How the Buenos Aires neighbourhood ‘Abasto’ shaped its cultural renaissance through community collaboration

The Purpose

The cultural landscape of Buenos Aires was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions, particularly affecting independent cultural organisations that were already structurally vulnerable before the pandemic. Abasto, a neighbourhood in the eastern part of Buenos Aires, has historically had a lower socio-economic status.

The Challenge

Abasto Barrio Cultural is a project initiated by the Ministry for Culture of the City of Buenos Aires to transform Abasto into a thriving cultural neighbourhood. It encompasses a diverse program of cultural activities held in public spaces, featuring large-scale events, independent art interventions, installations, and cultural events hosted within the neighbourhood’s venues. The project’s target audience is inclusive, spanning across the entire district and involving artists, managers of independent cultural spaces, local organisations, residents and businesses.

Despite the challenges, Abasto boasts a rich tango heritage and one of the city’s highest concentrations of independent cultural venues. The neighbourhood’s community and cultural ecosystem were both severely affected by the pandemic, but it also presented an opportunity for collaboration to reactivate independent cultural activities and, in turn, revitalize the local community.

Beyond enriching the cultural ecosystem and local economy, the project will lead to improvements in public spaces, ultimately contributing to a safer neighbourhood.

The Solution

This project was initiated and coordinated by the Ministry for Culture of the City, but it evolved through a participatory, bottom-up process. The development process began with consultations involving all local stakeholders, seeking their input on how they envisioned the future of their neighbourhood, considering its local identity and potential challenges. Over time, it evolved into a network and collaborative public-private management strategy involving state agencies, independent cultural spaces, and neighbourhood organisations.

The project brings together forty neighbourhood cultural organisations, ten migrant communities and other residents, social organisations, and businesses from across Abasto. It prioritises strengthening the connections between cultural producers and neighbourhood residents, with additional technical support provided by various City departments. The project’s goals include supporting Abasto’s recovery from the pandemic by reimagining the use of public space, solidifying the status of the neighbourhood as the epicentre of independent culture by supporting existing organisations, and expanding their impact in public spaces.

The Impact

Central to the project is recognising and preserving the neighbourhood’s existing identity, fostering a sense of belonging through culture, and respecting the cultural rights of the community. Beyond enriching the cultural ecosystem and local economy, the project will lead to improvements in public spaces, ultimately contributing to a safer neighbourhood. The ultimate aim is to position Abasto as a cultural benchmark within Buenos Aires.

The project’s innovative, open and collaborative management model has demonstrated flexibility in response to evolving COVID-19 restrictions and the recovery process. Building relationships between state and private actors across the community has been pivotal to its success. This adaptable model has the potential to support similar projects in neighbourhoods throughout the City, ensuring active community participation in defining public policies and resource allocation.

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022

Images Courtesy © City of Buenos Aires