Monthly Archives: March 2013

INTERNATIONAL PROJECT RESIDENCY: Call For Arts & Design Professionals in Ghana

Mail AttachmentGhana: Nka Foundation announces a call for project submissions from designers, architects, artists, and schools for its International Project Residency for a concentrated period of time from 1 to 6 months. In rural Ghana, the foundation runs Sang and Abetenim Arts Village, which are living learning centers that invite persons from around the world to immerse in local culture and put their practice to the test through projects in the arts and rural architecture. Vacationers, student interns, recent graduates and professionals are all welcome to our arts village.

Our village provides a unique opportunity for students to learn by doing on our current project or use their initiative to propose and complete own project to translate theories learnt in classrooms to practice. For the professionals, you will find the hands-on project and full-on experience with local culture a pause from your office/studio work to rediscover the rudiments of design and artistic nuances that can refresh your practice.

Individuals and project teams interested in participating in the program should e-mail to info@nkafoundation.org / www.nkafoundation.org for application. No application fee required. Inquiries for organizational and education partnerships are welcome. See our photostream on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/artinprocess/sets/72157621992680241, and http://www.flickr.com/photos/nkaprojects.

DOWNLOAD GHANA APPLICATION

Progress Report 10X10  SHELTER CHALLENGE

(How to Reinvent Vernacular African Mud Hut)

The design-build team of Karolina and Wayne of Atelier Switzer has completed a 10×10 Shelter Challenge at Abetenim Arts Village in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.The 10×10 Shelter Challenge is a hands-on, design experience focused on learning-by-doing in African architecture that is run by Nka Foundation till October 2013.The challenge is to design and build a learning shelter that measures 10 feet by 10 feet in a location outside of the Western culture, most precisely deep in the village in Ghana, where the convenience of development has not reached.  The goal of the shelter is to suggest a relationship between art and architecture by maximum use of local materials.

Karolina and Wayne of Atelier Switzer are both architects with about 8 years of experience in Europe and the United States.They, along with 5 builders, had 6 weeks to conduct the site analysis, design and construct their proposal which consisted of a pavilion that made use of corrugated zinc roofing over rammed earthen walls.  Here are photos from the just concluded project stay at Abetenim from September 7 to October 17, 2012.

Here is one of their progress reports from the site:

“…We are happy to report that construction is underway on the workshop and that the team here is working well together to make this project a collaborative one.  The first few days were spent observing the local earth-building methods and the condition of these structures- including the projects of past Abetenim Arts Village residents.We finally settled on constructing a rammed earthen building which would feature in essence two rooms: an “indoor” room and “outdoor area” for conducting classes- both of which would be sheltered beneath a large shed roof.Our site is a clearing adjacent to a sprawling mango tree, and visible from the road leading into the Arts Village.

Several reasons led us to pursue the rammed earth construction method.  Practically speaking, the local soil is an ideal mix of sand, clay and gravel, as well as being readily available.  The method of formwork and casting the earth is also a skill that is easily learned by almost any builder.  With a proper foundation and roof overhang, the earthen walls should prove to be very durable and serve as an example for the village that an earthen building can be both contemporary and withstand the natural elements over time.  Finally, we were inspired by the daily sight of residents using a large pole to pound fufu (the cassava diet staple).  This pounding is exactly the same method used to ram the fresh soil into the forms… which has led to our project being dubbed â€œobruni fufu” (white man’s fufu) by the local builders.”

Project Details:
Gross Area: 140 sf
Total Area (footprint): 496 sf
Project Cost: 6,500 Cedi (equivalent $3,500 USD)
Construction Duration: 5 weeks

The rural design-build challenge proffers a change in the way the young creative practitioners think about their work in our interconnected world.  As the participant, your ability to generate a locally responsive design concept is only one aspect of the site-based design challenge.  Unless your team is many in number, you must find a way to engage the community throughout the construction process.

