Arts Collaboratory has chosen three key-themes as the basis of the knowledge sharing programme. Support is provided to projects releated to one of the following themes:
Essential to any artistic or cultural exchange is the confrontation of different visions and languages. Under this header Arts Collaboratory wants to stimulate practical research on the meaning of artistic signs and cultural visions in different societies, and how these different meanings interact or influence each other. An important part of this research is the development of effective methods and strategies to facilitate intercultural exchange that causes a true interaction between and involvement of those visions.
Many artists worldwide are developing works and projects that address issues in society or involve communities or individuals outside the art world. Often the relation between artistic quality and impact on a social issue is imbalanced. Either the project is of high artistic quality but does not reach an effect outside the art world or it has a social effect but is not so interesting as an artistic process or product. Nevertheless there are many projects that are examples of good strategies to combine the two. Key questions in relation to this issue are amongst others: Can and should an artistic work or project reach an effect outside its own realm? How can artistic quality and social effect be combined in one artistic project? What is the specificity of ‘artistic thinking’ or the creative process? How can individual persons be involved in art projects without becoming a subject?
Artists’ initiatives are often established from a strong artistic or ideological need of a group of artists in a specific context. Practice shows that this strong need causes a very vibrant first period in the life of arts’ organisations. However, after a first period, when an organisation wants to endure or grow, often the necessity of acquiring specific management capacities that are close to the flexible artistic practice is felt. Over the years several artists’ initiatives have developed such specific cultural management knowledge, through experience, training, consultancies and exchange. With the support of Arts Collaboratory this knowledge can be shared between organisations from different contexts, be spread to a wider group and to starting initiatives.
Read how to apply for the funding programme...