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Description
The project focuses on capacity building of regional, cultural and art initiatives which take active part in addressing societal issues, most importantly in the sphere of social issues and the environment. The aim is to identify key actors in all regions of the Czech Republic, except Prague, who use an innovative approach and significantly improve the conditions of life for local communities. The information received as part of the research will become part of a map which will be available in both printed and online versions, and which will serve as a practical tool for those interested in the issues of civic cultural communities. Apart from the database of the individual subjects, the map will also contain interviews with select players and texts by an interdisciplinary team (social anthropologist, ecologist, cultural environmentalist, artist, curator). The content and selection of the players is focused on cultural subjects which have had long-term involvement in ecology, have worked on issues of social exclusion, inter-generational dialogue, rejuvenation of cultural traditions, work with historical places and so on. Part of the project is to identify the problems with which these players are struggling, and simultaneously the map will feature a visual representation of possible connections between individual organisations and individuals in a cultural, social and ecological context. The map will also feature a text about smaller Norwegian cultural and artistic initiatives prepared in collaboration with a Norwegian partner. The map will be distributed to cultural organisations and presented at a meeting which will be attended by, among others, the experts and general public, and representatives of independent cultural centers and communities from rural and peripheral regions. The meeting will also be attended by representatives of our partners in Norway who will present similar initiatives in Norway and will visit several regional initiatives in Czech Republic.
Summary of project results
The project contributed to the interlinking of information about smaller cultural non-state, non-profit initiatives that are dealing with societal issues in their regions, and to the visibility of their activities. They mapped the platform of their operation and organized a meeting of its representatives. The challenge was to map during the ongoing co-vid, when many initiatives functioned differently and the "terrain of investigation" was dynamically changing or, on the contrary, stagnating.
In all regions of the Czech Republic except the City of Prague, a field research of cultural and artistic initiatives was conducted that are actively involved in dealing with societal issues and use innovative approach. The project promoter selected 5 key players in each region and prepared a printed and online "Black Edition" map (blackedition.cz) with their profiles, and also identified at least 3 important local topics, which were elaborated by experts for the web. A 452-page publication with interviews with selected representatives and the Norwegian partner about their activities was printed and a forum for representatives and the public thematically focused on the functioning of smaller cultural actors in the regions was held. The publication with a map and database of initiatives was distributed to participating initiatives and other cultural players. All the activities interlinked towards mapping, preparing information for publication and sharing it during a personal meeting at the forum.
The project purpose to build up the capacity of regional art and cultural initiatives that actively work to address current issues, by identification of key players and creation of the Black Edition map, was fulfilled. The database of players, location map and a set of interviews brought valuable information for various cultural players. The platform was presented in a broader perspective and includes possible thematic/geographical/connections. The forum allowed sharing of information.
The project raised awareness of the existence and nature of cultural players in the regions and outside the large centers, the interconnectedness of information about their activities throughout the Czech Republic and enabled their representatives to share information personally at the forum. We believe that the information obtained and the possibility of a personal meeting in the long term will significantly contribute to networking between actors and further capacity building of this platform.
Summary of bilateral results
The project partner was "Harpefoss Hotell Kunstarena" from Norway. The project contributed to the mutual promotion of partners in the resonant context of smaller regional key players with a social and environmental focus. We published an interview with the partner''s director Eivind Slettemeas in the printed and online map, the representative’s curator Ewa Jacobsson gave a keynote at the final forum, the intern Karina Sletten had a performance with the Czech collective phonon there, too. All partner’s representatives had the opportunity to meet some Czech representatives in person. In particular, the informal debates that the personal meetings of the partners made possible contributed to mutual learning about a similar platform in both countries and the search for further cooperation. The intern and the curator of the partner organization met for the first time in Prague, and we have information that the meeting inspired their next joint project.