For the first time in Manifesta, the education space of the biennial has not been isolated in one the exhibition venues but took form of a travelling platform connecting the programme of Manifesta 12 with the neighbourhoods of Palermo, and reaching out to its inhabitants.

Set up in a former city bus, the Education Hub made forty one-day stops in public space of sixteen neighbourhoods of Palermo, collaborating with more than thirty associations and schools in co-creation of programme of workshops and public encounters. The programme ranged from workshops and discussions with Manifesta 12 Gardeners and members of associations to open-air screenings and activities led by Manifesta 12 artists.

The transformation of the bus was a year-long collaborative process with the students of the University of Palermo and Academy of Fine Arts led by Madrid-based architectural bureau ENORME Studio.

The main challenge of the project was maintaining the energy and newly created relationships with the communities all over the city. Therefore, the priority was given to returning to same places rather than planning more and more single stops. Upon the request of the associations, Manifesta 12 reached an agreement with the Municipality of Palermo and public transport company AMAT to keep the Education Hub at the disposal of non-profit organisations for educational and cultural projects. Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, the implementation of this agreement turned out to be more complicated than expected due to bureaucratic and administrative hurdles. It taught us that the legacy of Manifesta projects is not something that can be guaranteed, but very much depend on aspects of the local reality.