geoairteam

Mind the Map! History Is Not Given takes as its point of departure the project East Art Map (EAM) by the Slovenian fine arts group IRWIN. East Art Map is a project that tracks back in history (over the past 50 years) the art works and cultural processes in the territory known as the former Eastern Europe. The task is to now interpret the topography laid out and establish new perspectives for plotting and understanding art history, cultural practices and theoretical models. The book documents the Symposium as representative of a NEW THINKING that is presently emerging at several intersecting points: the intermediality between different art forms, the fracture zones between the national cultures of Eastern and Western Europe, the fissures between past and present, and the interferences between humanities, arts and social movements. With the project Mind the Map! History Is Not Given we are thus engaged in constructing a matrix that represents a densely-woven s tructure of information on specific and, frequently, less known artistic and cultural processes, products and realities. The book presents the theoretical and artistic positions of the young scholars, professors and artists who participated in the symposium that has been held in October 2005 in Leipzig, and it also includes an additional selection of texts and art works.

Edited by Marina Grzinic, Günther Heeg
and Veronika Darian
Distributed by revolver, Frankfurt am Main, 2006
ISBN: 3-86588-165-3

PLEASE REACT! SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME


Organizing a travel-project through Caucasus and countries around Caucasus, that will have as its’ goal to find/work on common goals.

Many artists talk and work about the same things but they remain in isolation. If we, artists don’t start talking to each other, do not search for the common directions, if we don’t realize that ideas have to be shared and that we will only achieve anything significant from a common ground, we will remain small countries with insignificant cultural lives slavishly following the dominant trend. We will condemn ourselves to always being one step – or several steps – behind.

Needles to say that, no significant cultural development can take place in a region where national borders between states remain largely closed, especially when we are talking about countries as tiny as Armenia, whose territory covers 29,800 km²and has a population of 3.5 million people, Georgia, which covers 69,700²km and has a population of 4.5 million people, and Azerbaijan, which covers 86,600 km²and has a population 8.5 million people. What is more, these tiny counties have a tendency to get smaller and smaller: some having regions in a state of semi-conflict, others in a state of frozen conflict; some with territories recognized by international bodies such as the UN, others with unrecognized territories, living in a state of legal limbo.

Meanwhile these countries are very interesting ground for the artists to work and to react upon. Caucasus is very alive region with constant changes and adaptations. Looking/defining the common goals for the Caucasian artists together with the British participants can unfold very interesting results. The look from the inside and outside together can bring up surprising observations.

During this project core part of the group will travel together and others will join in in their regions for shorter amount of time. There will be place for the discussions, workshops and presentations. Artists will be asked to create some works on the spot, in unexpected places (old soviet shopping moll in the centre of the village centre) and later to present it to the others with the background information etc.

See the following text about the Faculty of Invisibility.
This could be an interesting method for making the contribution of the participants
from the Exchange Academy more specific. Something to communicate to them and
see if they want to pick this up.

Herewith I would like to inform you about The Speech, the first
manifestation of the Faculty of Invisibility. During a three day long
workshop taking place in the Jan van Eyck Academie, Maastricht on December
6,7,8 the tutors of the following departments will develop the opening
speech of the Faculty of Invisibility.

With: the Department of Learning (Nebojsa Milikic), the Department of Reading
(Sönke Hallman), the Department of Survival (Volodymyr Kuznetsov), the
Department of Haunting (Paul Gangloff), the Department of Speech Genres
(Hinrich Sachs), the Department of Real Cool (Natascha Haagenbeek), the
Department of Play (Olesya Khomenko), the Department of Symbiosis (Mykyta
Kadan), the Department of Post-autonomy (David Goldenberg), the Department
of Practice (Inga Zimprich), the Department of Doubt (Monika Vykoukal), the
Department of Common Spaces (Wim Cuyvers), the Department of Uncertainty
(Ingela Johansson) and Roe Cherpac, OneDayNation (Selina Bütler, Paul Gangloff,
Matthias Kreutzer)

With greetings,

Inga Zimprich
Department of Practice

http://www.janvaneyck.nl
http://www.faculty.cc

http://www.europa-foerdert-kultur.info/links.php

check this, altough it is in german you have long list of european culture funds

Nadia - green

Nini - red

Sopo - purple

Freya - still up to her

I had a meeting with BC on 24.11.2006 as the BC in Georgia thought their upcoming project (2007-2010) suits out general directions very much I was asked to react on their text in the beginning process. They are starting this project and would like to collaborate with the GeoAIr about it.
Here is the text from the BC, later follow the comments and suggestions that I discussed with them today.