One of the primary challenges you will face is to effectively communicate your idea to the community. Keep in mind that this is a multi-faceted obstacle, for instance:

  1. Unless you speak the local dialect of Twi, you will be dependant upon the community coordinator to interpret your intentions. This can be taxing for both the designer and the coordinator.  Local builders also have little to no experience with drawings.  You should plan in advance how best to illustrate your project to enable the local builders bring their gifts to the project. Simply stated, learning to deal well with the cultural and linguistic differences will turn what seems a difficult task into a most rewarding experience for everyone.
  2. There is a stigma associated with mud architecture, and the community is likely to resist any attempt to utilize it.  The sentiment is that mud buildings are only for the very poor and impoverished. However, their belief is not ungrounded. The local community has many examples of cob constructions which have eroded over time due to poor construction and water damage.
  3. As in most developing areas, the people of Abetenim will likely prioritize earning a daily wage over volunteering for you project. Your challenge will be to negotiate a wage that is fair to everyone involved, at the same time encouraging the community to view this project as one beneficial for themselves.  Expectations for typical wage rates can vary greatly depending on the person involved.

The Abetenim project site is a rural flat land.  The top soil is red earth mixed with gravel that is right for cob construction or the rammed earth method.  The nearby forests provide lumber for house roofing for a population of about 500 peasant farmers, small scale traders and craft persons.  The site-based 10×10 Shelter Challenge is open to all students and graduates of design, architecture, art, engineering and school teams interested in rural projects in Africa. For the local community, the realized space, as the design team of Karolina and Wayne of Atelier Switzer puts it, thus serves as an “example for the village that an earthen building can be both contemporary and withstand the natural elements over time”.  For students, the design-build challenge is a unique opportunity to learn hands-on the intricacies of working with vernacular constraints of economy, material and social dimensions in a real-life project aiming to sustain social harmony through art and architecture.  In the process, the student will to learn to design what is build-able to make a well rounded graduate.  For the professionals, you will find the hands-on design and construction experience a pause from your office work stress to rediscover the rudiments of architecture and nuances that can refresh your practice.

The 10×10 Shelter Challenge will run till October 2013 involving the following sessions: February 10-March 10, 2013; May 1-30, 2013; July 7-August 7, 2013; and October 3-31, 2013. Join us!  Show the world how to re-invent the vernacular African mud hut!  See press release on the 10×10 Shelter Challenge at http://prlog.org/11891895 and http://www.archdaily.com/269126. Enquiries info@nkafoundation.org  / www.nkafoundation.org

Sustainability Offerings from ARTSBUILD ONTARIO

AB_logo_clrArtsBuild is the only organization in Ontario dedicated to realizing long-term solutions to building, managing and financing the sustainable facilities – like theatres, galleries, concert hall and museums – needed for vibrant cultural activity to flourish in Ontario’s communities.

If you are an arts organization that owns or leases space on a full time basis, or have aspirations (or a firm plan) to create your own space, ArtsBuild can help you with tools, resources and services

A recent focus for ArtsBuild is energy conservation and sustainability. We know many arts organizations want to reduce their energy. To help you achieve that goal, ArtsBuild has partnered with leading nonprofit and private sector organizations to provide you with a new suite of tools, resources and services that can help you to achieve greater energy and cost savings. We invite you to take part in our current offerings.

Online Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool: Free Access, Register Now

Measuring and tracking your facility’s utility usage and emission profile allows you to better understand and report your carbon footprint. ArtsBuild has partnered with CarbonCounted, a nonprofit organization, to offer Ontario’s arts organizations a free subscription to an easy-to-use online Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool.

Developed by CarbonCounted, specifically for the arts sector, the Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool will help you to measure and track your facility’s utility usage and emission profile. It will allow you to identify opportunities for energy efficiencies, compare your facility with others across the province and get the data you need to report your progress in reducing your carbon footprint to key stakeholders.

