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Develop a Project of Your Own in Sitke

A place for individuals, groups of friends and initiatives who would like to try something new, build a project of their own and, at the same time, become part of a wider community.

What Could Take Shape in Sitke


For the next stage in Sitke\’s development, we are particularly interested in projects in three broad areas. The examples below are intended as inspiration rather than as a definitive list.


Land and Regenerative Production

Herb and tea gardens, fruit and vegetable growing, beekeeping, seed cultivation, biodiversity projects, natural cosmetics, food processing and other forms of small-scale regional production.

These may be commercially run enterprises, charitable or educational initiatives, or projects organised and sustained collectively.


Workshops and Practical Learning

Woodwork, metalwork, textiles, ceramics, restoration, repair and traditional crafts, as well as open workshops, apprenticeships, courses and inclusive employment projects.

Several of the former agricultural buildings and stables are well suited to workshop use and can be developed in accordance with the needs of a particular project.


Health, Culture and Social Initiatives

Therapeutic and sensory gardens, animal-assisted activities, inclusive projects, artists\’ residencies, seminars, educational initiatives, archives, exhibitions, events and intergenerational projects.

Smaller initiatives, or projects combining several of these areas, may also find a home in Sitke.


Do You Have a Different Idea?

We are equally open to projects that do not fit neatly into any of these categories. What matters is that they are suited to the place, its rural surroundings and the activities already taking place here.

What Sitke Offers


A Beautiful and Well-Connected Setting for Your Ideas

Sitke can be reached by car or train in approximately two to two and a half hours from Vienna, Graz, Budapest, Maribor and Bratislava.


An Established, International and Multilingual Place

Several of the central buildings have already been restored, and the essential infrastructure, including water and electricity, has been renewed. For a number of years, Sitke has hosted workshops, summer camps, exhibitions, study events and communal working weeks.

New initiatives are therefore not arriving on an empty site, but becoming part of a place that already has experience, established relationships and a growing community of friends and supporters.


Time to Get to Know One Another

A collaboration does not have to begin with an immediate long-term commitment. As a rule, we begin with a trial period. This gives everyone involved the opportunity to experience the project under real conditions and to discover whether it could become a lasting part of Sitke.


The Support of a Wider Network

People from the Sitke network may be able to help with renovation, gardening and other practical tasks, for example during communal working weeks, workshops, placements or summer camps.

The support available will naturally depend on the particular project, the timing and the capacities of those involved.

Who We Are Looking For


We are not looking only for good ideas. We are looking for people who are prepared to develop an idea, step by step, into a viable and enduring project.


In particular, this involves:


Initiative

You should be able to shape the content and direction of your project yourselves and take responsibility for establishing and running it.


Reliability

Buildings, gardens and workshops require sustained care and attention. We are therefore looking for people who are interested in more than a brief or temporary use and who can imagine developing a lasting connection with Sitke.


Openness to Collaboration

The individual projects will remain independent. At the same time, they will share a place and inevitably encounter one another in everyday life. Consideration for others, a willingness to communicate and an openness to occasional collaboration are therefore essential.


A Realistic Development Plan

A project does not need to be fully financed or worked out in every detail from the outset. There should, however, be a clear and credible idea of how the first steps, the development of the space and the project\’s eventual operation might be organised.


Respect for the Place and Its Surroundings

Sitke lies at the heart of a long-established Hungarian village. New projects should not set themselves apart from their surroundings, but approach the village, the region and the people who live here with genuine interest and respect.

How a Collaboration Begins


1. Tell Us About Your Idea

Begin by describing in a few paragraphs what you would like to create in Sitke. At this stage, you do not need a completed project plan or a professionally designed proposal.


2. We Have an Initial Conversation

When an idea appears to be broadly suited to Sitke, we arrange a conversation, either in person or online. This gives us the opportunity to clarify initial questions and consider together which buildings, rooms or areas of land might be suitable.


3. You Visit Sitke

Before making any further arrangements, it is important to allow enough time for a visit. Buildings, distances and possibilities can only be assessed to a limited extent from photographs. A visit also offers an opportunity to meet some of the people already involved and to become acquainted with the village and its surroundings.


4. We Agree on a Trial Period

Depending on the nature of the project, the trial period might take the form of a workshop, an event, a communal working week, a temporary stay or a first, smaller phase of the proposed project. This is not an examination or selection process. It is an opportunity to discover through shared experience whether the idea, the people and the place belong together.


5. We Develop a Long-Term Agreement

When the initial collaboration has proved successful, we jointly select an appropriate building, room or area of land. The terms of use, development work, financing and respective responsibilities are then set out in a clear and binding agreement.

Our Model


Our model is intended to provide clear, reliable and fair conditions for everyone involved.


Those who finance or organise the necessary restoration and development of a building or room may subsequently use it on a long-term and, in principle, rent-free basis for the agreed project.


Before any substantial work or investment begins, the principal matters will be agreed in writing. These will normally include:


  • the precise use of the building, room or land;

  • the proposed restoration and development work;

  • financing and the provision of materials;

  • running costs and utilities;

  • care and ongoing maintenance;

  • any necessary permissions and insurance;

  • responsibilities and decision-making procedures;

  • the treatment of investments, fixtures and improvements;

  • fair arrangements should the collaboration come to an end.


Not every project will necessarily be expected to bear the full cost of development alone. For particular buildings and areas of activity, we are also seeking funding partners, foundations, companies and private co-funders. In the case of economically viable projects, partnership-based investment models may also be considered.


The precise form of each collaboration will always be decided individually.

Frequently Asked Questions


Does My Project Have to Be Charitable?

No. Sitke can provide a home for charitable, cultural and social initiatives, as well as commercially run workshops, small production enterprises and projects combining different organisational models. What matters is that the project is suited to the place, developed responsibly and compatible with the other activities taking place in Sitke.


Do I Have to Live in Sitke Permanently?

Not necessarily. Some projects may require a regular or seasonal presence. Others may be run by people who spend only part of their time in Sitke. The degree of presence required will depend on the nature of the project.


Can Groups and Existing Organisations Apply?

Yes. Project proposals are welcome from individuals, informal groups, associations, companies, foundations, educational institutions and other organisations.


Can I Contact You with an Idea That Is Not Yet Fully Developed?

Yes. The purpose of an initial conversation is precisely to explore possibilities together. It is helpful, however, if you already have a broad sense of what you would like to establish and who would be prepared to take responsibility for it.


Are Smaller Projects Also Possible?

Yes. Not every project requires an entire building. Depending on the proposed use, individual rooms, parts of workshops, areas of garden or temporary forms of use may also be possible.


Can a Project Be Tried Out Beforehand?

Yes. In fact, a trial period is generally encouraged. It allows everyone involved to discover whether the project works in practice and whether it could become a lasting and meaningful part of Sitke.

Contact


Sitke Community Projekt

József Attila u. 4

H - 9671 Sitke

Hungary


alexander.batthyany@gmail.com

j.batthyany@gmail.com





Alexander & Juliane Batthyány

Prinz Eugenstr. 18/12

A–1040 Vienna

Austria