Initial Design Concepts: Z. Şebnem Özbakır

1. Local Workshop: From Grandparents to the Young

Elderly Neapolitans lead workshops teaching traditional crafts—like lace-making, pottery, or cooking—to younger generations, preserving culture and creating bonds. Local authorities support these sessions with space and materials, allowing each workshop to focus on a unique skill. Younger participants take home “starter kits” with materials and a story card about the grandparent’s connection to the craft. The community exhibits the creations to celebrate the participants’ work, while a workshop zine of photos, instructions, and personal stories is shared locally, honoring Naples’ heritage.

2. Ghost Writers to Conserve Napoli Culture

Elderly Neapolitans partner with ghostwriters to document their stories and cultural knowledge, creating a book series that preserves Napoli’s heritage. Each grandparent’s unique narrative is published in a collection called “Voices of Napoli,” with launch events that celebrate their contributions. Memory cards featuring quotes and stories offer a glimpse into each elder’s perspective, while a digital archive with audio clips and multimedia materials creates a lasting, accessible record of their legacy.

3. Cultural Recipe Kits

Create a series of recipe kits featuring classic Neapolitan dishes that grandparents can assemble with their families. The kits would contain high-quality ingredients and recipe cards that detail the cultural significance of each dish. As a twist, the kit could include handwritten tips from grandparents on cooking techniques, storytelling prompts for mealtime, or even blank recipe cards for grandparents to add their own personal variations.

4. Intergenerational Scrapbook Station

Install “Scrapbook Stations” in community centers where elderly people and young visitors can collaborate on building themed scrapbooks. Each station could include materials like vintage photos, postcards, and prompts encouraging grandparents to fill pages with memories or stories, while young people add contemporary elements. Over time, these scrapbooks could become collective memory books of neighborhoods or family histories, which families could borrow or view together.

Şebnem

Hi! I'm Şebnem, a 4th year industrial design student from Middle East Technical University. I look forward to working with other people on the Global Studio. My hobbies are keeping a sketchbook and people-watching.

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