Through ArtsBuild’s partnership with CarbonCounted and the Government of Canada, this tool is free for Ontario arts organizations for two years. (The regular CarbonCounted subscription fee is $100 per year.)

Register for the Online Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool here

Energy Savings Assessments: Call for Interest

Reducing energy consumption – and our utilities bills – is top of mind for many of us. And every dollar saved can go to our programming!

ArtsBuild has partnered with GLOBE, the energy management subsidiary of our nonprofit partner Housing Services Corp, to deliver an in-person, energy savings assessment tailored to the needs of the arts sector.

GLOBE energy auditors will analyze your utilities bills, make a site visit to assess your facility and help you register for the many incentive programs offered through the Ontario Power Authority and your local utilities providers.

Your personalized energy savings opportunities assessment will show you the things you can do today to reduce your energy consumption, and also the improvements you could make that have the best and fastest paybacks.

With the support of the Government of Canada, ArtsBuild is pleased to offer a subsidy for the Energy Savings Assessment to a limited number of organizations.

Register your interest here for more information so you can benefit from this program.

Sustainable Action and Practice in the Arts with Ian Garrett: Register Now

Join your peers and Ian Garrett, one of North America’s most respected voices on sustainable practices in the performing arts, on April 4th, in an online conversation about operational ecology. By looking at current research and examples, Ian will guide participants through this very timely topic.

By joining this free session, you will learn how to identify key performance indicators around sustainability and the cost/benefit analysis for tackling the low hanging fruit by making simple changes in how you operate will improve your energy efficiency.. Ian will also address some of the possible misconceptions about the ecological impact of the creative sector.

This session, and all of ArtsBuild’s Communities of Interest are intended for those who manage cultural facilities and coordinate across departments.

For more information, please contact Lindsay MacDonald>

About ArtsBuild Ontario

ARTSBUILD ONTARIO
ArtsBuild is the only organization in our province dedicated to realizing long-term solutions to building, managing and financing the sustainable facilities needed for vibrant cultural activity to flourish in Ontario’s communities.

We are involved with over 700 arts organizations across Ontario and together with our industry, nonprofit and government partners, we jointly and cost-effectively develop and deliver innovative tools, services and resources to help arts organizations construct and operate the facilities they need.

www.artsbuildontario.ca
 | @ArtsBuildON | Facebook | LinkedIn

ArtsBuild Ontario
100 Regina Street South, Ste. 325
Waterloo City Centre
Waterloo, Ontario
N2J 4P9

Patricia & Phillip Frost Museum of Science RFQ

-1The Miami Science Museum is a well-known and beloved cultural entity aiming to make a difference in people’s lives by inspiring them to appreciate the impact that science and technology can have on every facet of the world. For over 60 years, Miami Science Museum’s award-winning educational programs, family-focused exhibits, historic planetarium, and rehabilitative Wildlife Center and Clinic have enriched locals and tourists alike. Billed as the “museum of the people”, the Museum’s strength lies in its legacy with the community as an attraction and educational entity. In recent years, the Museum has also capitalized on new media and has developed virtual portals and a strong presence on social media in order to give audiences additional opportunities to connect with and become more personally vested in its future.

Overview of the Program

The Miami Science Museum is currently proceeding with its design for a new 250,000 sf science museum in Museum Park in Miami, Florida. The site is approximately four acres, immediately adjacent to a four-acre parcel that will house the new Perez Art Museum Miami. Both buildings and their grounds are within the approximately 28-acre Museum Park in downtown Miami, and the two new institutions will sit atop a new joint parking structure with a plaza linking the two museums.

Key components of the new Miami Science Museum include a 35,000 sf aquarium, a planetarium, and approximately 30,000 sf of indoor and outdoor science exhibits. The aquarium is planned to be one of the iconic elements of the Museum, visible from the exterior, and spanning all the floors of the Museum. The planetarium, one of the centerpieces of the current Museum, will expand its technology and its programs. It is strongly desired to have the flexible museum exhibits both indoor and outdoor to take advantage of the climate, and the possibilities that outdoor exhibits bring to the site and the museum experience. A highly sustainable building is planned, including LEED rating, to reduce energy costs, and to act as a showcase for the latest energy management and control technology.

