Human Towers & Boules Unite!
Castells and pétanque connecting university cultures, an initiative supported by the Unite! Seed Fund. Students from the UPC and Grenoble INP – UGA have launched "Human Towers & Boules Unite!", a cultural, sporting, and social exchange between the two university communities, aiming to create meaningful and lasting ties through two traditional practices: Catalan human towers (castells) and French pétanque.
The exchange has combined hands-on workshops, public demonstrations, and social activities, with the goal of strengthening students’ transversal skills and sparking reflection on the role of university associations in preserving and sharing cultural heritage.
The participating teams included Bergants del Campus Terrassa, representing the Catalan castellera tradition, and the Bureau des Sports ESISAR, a student sports club from Grenoble focused on promoting physical activity as a tool for cohesion and well-being. The project was coordinated by Joan Toni Castillo and Nil Omedes from UPC, alongside Lucas Renaud and Nicolas Magne from Grenoble INP - UGA.
In addition to the in-person activities, a video report is being produced to document the experience and share it via the Unite! Metacampus platform and social media channels, with the aim of disseminating the initiative and inspiring future intercultural projects within the Unite! network.
"Human Towers & Boules Unite!" is not only an exercise in cultural exchange but also a powerful demonstration of the potential universities have as agents of cultural preservation, social innovation, and European Integration"
The organisers hope to establish this exchange as a recurring event, open to other universities within the Unite! alliance, to continue building bonds and celebrating cultural diversity through student engagement.