Through goteo.org we started this crowdfunding to literally put a roof on our Art and Life school. A self-managed space through our cultural, artistic and rural association, which is committed to everyone having access to an artistic education. A space to develop creativity, where to experiment, play, move the body, learn, exchange knowledge; a place of meeting and development through art. We are building a building from scratch, without any subsidies or help, but there is still a “little bit” left for the construction to be finished. And that is why we make this call, to give one last push and finish this project together. But the Forest of To is much more, discover it!
Main features and goals of the crowdfunding campaign
We are in Plasenzuela, a municipality with 400 inhabitants, in the province of Cáceres. It stands out for its growing child and youth population. It is a town that stays alive, people are committed to staying here and creating a future.
El Bosque de To includes several projects: the school of art and life, the care of the forest and the museum of mythology and legends of Extremadura.
The conjunction of these three pillars makes up “El Bosque de To”, a place for everyone and to do, as they say in Castúo, “de to”.
School of Art and Life:
Training, artistic residences, workshops, creation, coexistence, meetings... are some of the activities that we are launching. We bet that our children, young people and not so young have access to an artistic education, because we know the importance that it has for a comprehensive development of their cognitive, emotional, expression and imagination capacities, social interaction and much more.
Our great dream has always been to create a space to share art with many people. We have been making this dream come true for a few years, dedicating our earnings and our time to consolidating this project.
Here we describe some of the proposals designed for when the school is running:
Offer the performing arts workshop and the plastic arts workshop, open to use with a stipulated schedule. So that anyone who wants to come to practice, create, rehearse... has a suitable space to do so. The two workshops will be well equipped. In fact, we already have material and some equipment, as soon as we have a roof, it will be sewing and singing, never better said.
Propose temporary activities such as cinematographic spaces. Create short films and documentaries with the people of the town and surroundings.
We are developing an artistic residency project through Creative Europe, a European Union Program aimed at promoting and strengthening the cultural and creative sectors.
Performing and plastic arts workshops for all ages.
Create workshops to keep ancient knowledge alive, forgotten trades, autochthonous knowledge, local knowledge, mobilizing the people of the town and surroundings who keep this knowledge.
Space open to proposals, this is a living space, in movement.
And much more... we have many ideas and people involved with the desire and energy to move this space.
Forest Care:
Its main vegetation is based on the Mediterranean forest of holm oaks and cork oaks. It has a very diverse fauna, from amphibians, a variety of mammals, insects... but above all it is home to a large multitude of birds. Here you can observe yellowtails, hoopoes, bee-eaters, short-toed eagles, black kites, white storks, long-eared owls and many others.
In order to maintain and promote the sustainability of this forest, due to the scarcity of water, we need to create some ponds on the farm. Ponds fulfill multiple functions in ecosystems. Mainly as watering holes for wildlife, the ponds serving as a focus of attraction for local biodiversity. In addition, among its various functions, it regulates the temperature of the environment, generating microclimates, creating border areas and creating a habitat for different species of fauna such as amphibians or dragonflies, which are excellent pest controllers.
This forest is our home, and as such, our goal is to take care of it and pamper it. The reality is that the green areas of this region are in danger. If we each do our bit, we will be doing a great job.
Museum of Mythology and Legends of Extremadura:
Art, nature and mythology. A forest full of works of art that embody the characters, myths and legends of these lands. Mysterious stories that have been told from generation to generation come to life in this forest.
A place to get lost in time, surrounded by beauty, art and legends. Yes, such places still exist!
Imagine finding yourself in the forest with the mysterious Pelujáncanu, the enigmatic Serrana de la Vera or the imposing Machu Lanú, while the goblins awaken your imagination and the wisdom of the witches teaches you valuable lessons.
This magical space is our company, which collaborates with our association. In this crowdfunding we offer several rewards for you to come visit it.
A year and a half ago we won the PIE awards, a program for entrepreneurial ideas in rural areas with our project "El Bosque Mitológico", with a prize endowed with €7,000, which allowed us to equip the space with a solar light system that also supplies to school. Many people are participating in the creation of the Works of Art. Some works have been carried out as a team, others by various artists. We still have some things to do and we want to open this museum at the same time as the school.
Art is the expression of the deepest thoughts in the simplest way.
"Albert Einstein"
On this path through the forest you will find the deepest thoughts of many people, be careful, because when you least realize it yours will be more awake than ever.
Our objectives:
We have clear objectives, we know where we want to go, little by little we are achieving it. And with this campaign our objectives become common and we all achieve it together.
If we achieve the minimum in this campaign, we will be able to put a roof on our school, we will be closer to offering this space, and achieve our objectives:
Preserve, transmit and promote art and culture in rural areas. Create a cultural exchange and interaction between rural areas and cities, create bridges and make opportunities visible. Offer a meeting point and a point of development. Nurture relationships, create links, show different ways of living, exchange knowledge and show other cultures.