The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is requesting qualifications from artists for interior and exterior artwork to be commissioned for the new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science currently under construction.

This RFQ is open to all professional artists. Applicants must be practicing visual artists.
Applications from architects, landscape architects or other design professionals will not be considered unless included as part of an artist-led team. Applications will be accepted online only through CaFÉ at: www.callforentry.org

Submitted applications will be judged on a competitive basis from which up to five finalists may be selected for each location. Finalists invited to propose may be interviewed. Finalists will be provided with detailed plans and paid to develop detailed design proposals. Finalists may be considered for more than one location and/or site. It will be up to the art selection committee to choose the final sites and the best possible artwork for each site.

TOTAL ART BUDGET: The overall budget is $2,400,000 (for approximately three projects.)
The total budget may be divided to commission one or more interior or exterior artworks. The selected artists’ budgets will include all costs of design, engineering, fabrication, permitting installation, artwork transportation, special handling fees, special lighting (if any), photographic documentation, travel and other reimbursements, liability, and automobile insurance, and an identifying plaque made to Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science standards and specifications. State laws related to public construction, including licensing, insurance, bonding, and payment of prevailing wage rates, may apply.
Finalists will be apprised of this information.

Intent, Goals, and Themes

The Museum is seeking to commission art that supports the mission, goals and themes of the new Museum, recognizing the power of art to inspire wonder and prompt reflection about the world we live in. This emotional and creative reaction can in turn become the seedbed for motivating science inquiry.

The intent of the artwork is to enhance the aesthetic of the building, using art to create an additional element of approachability, reflecting our intent to be a welcoming threshold for all visitors. At the same time it is to attract attention, underscoring the iconic nature of the building.

The goals of the artwork are to:

  • Provoke questions, awe, or conversation arising from a heightened awareness inspired by the art and of a phenomenon or quality that relates to science;
  • Provide/provoke new perspectives about physical phenomena (e.g., zooming in or out) or new perspectives on aspects of our lives that are underpinned by science;
  • Serve as a platform for voices to be heard – for visitors to engage, connect with others, take action, express their thoughts and feelings;
  • Serve as a threshold into exploration/understanding of an underlying science concept;
  • Underscore the dynamic quality of the overall building and program, by being responsive to the dynamic qualities of the environment, both the elements (sun, wind, water) and the ever-varying human dimension added by the flow of visitors.

The themes for the artwork should interpret the overarching themes of the Museum program. People, Planet, and Prosperity are top-line crosscutting themes for the new Museum that serve to define the program, organize the main gallery spaces, and set up measurable parameters for success. The new Museum will position itself as a catalyst for social change, contributing to social, economic and environmental well being through a broad and varied program. This will range from threshold experiences into science and technology, to more in-depth learning and capacity building, as well as opportunities to connect with others and get involved in projects that benefit the individual, the environment and the community.

The following are suggestive of the range of topics that might be explored through the public artworks:

People: cultural diversity, social interaction, community; health/wellness; communication, connection; the uniqueness of Miami, the things that make Miami Miami (that make us so Miami); the transience of the community, but also Miami as a hub, way station or gateway; Miami as a place where juxtapositions are the norm, where the odd and unusual are welcomed and celebrated, where conceptual collisions are encouraged .

Planet: echoing the main themes of the Living Core aquarium component, this heading is an umbrella for themes that explore the physical and living world; the intricacy and complexity of nature, of life; diversity, interconnectivity and interdependency; evolution, geologic time, change over time; the properties of energy, water, wind and light.

Prosperity: themes that relate to the scientific underpinnings of Miami’s industries (biotech, health, film/entertainment, agriculture, tourism, finance, transportation); mathematical principles, patterns, algorithms, artificial intelligence; new materials and their properties; things that are electric, digital, robotic.