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CREATIVE COLLABORATION IN EUROPE

The challenge

Existing market research points to quite a cohesive profile of young people in SEE, despite the diversity of the region. Their world-view is shaped by three central factors which inform their interests in the present and decisions for the future: Employment, Lifestyle and Education. However, the context is changing fast, as greater mobility and IT connectivity allow young people to imagine and create a more open, shared cultural identity.

The Arts can be a powerful tool for building trust and understanding across Europe’s cultural, ethnic and economic borders; for addressing issues arising from migration, mobility and diversity; and for creating opportunities and influencing the realities and aspirations of Youth Culture today.

Creative Collaboration is a three-year project which addresses the major cultural issues that arise from changing social realities in South East Europe and are highly relevant to professional cultural practitioners in Europe today. At the core of the project lies the process of collaboration itself: the networks, tools, materials and shared objectives which allow working with dynamic methodologies; fostering mutual trust, respect and consensus; building complementary, diverse skills and knowledge; and communicating across Europe’s diverse cultures and beyond national borders.

The project focuses on free creativity, namely Distribution (the politics of creative dissemination), Openness (the politics of sharing) and Production/Use (the politics of creative identity).

In generating innovative cross-cultural collaborations between young people and cultural practitioners in SEE and the UK, Creative Collaboration contributes to the construction of a confident regional cultural identity and the creation of a marketplace for a new European neighbourhood.

The objectives

We build an influential network of Cultural producers, Arts practitioners, thinkers and policy makers in the region and in the UK, in order to:

• Engage with large numbers of young people so as to empower them to express themselves creatively, inspire them to work collaboratively and enable them to develop skills for the future.
• Engage UK policy makers in the SEE region and in debate about the future of Europe
• Nurture intercultural dialogue through collaboration and access to high quality events and activities
• Promote UK Arts Education
• Support the creative industries and creative entrepreneurship.

See ANNEX 1, for a diagram linking these objectives to specific activities.

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Content outline

The British Council designs a space for Youth Culture to interact with New Media and for Digital technology to be used as a tool for the production of Art (dance, theatre, music, literature, film, visual art). This ‘space’ travels the region and is set up in a selected venue in each participating city. Within this context, a programme of creative activities, real and virtual, takes place. Our activity focus is Education (workshops on how to use digital tools, skills development in producing art), Communication and Sharing of ideas (providing a safe forum for young people to talk to one another freely, show their work, debate issues) and the actual Production of Art (using digital technology to create, produce and showcase other art forms which are participatory and interactive; for example create a piece of dance and use new media to show it or use new media to both produce it and show it).

At the same time, at each location this space is supported by a dynamic context of public activity aimed at a wider audience. We have competitions to engage the public; blogs commenting on what we do; and media documentation (e.g. documentaries, TV programmes).

Last but not least, we organize simultaneous conferences, debates and networking opportunities for policy makers and creative practitioners on themes related to - but not bound by - the traveling space: Mobility of art and artists in Europe; The Politics of Participation; Government control or Government support? Climate Change and Creative solutions; Employability in the SEE creative sectors; 2008 Year of Intercultural Dialogue - and more.

The archive of emerging products and collaborative ideas is captured, curated and showcased in SEE and the UK, linking in with big international events in 2009 and 2010. Meanwhile we continue with further networking events to ensure sustainability of the collaboration we have initiated.

See ANNEX 2 for a detailed table of possible components and structure.

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Methodology

We achieve our objectives through:

• Empowering young people to develop ideas, acquire valuable skills, unleash their creative potential and create Art using open cultural tools and new interactive technologies

• Enabling cultural producers to exchange ideas, resources and to work collaboratively across borders, exploiting the creative power of new media tools

• Encouraging young people to express their cultural identity; enabling them to begin to share their ideas and aspirations free from government control, corporate control and religious constraints; and offering them opportunities for collaborative work outside formal institutions (indicative focus on minority communities, youth action, gender issues)

• Understanding how mobility, migration and immigration influence contemporary arts practice; using existing mechanisms to influence cultural production across Europe; and showcasing localised artistic practise to wide audiences, beyond national boundaries and regional borders

• Developing skills, knowledge and networks that lead to employability in the European arts sectors and creative industries

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Timeplan

Stage 1/ 2007-2008

The first year of the project will involve three types of activity:

• Mapping the region: desktop research to identify relevant existing projects and active research to identify partners we can work with; preparing a bid to Culture 2007 for EU funding
• Developing networks: advocating the project to a core team of partners in the UK and in SEE countries; holding an inaugurating conference
• Producing a creative toolkit for internal use to help people set the project up in country; designing the road show, with the collaboration of UK partners; Piloting the mobile space in one country only.

