 3 P-Spots with Wiir

We also began experimenting with methodology and collaboration techniques, via our partnership with Wiir: a local organisation dedicated to promoting healthy living and physical activity, more notable among youngsters and children. They created a parkour on Reschgasse, a street adjacent to Meidling’s famous Meidlinger Markt. The challenge was in the form of an obstacle course , on the street. The three hour long session also included some shoulder and bodyweight strengthening exercises for adults. You can view the event video here.

Mei Meidling and the Klima-Grätzl Fest

Our collaboration and our role as a connecting point between organisations continued in Meidling. The Mei Meidling Klima Grätzl Fest is an event that closes down the streets in and around the Market of Meidling, to promote a green, accessible, inclusive city. Over the two-day festival, we partnered up with Wonderland Architecture to create unique games, such as paper airplane flying, guessing the language (to promote inclusiveness), and hop-scotch. We also brought along Loginsleben and their activities, which included karate, fitness aerobics, and yoga. Tagging into the event taking place, we were able to make contacts and promote physical activity on the street by reaching the locals and visitors to the event. We also brought along our Park(ING) Day boxing bag, which was a great hit, with youngsters and adults alike, cueing up for boxing tips and tricks.
Wiir also joined and created their obstacle course, attracting the attention of not only the young, but our older residents as well. All in all, the events taking place in Meidling were a great success, providing us with a wide reach. You can view the event videos at the following link(s) on the disco aerobics, karate, and boxing activities.

Cycle Cinema in Favoriten:

Given that we’re an arts initiative, it would come as no surprise that we found the perfect collaborators for an unforgettable evening: The Cycle Cinema Club.

They’re a local organisation promoting cinema and fitness through stationary bikes: three bikes are set up: they power the film projector. By doing so, we can promote activity as well as solidarity and inclusiveness. As XsentrikArts, we curated a series of films on transforming our urban environment: the screenings were followed by candid discussions on how to utilize public space, and what we can do to promote more activity in urban spaces.

You can view the video on this unique film screening event here.

Park(ing) Day for Fitness builds on the existing practices and guidelines provided by Rebar, where BG Be Active and the project consortium are adding an element of a multi-sport day event to offer activities that promote active lifestyles and engage the public. For more information, please check our website - https://parkingdayforfitness.bgbeactive.org/

Park(ing) Day for Fitness is funded by the European Union. The project coordinator is BG Be Active, and the other partner organizations are Placemaking Europe, Association Sport for all Suceava (AJSPT Suceava), V4 SPORT FOUNDATION, Azur Sport Sante, and XsentrikArts.