Desirable attributes that cut across these areas include:

  • Works of art that invite and permit interactivity are desirable, including physical as well as digital interactivity;
  • Works of art that are responsive to and expressive of visitor sentiment, thought, and contribution – i.e., participatory;
  • Works of art that are kinetic, dynamic;
  • Works of art that are actually alive, responsive to the elements;
  • Works of art that are cognizant of the green sensibilities of this LEED-certified building;
  • Works of art that are contemporary and ‘of the moment’, while at the same time of enduring significance.

PROPOSED LOCATIONS FOR ART

The museum is open to receiving proposals for all areas of the building, including the following:

  1. Energy Playground: Vertical Wall (approximately 5,255 square feet)
  2. Wall A (Donor wall) (approximately 6,195 square feet)
  3. Wall B (Café Exterior) (approximately 3,389 square feet)
  4. Walls C-D (Flanking Planetarium exterior) (approximately 8,768 square feet)
  5. Subterranean Parking Pedestrian Ramp (approximately 4,210 square feet)
  6. Interstitial Overhead spaces Atrium (approximately 6,308 sq. ft. The height of that space is about 65’ from the bottom of the canopy support beams to the plaza deck.)

Note: Each artwork/location will cover partial areas of these sections.

PLEASE NAVIGATE TO www.miamisci.org/publicartcommissions FOR ARCHITECTURAL VIEWS OF THE PROPOSED LOCATIONS

EXPECTED ART INSTALLATION DATE

The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science Art Selection Committee will review applications and contact finalists prior to May 31, 2013 Exterior art will be installed prior to May 31, 2015 or as soon as artwork is complete and installation can be coordinated with project manager and Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science staff.

Note: Dates subject to change.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Any modifications to interior or exterior architectural components will be at the expense of the artist and coordinated and approved through the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science project manager. The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science project manager will help facilitate the logistics of installing the proposed art works.

Artwork should work well with existing architectural elements. Arrangement or composition of artwork should interact with the design of existing finishes.
Areas of circulation and public access around artwork should be ADA compliant.

If exterior artwork is selected, the selected artist will coordinate with the project manager. Florida Hurricane season begins in June and usually ends in Late October. Artwork must be designed so that rain and heavy winds do not affect the artwork and its finish.

MAINTENANCE AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The installed artwork must be permanent and designed to last the life of the building. Artwork of all media will be considered. Viewers may touch the artwork if it is installed in an accessible location, therefore artwork must also endure substantial public use. Public safety is of great importance in this facility. Routine maintenance and display considerations must be minimal. Replacement features if required, must be commercially available in Florida.

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR ARTIST SELECTION

The criteria for selection will include:

  • Quality, appropriateness, and originality of the artist’s past work as evidenced by the digital images, the letter of interest and resume
  • Durability, maintenance requirements, and safety considerations related to past commissions
  • Past projects and references that attest to qualifications and ability to complete the work on time and in coordination with a firm construction timeline
  • Ability to work with contractors and consultants, design architect, engineers and others on the design team

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 30, 2013

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
(6) WORK SAMPLES
RESUME
STATEMENT
SUPPORT MATERIAL (OPTIONAL)

Calling all Adventurers and Explorers! Nat Geo is Now Casting For A New Adventure Series

nat-geoNational Geographic is searching for the most incredible expeditions of 2013 to film and feature in a dynamic new blue chip adventure series that will take viewers to the edge of the world… and back. Every riveting episode will feature a new explorer, a new territory, and a new adventure, which will redefine the limits of possibility. Production has begun, but if you have an expedition happening this year, Nat Geo would love to hear from you and potentially feature you in the series. Missions will ideally combine risk-taking adventure with mind-blowing science.

