The Courtyard of All Residents was part of a much larger program titled Wrocław Backyard Entrance within the framework of Wrocław – European Capital of Culture. Iza was invited to Wrocław with a lot of creative freedom regarding the project, with the general idea of organizing some community-based activities during the summer in the Ołbin and Przedmieście Oławskie neighborhoods. No one expected that the project would still be alive eight years later.

The original plan was to create an interactive object that would engage residents and give them something meaningful — a space or object around which they could meet and interact.

Referencing the local nickname for Przedmieście Oławskie — “the triangle” — Iza designed a hedgehog made of triangular spikes, each of which was a separate inflatable element. Residents could pump them up individually and attach them to the hedgehog’s body. Every participant got to inflate their own spike.

What had the most long-term impact was the collaboration with the residents. Even before the project began, Iza visited stairwells in the neighborhood, introducing herself and explaining that in two or three weeks, a seven-meter-long hedgehog would appear in their courtyard. She later returned to ask if they wanted to participate or had ideas for activities related to the hedgehog. The children showed the most interest — taking the hedgehog’s spikes for walks, and eventually pushing the whole hedgehog into a tenement building, asking neighbors if they could open their windows for it.

In addition to the hedgehog activities, workshops were held — making lemonade, baked goods, bead animals, and hedgehog-themed temporary tattoos. Over the course of that summer, the hedgehog became so deeply integrated into the courtyard’s life that children wrote letters asking for its return, and adults hung the letters outside with their laundry.

After the project officially ended in 2015, Iza decided to continue working with the courtyard because of the residents’ high level of engagement. They were very motivated and open to future initiatives. A trip was planned to a hedgehog rehabilitation center in Kłodzko. It was financed by local residents and artists through crowdfunding, contests, and workshops, with all proceeds dedicated to the trip. These included:

• wooden hedgehog figurines made during carpentry workshops for women,

• and limited-edition vinyl records with compositions recorded using a special hedgehog-shaped instrument built by Paweł Romańczuk of Small Instruments.

Many people contributed to the crowdfunding campaign — even some who had worked on the project under the European Capital of Culture but couldn’t officially finance it still contributed privately.

The trip to Kłodzko was a success. Children who had participated in the Wrocław project acted as facilitators — inviting local kids to play with the hedgehog, creating posters, hanging them around town, and taking care of real hedgehogs at the center.

Building on this momentum, the team organized a contest for courtyard residents to submit ideas for improving their shared space. The submissions were turned into a short film, projected onto the wall of one of the buildings — an artistic reflection of the collective effort. The winning project was to receive 3,000 PLN for implementation.

Although the initial activities focused on children and parents, more and more residents got involved. This ultimately motivated the community to fight for their courtyard. Although the winning project exceeded the prize budget, the group decided — after consulting with other residents — to host a neighborhood festival. During the event, the name “The Courtyard of All Residents” was officially adopted.

After the festival, residents continued working together. With support from Iza and other activists, they pushed the city to launch a renovation project. In 2018, the planning phase began in cooperation with the Wrocław Revitalization Office. Residents were consulted on what they wanted in their courtyard. The designs referenced the hedgehog, symbolizing how it all started.

Questions and Discussion

How did collaboration work with a group of people who barely knew each other?
→ The length of the project helped — residents got to know each other gradually during different phases: the hedgehog installation, the contest, and courtyard planning.

Did people need convincing to get involved?
→ Yes. Residents constantly needed encouragement. Iza’s energy and reassurance — telling them “it will work if we mobilize” — kept things going.
While success seems obvious now, each step at the time was uncertain.

Do you still stay in touch with the residents?
→ Not in person, but digitally — by phone and online — especially when new projects arise or when they need help organizing something.

Is this level of community engagement sustainable?
→ Projects like this take years of trust-building and are emotionally demanding for activists.
But when you start small, stay persistent, and dedicate your time and energy, good things can happen.

How does integration work now, in a more politically divided time? Are residents still active?
→ Some new residents have moved in and gotten involved in their own ways; some older ones have moved out. People still meet up for coffee and stay in touch.
Residents have also learned that some projects take time — and don’t give up if things don’t succeed immediately.

What’s the status of the renovation?
→ Officials now understand this project has been ongoing for so long that they can’t ignore it anymore. That gives residents hope that the renovation will be completed.