A Land Rover Defender provided by Metro Bilbao could be turned into a mobile cinema to bring culture and educational entertainment to young people in Mindelo, on the Cape Verdean island of São Vicente. To make this a reality, the Somorrostro Training Centre and the association Mugarik Gabeko Euskal Trenbideetako Langileak Elkartea have launched CLARAO, a Service-Learning project that will link vocational training with a specific social need.
The challenge was presented to the students last Friday, 23 October, by Txus Martín, a member of the association, who outlined the history of a group founded in 2011 and made up of professionals from the Basque railway sector. For years, its members have been putting their technical expertise and time at the service of cooperation initiatives. Their experience includes projects in the Sahrawi camps and in Cape Verde, where they helped to convert a minibus into a mobile dental clinic. The underlying idea is to create useful and versatile resources, designed in collaboration with those who will use them.
On this occasion, one of the main uses of the vehicle loaned by Metro Bilbao will be as an open-air cinema. The audiovisual equipment can be dismantled so that the Land Rover can continue to provide other services to Espaço Jovem, the local organisation that works with young people in Mindelo. The project thus aims to address both the lack of travelling cultural activities in some neighbourhoods and the association’s need for mobility.
The transformation will also present a professional challenge for the students. Students on the advanced courses in Renewable Energy and Telecommunications Systems will need to work together to design a viable solution for a small vehicle. The renewable energy group will study the routes and locations to assess solar exposure, determine the size of the photovoltaic installation and decide on the placement of the panels and batteries. The telecommunications students will analyse the projection and sound system: power consumption, lighting, viewing distance, audience size, public address system and possible uses of microphones.
The conditions will require well-informed decisions: the vehicle must be self-contained, robust and easy to install and store. Wind conditions and the characteristics of the target neighbourhoods and routes will also need to be taken into account. The project also involves students from the Automotive and Metal Construction courses, who will be able to contribute to the vehicle’s fitting-out and the design of structures and supports.
This project will transform the content of each stage into a real-world solution, with specific requirements, deadlines and constraints. Students will have to compare solutions, calculate costs, document the process, carry out tests and prepare instructions so that the local community can use the system independently. The experience also aims to foster skills such as teamwork, planning and social responsibility.
For the mobile cinema project to get off the ground, it will be essential to find sponsors and partners who can provide funding, equipment, materials, technical advice or logistical support to transport the vehicle to Cape Verde. If the necessary funding is secured, one of the aims would be for a group of students to travel to Mindelo to finalise the fitting out of the Land Rover, train its users and launch the cinema alongside young Cape Verdeans.
CLARAO wants learning to extend beyond the workshop: what the students design and build here could become a space for socialising, culture and community on the other side of the Atlantic. A shared challenge that aims to provide the community with a useful tool and offer a transformative experience to those who make it possible.
