The Public Playgrounds workshop, which was one of five workshops at the Skopje Creative Hub festival, focused on the lack of interest in public space in Northern Macedonia.

By taking a closer look at the public space in the immediate vicinity of the Youth Cultural Centre of Skopje, which is used by various social groups, we sought answers to the following questions: How to raise awareness on the importance of public space? How to show its potential? How to employ temporary intervention to show the different ways for solving problems connected to public space? How to create a space that will spark curiosity and invite passers-by to interact?

The starting idea of the workshop’s interventions was to upgrade the existing urban elements to promote, supplement or improve their use. Each participant developed their own intervention from idea to execution. The "common thread" was a red rope, also the main motif for the renovation of the Youth Cultural Centre’s interior. The red rope thus appeared in various places and roles: as a new seat or part of a swing at a bus stop, as the missing backrest of a park bench, as a hammock woven between trees, woven to support small waste bins, or even, wrapped in a spiral, covering tree stumps in a park.

Positive feedback from passers-by proved that small but thoughtful interventions can be used to easily test different scenarios for the use of public spaces. With an alternative approach to spatial design, we wanted to contribute to the creation of a democratic and flexible public space that allows individuals varied and spontaneous use.