Позитивные изменения. Том 2, №4 (2022). Positive changes. Volume 2, Issue 4 (2022) - Редакция журнала «Позитивные изменения»
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Guzel Sanzhapova recorded a master class on “How to Create Projects that Will Make People to Fall in Love with Your Business” for the Planeta.ru video lecture series. It is available for free at https://school.planeta.ru/crowdproducers
A NORMAL PLACE ON THE BAY SHORE
The Normal Place opened in May 2022 next door to (and supported by) Sevkabel Port, a public space in St. Petersburg. The motto of The Normal Place is “Just for Everyone.” This cluster of charity, conscious consumption, culture and creativity has several founders: the “Simple Things” inclusive workshops, “Yes” animation studios, “Perspectives”, the “Cucumbers” inclusive cafe (which incidentally was also opened thanks to crowdfunding) and “Thank You” chain of thrift stores. Renovating the two-story cluster, installing the necessary equipment, laying communications, and making the space inclusive and pleasant for the city residents and guests is not an inexpensive task. The Normal Place visionaries launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover part of the repair costs and to test the idea for relevance. But because of the lengthy approval process, the campaign had to be launched against all the “rules” of crowdfunding and common sense — on Friday night, when territorial development is probably the last thing on the people's mind. Nevertheless, by Monday the progress was one third into the one million requested, which was the best testament to the people needing a place like this.
It is not accidental that crowdfunding is called the most honest voting — here people vote with their money, which is harder than hitting the “like” or “repost” buttons in social networks. It is harder, but it is also much more convincing: thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign (nearly a million and a half rubles raised by 704 supporters), the founders of the Normal Place found business partners and gathered like-minded people in their project.
More than 2,500 guests attended the opening. The founders point out that their crowdfunding campaign became a “movie series” that people liked to watch live. Of course, many were interested in coming and looking at the result, and at the same time — to find their name on the Supporters' Wall of Fame, where one could “buy” a place by contributing to the project.
IT IS OK TO LIVE IN SMOLENSK
The “Environment” team of activists in this city came up with a hashtag #oktoliveinsmolensk. For four years now, they have been proving this joking expression true by filling the city with cultural, entertaining, and educational events. In mid-November, the team opened “Environment. Center” in a historical downtown building. It is a public space complete with a lecture hall, a co-working space, a mini-cinema, a cafe, a design studio, a creative workshop, a booth with books and city memorabilia. The creators raised 438,000 rubles for construction materials and equipment through crowdfunding. They approached their project creatively and did some outstanding work with the partners prior to the launch, making their campaign a scatter of vivid and distinctive lots related to Smolensk.
Notably, a year ago Denis Nikitas, founder of another creative space in Smolensk, The Staff, raised funds on Planeta.ru to open an independent bookstore. And another year earlier, a local tourist company, To The Lakes, used crowdfunding to renovate the bike park and buy an electric boat motor for water tours.
Well, it really is OK to live in Smolensk, what with all the active citizens coming up with so many things to make the city an even more exciting place and to unite the community of people who care.
DEVELOPING THE CITY THROUGH MERCHANDIZE
Several years ago, Dmitry Miromanov, a designer from Irkutsk, got tired of meeting corporate customers' orders and decided to do something useful for the society and inspiring for himself instead. Dmitry turned to crowdfunding platforms for inspiration and stumbled upon a guide to the unconventional places of St. Petersburg. Dmitry decided to make a similar guide about Irkutsk. Thus was born the Babr Book — a coloring quest book with creative tasks that allow a tourist to feel like a real Irkutian (Babr is a mythological monster, the symbol of Irkutsk). The book was released with the help of crowdfunding and quickly took a place of honor in the “Irkutsk food basket,” becoming one of the most popular souvenirs taken away from Irkutsk, along with candied cedar seeds and sagaan dali herbal tea. After the first Babr Book, Dmitry released the second, followed by a collection of comics about the legends of Lake Baikal, and then by various merchandize with Siberia-themed prints. Miromanov tests all his new ideas on Planeta.ru. He became the first crowdfunding producer in Siberia to be accredited by the platform, and at the invitation of the Planet he recorded a master class on the specifics of working with regional projects for the Planeta.ru Crowd Producers website. One of Dmitry's key tips is to appeal to local patriotism, to motivate urban communities and local bloggers to support the project, and to develop good neighbor relations. In 2020, the Babr Book was short-listed for the Silver Archer national award in the “Development and Promotion of Territories” category.
The Babr Book is not the only example of using crowdfunding to promote territorial development via an artifact. Thanks to the Planeta.ru projects, the first Chukchi merchandize appeared, illustrator Marina Demchenko published an original map “Voronezh in the Palm of Your Hand” in English, Magadan-based “Hunter” Publishing House prepared a reference map of the main landmarks and places of attraction for children and teenagers in its