Arts Group will lead on these activities, especially during implementation of FABS in SEE (April-July 2007).

Stage 2/2008-2009

In the second year of the project we will use the outcomes of year 1 to enable and encourage young people to work together across cultures and feel part of an emerging European creative community. Provided we can secure sponsorship and/or EU funding, we will create a number of mobile space(s) to simultaneously tour clusters of countries in the region. They will be hosted for three weeks in each city and during this time we will also hold high profile conferences, debates and networking events.

Stage 3/2009-2010

During the third year of the project we will widely publicise the creative products and the thinking about cultural policy that emerged from both previous stages. This will take the form of a major exhibition, broadcasting activity, publications, virtual and actual events, using major festivals and/or exhibitions in the UK and in the region as showcasing opportunities. We will also take steps to ensure that the networks we have developed continue beyond the end of the project. This could include lobbying for changes to European cultural policy to support and sustain the collaborations initiated.

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Questions and answers

Q Isn’t total creative freedom going to compromise quality?
A No, because it will not be unbound freedom. Although the space will be free of editorial control and free of charge to enter, there will be certain constraints in place. An international space for free creativity needs dynamic management: there will be rules about what is not allowed, i.e. content that conflicts with BC values and local law. UK practitioners will be monitoring the content and whatever is published as a result of activity undertaken. We will set up a clear set of guidelines which, without limiting free expression, will encourage working in a civilized environment and ensure quality control.

Q Is there going to be one final product?
A There will be simultaneous activities across the region. Although the end product may differ in each country, the activity model is going to be the same. As more and more people learn, share and make creative products the archive will get bigger. Through a careful curatorial approach, we will set up a mechanism for selecting the best, and eventually showcase that across the region and the UK at the final stage of the project.

Q How is the project going to engage T1s and T2s?
A The mobile space is a place for intercultural collaboration aimed at young people, both in the UK and in SEE. Before its launch, during its implementation and beyond its completion, we will create a powerful programme of networking forums, conferences, debates and panel discussions, specifically targeting policy makers in the sectors of culture, governance and education.

Q Aren’t there risks involved in such a collaborative methodology?
A The greatest risk is the potential tension between effective leadership and the creative collaborative process. Curation, i.e. strong artistic leadership, does not negate collectivity. However, there is a fine balance to be kept between freedom and core values-neither should be abused and both should be supported. Also there is a risk of media misrepresentation, especially in the UK. Our position needs to be well presented with excellent internal and external story-lines, so as to prevent PR traps.
We propose approaching the media as partners from the start, e.g. getting advice from Comment Is Free in the Guardian.

Q Are we willing to risk the forging of new identities?
A The British Council’s taking risks must be supported by a measurable accountability structure. Our organizational culture and desired outcomes may conflict with genuinely collaborative partnerships and that is why governance(monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, budget control and risk management) must be in place – a difficult achievement when ownership is devolved and shared.

Q Europe is full of similar projects. How will the British Council add value?
A How to navigate the numerous possibilities lying ahead through choosing what has most impact for us is the greatest challenge of all. Choice has to be carefully managed and that is why we are prepared to conduct thorough research in the UK and in SEE in the first year, in order to ensure our product’s value for audiences and partners alike.



My Comments:

• Generally I was very happy about the whole thing, as when I first had a talk with the BC they were very much non long-term and very final presentation orientated.
So this is already a good thing.

• My first question to them was what our role would be if we would work together. BC will organize everything and we, GeoAIR will come in as co-organizers, doing mainly the creative work.

• This whole written plan is still very flexible, timing and everything is still up to each developed project.

• I also like that it starts from the year 2007 so there is no rush but a enough time to prepare everything.

• They will be talking to the partners now and I gave them the names of Garanti Platform in Istanbul and ECCEA in Yerevan.

• I also suggested they should empesize on the educational part and ask each participating artist to make a small lecture-presentation about their works and how they developed till that point, specially if we are going to bring stuff to the regions.


And you girls, check out the Lost Highway Project
www.europelostandfound.net

// posted by Sophia Tabatadze @ 4:47 AM 0 comments