If you’re planning to break records, conquer the impossible and redefine the limits of human potential, we want to hear from you. Email Past Preservers at casting@pastpreservers.com and if you are not already signed up on their expert database, register today here.Tell them about you, your upcoming mission, and how far along you are in the planning stage. Make sure to include your name, contact information and photos and/or video links.  (Submissions without photos and/or video WILL NOT be considered.) Expeditions that combine adventure and science especially wanted. Be prepared to inspire a new generation.

MAKE8ELIEVE – online art magazine issue dedicated to oil

305092_489458227750074_33562497_nAs an organisation that combines arts, activism and research with a pretty hefty focus on the damage caused by UK oil companies, we were super-excited to have a flick through the third issue of an online arts magazineMAKE8ELIEVE, that aims to “build international connections by publishing creative interpretations of one topic per issue.”

It’s a 254 page, full colour labour of love, with submissions from many different artists with a dizzying variety of practices. Campaigners on oil issues would do well to have a browse and draw inspiration from the creativity of the contributions rather than falling back on what can become quite a tired pallet of images and associations that evoke the impacts of the global oil industry.

It’s particularly great to see Liberate Tate‘s dramatic participatory and unsolicited The Gift that took place in Tate Modern last July, and involved the installation of a 16 metre wind turbine blade as a reaction to Tate’s ongoing and increasingly controversial sponsorship relationship with BP. You can browse this stunning publication below (Liberate Tate can be seen on pages 151-161), or visit the MAKE8ELIEVE site for more info on the artists.

Sustainability in Oregon Film & Media

Grimm_biodiesel_web-280In Oregon, the Annual Governor’s Meeting on Film and Video was recently held in Portland, which is quickly becoming a hub of media activity thanks to the dedicated efforts of independent filmmakers, the success of Laika Animation Studio films like Coraline and ParaNorman, and current television productions Grimm, Portlandia, and Leverage (which has just finished shooting on its final season).

According to the Governor’s Office of Film and Television, the average amount spent on production in Oregon each year has risen from $7 million to $100 million. This amount is expected to surpass $120 million next year as tax credits and other incentives draw production away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles to the relatively more laid back atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest.

With this change, the Office of Film and Television has gone out of its way to promote sustainable production practices and has included a link to a Green Production Guide on their website. At the meeting, Oregon’s First Lady Cylvia Hayes took the stage and delivered a well-received presentation on Grimm‘s efforts to use blended biodiesel for their fleet, Leverage‘s use of sustainably harvested wood for set construction, and Portlandia‘s decision to hire a “master recycler” to oversee on-set sustainability. Though the state still has a long way to go to make productions carbon neutral, these initial steps are very encouraging as Oregon seeks to promote itself as a new destination for green film and video production.

Donyale Werle to Speak at USITT 2013

USITT-DonyaleWerle-tonyTony Award-winning scenic designer Donyale Werle will speak at the upcoming USITT conference in Milwaukee on the subject of making Broadway more environmentally friendly. Werle, who is the pre-production co-chair of the Broadway Green Alliance, is committed to making theatre a “greener” practice, and uses salvaged materials in her sets and designs. Her set for Peter and the Starcatcher, for which she won a Tony, was made entirely of recycled materials. She will speak on Saturday, March 23.

Donyale Werle, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for scenic design and a leader in the Broadway Green Alliance, has been added to the already-stellar lineup of participants at the 2013 USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo March 20-23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Ms. Werle’s session will focus on producing greener theatre. She has gained much acclaim for her use of salvaged materials in her sets and for her creative designs; she won her recent Tony for Peter and the Starcatcher, whose set was made entirely of recycled materials.

Werle serves as pre-production co-chair for the Broadway Green Alliance, which works for sustainable practices in the theatre community and is sponsoring her appearance at the USITT Conference on Saturday, March 23. BGA is a supporting member of USITT, the national association for backstage professionals, whose annual conference draws 5,000 people from the world of theatrical design and technology.

