Bringing ‘Julianas’ Together: Co-Creation, Community, and Conversation

The AHEAD project, part of the Creative Europe, in which the University of Deusto is a full partner, successfully launched its first prototype in Altamira on March 28th, by bringing together women from the community for a co-creative knowledge-sharing experience. The Altamira team, the artist Majo G. Polanco, and the Deusto team collaborated closely to design this inaugural gathering of “Julianas.” While the first two led the prototype’s implementation, the Deusto team provided behind-the-scenes support.

Seven new participants joined the five community members already familiar with the project from previous labs. The artist welcomed them all with a unique artistic performance, rolling out a carpet leading into the house where the meeting would take place. Inside, in an informal setting, introductions were initiated using specially designed postcards created by Majo. Each card featured the silhouette of a woman—personifying the cave—and the phrase “Let’s be friends,” expressing the cave’s own desire for connection. The reverse side contained icebreaker questions to create a warm atmosphere.

Altamira emphasised the museum’s goal to establish a new kind of relationship with the community, which led to an open discussion and brainstorming meeting, culminating in the decision to meet again on May 30th for the second prototype session, hoping that each “Juliana” will bring a friend to continue expanding the circle.

Before concluding, they conducted a brief evaluation, with participants answering three simple questions: What did you like? What would you not repeat? What do you suggest for the next meeting? They wrote their responses on cards and hung them on a rustic loom, symbolising the future relationships the museum aims to weave with the local community.