[oberlist] AM/GE/MD/UA* project: Sustainable Public Areas for Culture in Eastern Countries (SPACES)

[Vladimir US]

Sustainable Public Areas for Culture in Eastern Countries (SPACES)
http://www.teh.net/news.aspx?itemid=315

SPACES is a project, financed by the European Commission, in which TEH  
takes part as an associate partner, represented by TEH Embassador  
Annette Wolfsberger. The project assembles artists and cultural  
workers in four Eastern partner countries, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova,  
Ukraine, who aim at reflecting societal issues in the public realm of  
their city. It will take place from December 2011 to December 2013. To  
learn more about the project, TEH invited its project manager Ina  
Ivanceanu for an interview.

What is SPACES?
The project SPACES aims at strengthening the independent art and  
culture scene in Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The key word  
is capacity building – from developing a better standing in  
negotiations with governmental agencies, to processes of self- 
learning, increasing contact with civil society audiences, and finding  
new spaces where art and culture can take place. The core question of  
the project: How can art and culture regain public space(s) for  
citizens, especially for young people? SPACES will curate and carry  
out participatory art events in public spaces in the four countries.  
Processes of networking, social research and policy debates will  
accompany the in situ events. A better understanding of the role  
culture and art can play with regard to public space in post communist  
spaces, a stronger lobby for the independent scenes, new concepts for  
cultural governance in the region: these are some of the SPACES  
results. The three years project (2011-2014) is funded by  the  
European Commission via the “Investing in People and Eastern  
Partnership Culture Programme”.

SPACES is being launched this month - what is happening right now?
The first project team meeting took place in Vienna two weeks ago with  
all partner organizations to discuss and fine tune the project. The  
following partners are involved in the project: OIKODROM – Vienna/ 
Austria (coordinator), Utopiana.am/Armenia; Loose Associations/ 
Croatia; FCCA/Ukraine; GeoAIR/Georgia; Oberliht/Moldova; Minotaurus  
Film/Luxemburg. Right now partners are starting their networking  
activities in the four countries, and we are preparing the first  
public space events and project meeting that take place in May 2012 in  
Tiblisi (Georgia).

What is the role of TEH as associate partner? How can TEH members get  
involved?
The associate partners have different roles in this project, depending  
on their focus and available resources. Some will get directly  
involved on location on their own costs - for example, London  
Metropolitan University plans to join several public space events in  
the countries with a group of students to built structures needed for  
the public space events, or some associate partners might be invited  
to join a meeting in the country to bring in specific expertise, hold  
a training workshop etc. With other associate partners the main link  
will be to feed the project into their networks, introduce core themes  
relevant to the project, and disseminate the outcomes of the project.  
We will soon come up with suggestions on how TEH could get involved,  
and we are open to suggestions of course!

In which cities will the projects take place?
Tbilisi, Yerevan, Kiev and Chisinau.

How are you planning to make the selection of artists and cultural  
workers involved in the the project?
We have established a collective curatorial team consisting of a  
representative of each partner organization. The curatorial team was  
constituted at the first meeting in Vienna. It gives curatorial input  
(arts and culture in public space, social sciences, participation etc)  
and has an advisory function. The local partners have the right to  
decide on their projects.

How will you achieve the link between SPACES and the local citizens of  
these four countries?
The project has a strong participatory approach. Working in the public  
realm of the cities with direct involvement of local people will be a  
major challenge in this project which we are looking forward to meet.  
The project partners have a lot of experience in participatory art and  
culture work and participatory research methods, and we hope to widen  
this expertise during the course of the project. A main group we want  
to communicate with in this project is the urban youth in the cities.

Find more details about SPACES here and other projects in which TEH is  
involved here.




Vladimir US

CHIOSC   |   curator

http://chiosc.oberliht.com
http://plic.oberliht.com
http://chisineu.wordpress.com
http://bucuresti68.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/Oberliht

Proiectul CHIOSC este realizat cu suportul financiar al Fundatiei  
Culturale Europene http://www.eurocult.org

--
Moldova Young Artists Association "Oberliht"
http://oberliht.com

tel/fax:	+ (373 22) 286317
email: 	vladimir at oberliht.org.md
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