If we achieve the optimum in this campaign, the school would be finished and we could also create three ponds that will have a great positive impact on the forest and its inhabitants. Our challenge is to preserve the life of this forest, take care of it and pamper it, and that all the people who pass through here take a little seed of love and respect for the environment, offering this space of connection with nature.
In addition, we have the support of the Museum of Extremaduran Mythology, which gives visibility to the project at a more regional and even state level.
Our objectives with this museum are to disseminate the history and culture of Extremadura, create awareness through stories, attract tourists to our town, generating an increase in the local economy and offer an artistic exhibition space, in addition to giving visibility to the rest of the project.
Why this is important
Our main motivation is our passion for art in all its forms, it is an inner fire that drives us to explore, create and express ourselves in a unique and authentic way. Art does not understand barriers or limitations. It manifests itself in all artistic forms and disciplines: painting, sculpture, music, dance, theater, literature and much more. Each individual can find their own path to artistic passion, either as a creator or as a fan.
When someone discovers their passion for art, they experience a deep connection with themselves and with the world around them. Art becomes a means of expression and communication, allowing the most intimate emotions and deepest thoughts to be released and shared. It invites us to explore new ideas, to see the world from a different perspective, capturing the beauty in the ordinary and revealing the extraordinary in the everyday.
The groups involved are all those who live in rural areas, as well as groups from other places, since within our objectives is the importance of cultural exchange and interaction between rural areas and cities.
Children: Plasenzuela is a town where the child population continues to grow, right now there are 43 children in the town, and many others in nearby towns. It seems so important to us that our children have a childhood where art and culture permeate their lives, that they are the main focus of this project. Because of them all this started.
Young people: The rural environment is not an easy place for our young people to get their full potential, providing this space and mobilizing them with well-thought-out artistic projects to achieve motivation and participation is our goal. In addition, through artistic residences, we want to bring young people from other places to the town, promoting cultural exchange between young people from rural areas and from all over the world.
Adults and older: Here there are people who want to do things, people willing to share, create and unite for the people. Many of the women of Plasenzuela are seamstresses, other artisans, and weavers. There are folklore dancers, musicians and singers. L@s elders keep a lot of knowledge to share. Here everyone cultivates their garden. And many other facets that remain to be discovered.
Associations: Associations, invisible threads that weave the community, IMORA, APPACH, Acción Rural, housewives, consumers and users, AMPA, festivities, elders... Each one contributes its unique essence, weaving a network of collaboration and commitment. Together, we build a present in motion.
We invite you to discover El Bosque de To in Plasenzuela and its inhabitants.
A space for art lovers, for mystery lovers, for nature lovers, for adults and children, for those who want to know their roots or for those who travel discovering the world. For those who want to learn and for those who want to teach. A space for everyone.
Team and experience
We are Ariadna Y Daniel, the creators, promoters and investors of the project. Two professionals in the performing arts and lovers of all the arts, nature and life. We firmly believe that we are here with a purpose and that fulfilling our dreams is the way to achieve it. We have both traveled the world and learned from a lot and from many. A few years ago, we created a family together, with three wonderful children, and we decided to go live in rural areas. Our fourth child is this project, El Bosque de To.
Many people are getting involved in this project, both from the town and its surroundings, as well as people from all over the world who come through workaway as volunteers and who, passionate about the project, continue to support and participate.
Previous experience:
Together we have created our house, a theater company, an artistic cultural association, a family and this magical space.
Our first project was to build our house, a bioconstruction house, made with straw alpacas, stone, wood, clay and lime. They were two years of a lot of work and learning.
The next step was to regenerate the area around the house, cultivating the soil and providing biodiversity. Every year we carry out a planting of trees, shrubs and other plants.
Then we created the Terribilus Cultural Association, with the aim of using art as a tool for social transformation.
We created a theater company with which we have been touring all of Extremadura and part of Spain for years, bringing culture, humor, magic and good messages.
Now 2 years ago we launched ourselves for our dream. We began to build "El Bosque de To", a powerful art and life project with an important sociocultural impact.
A little more about us:
Daniel is a professional magician, circus performer, actor and musician. Bachelor of Science in Physical Activity and Sport (INEF) and Diploma in Physical Education Teaching. He is a true handyman and an artist in construction.
Ariadna is an actress, graduated in Dramatic Art, specialized in clown, storytelling and comedy for adults. She does mural painting, sewing, modeling, carpentry, puppet creation and ceramics. She is a Family Constellator, systemic advisor, facilitator in Transpersonal development and facilitator in Holoscopic Breathwork.