Budapest, 16 Avril, 2026 – The official launch of the European project RE-MARK will take place in Bertinoro (IT) on 16th – 17th April 2026, marking the beginning of an ambitious initiative aimed at triggering systemic change in how culture is produced, accessed and sustained in rural territories across Europe. In contexts marked by demographic decline, social fragmentation and cultural underinvestment, the project proposes a radically new use of a familiar infrastructure: the rural market. By transforming rural farmers’ markets into Rural Creative Markets intended as hybrid spaces that combine artistic creation, local economies, community engagement and cultural storytelling, RE-MARK introduces a replicable, place-based model for culture-driven rural regeneration.
Funded under the Creative Europe programme, the project brings together a consortium of 5 partners from 4 European countries, including public authorities, associations and artistic collectives. Over the next two years, they will collaborate to reactivate rural markets as cultural, creative, and inclusive hubs.
The kick-off meeting will be hosted by the Municipality of Bertinoro (IT) and will represent the opportunity for partners to meet in person and align on project objectives, governance structure, and upcoming activities.
“Central to the success of the project is a multidisciplinary approach, that is reflected in the strategic partnership which is composed of actors that ensure the direct representation of public administrations, networks of organizations, cultural and artistic institutions, and social innovation actors. Together, they create a dynamic and resilient ecosystem capable of revitalizing rural markets and communities across Europe.” says Simona Tondelli – president of the Clust-ER Economia Urbana, lead partner of the project.
Piloted in Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria, the RE-MARK project aims to:
- reframe rural markets as hybrid cultural infrastructures, reactivating them as spaces for artistic creation, community exchange, local economy, and territorial storytelling;
- develop an inclusive methodology that connects diverse marginalised territories — from remote, depopulated villages to culturally diverse and religiously plural communities, to areas affected by migration and war-related displacement — within a shared European framework of cultural activation;
- promote a multi-scalar regeneration strategy: from local co-planning of Cultural Regeneration Strategies and artistic interventions, to a shared European narrative via the digital and physical itinerant exhibition, and a wide-reaching dissemination and upscaling framework.
By strengthening cooperation across Europe, the project will contribute to innovation, digital transition, social inclusion and gender equality, generating tangible benefits for market operators, local rural communities, underrepresented and marginalised groups, artists and cultural professionals.
Further updates and results will be shared throughout the project duration via project website and social media.
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Project key facts
Full Name: RE-MARK – Innovative policies for improving citizens’ health and wellbeing addressing indoor and outdoor lighting
Start Date: 1st April 2026
Duration: 24 months
Budget: 200,000.00 €
Partnership:
Clust-ER Economia Urbana (coordinator)
Municipality of Bertinoro (Province of Forlì-Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy)
Municipality of San Cebrián de Castro (Province of Zamora, Castilla y León, Spain)
Y-CSOPORT (Hungary)
Ideas Factory Association (IFA) (Bulgaria)
Contacts:
Project coordination and management:
Simona Tondelli
Mail: remark.eu.project@gmail.com
Press contact:
kokai.nagy.timea@proprogressione.com
RE-MARK is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) can be held responsible for them.