USITT considers Werle’s appearance a major coup for the conference, which has devoted resources to promoting greener theatre and production for several years. Last year USITT awarded a grant to Technical Director Paul Brunner, assisted by Scene Designer Michael Mehler, co-chairs of BGA’s Education Committee, to support their efforts to bring sustainable practices to educational theatre. They will be holding a separate seminar on “Reimagining Theatre with Green Ideals” at the upcoming conference and helped bring Werle in as a speaker.

World Premiere of Cassie Meador’s How To Lose a Mountain

011

Dance Place

Washington DC

March 16, 2013 at 8 p.m.

March 17, 2013 at 7 p.m.

Click here for tickets

This Spring, Dance Exchange Artistic Director Cassie Meador examines loss and gain, risk and reward, and the distances travelled by our stories, our stuff, and ourselves, in How To Lose a Mountain. The National Performance Network commissioned stage production is part of a multi-year choreographic project, which included a 500-mile walk and community engagement tour last spring.

One year prior to the How To Lose a Mountain world premiere, Meador investigated the resources that power by walking from her home in Washington, DC to a site of mountaintop removal in West Virginia. Along the way, she and Dance Exchange artists visited power plants, led movement and outdoor education workshops called “Moving Field Guides,” and collected stories from community members in workshops called “500 Miles/500 Stories.”

During this past year following the walk, Meador and her artistic collaborators returned to the studio to build the evening length work that addresses issues of use and reuse, of living in the now and honoring our past, of what we lose when we gain and what we gain when we lose. The piece features a few additional voices, including that of a 200-year-old piano that will play an unconventional role in How To Lose a Mountain.

How To Lose a Mountain is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation Fund Project co-commissioned by John Michael Kohler Arts Center in partnership with Dance Place, Dance Exchange and NPN. For more information: www.npnweb.org.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Art Works.

 

John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Sheboygan, WI

April 25, 2013

Charter for a sustainable and responsible cultural mobility

This post comes to you from Culture|Futures

On the Move — a cultural mobility information network with more than 30 members in over 20 countries across Europe and beyond — has produced and now started widely disseminating a charter and toolkit which sets criteria and principles that, when respected, allow an institution, organisation, policy- or decision-maker, funder, artist, cultural professional and any other stakeholder of mobility to respect social and environmental standards, and to establish sustainable and responsible mobility practices.

onthemove-charter590Mobility happens anyway, so On the Move’s mission with the charter and the toolkit is simply “to make it happen better”. The intention has been to develop a new global practice where sharing of experiences and good practices allow the mobility of artists and cultural operators to be in line with social and environmental criteria.

On the Move’s overall mission is to encourage and facilitate cross-border mobility and cooperation, contributing to building up a vibrant and shared European cultural space that is strongly connected worldwide.

The Charter for a Responsible and Sustainable Mobility of Artists and Cultural Professionals aims to be a dynamic and concrete tool of reference for all those organisations and individuals dealing with the mobility of artists and cultural professionals.

On the Move writes:
A charter for whom?

 You manage a touring company or a venue which hosts international artists and cultural operators. You work for a cultural network. You are mobile, or you help others being mobile…
The charter helps you be responsible and sustainable when you practice cultural mobility.
on-the-move.org/../culturaloperators

You are a public institution or body which funds cultural activities, including international activities, and/or specifically mobility projects. You are a private foundation or organisation which funds the mobility of artists and cultural operators, either in a certain region, for specific disciplines or according to other crtieria…
The Charter helps you fund a responsible and sustainable cultural mobility.
on-the-move.org/../funders

You are a policy- or decision-maker at the local, regional, national level. You are in charge of cultural, social, economic, environmental policies. You deal with national and foreign affairs, including cultural diplomacy, visas and work permits…
The Charter helps you be responsible and sustainable when you make policies and decisions which impact on cultural mobility.
on-the-move.org/../policymakers

The charter was developed with the active participation of various categories of mobility actors and was published online on 24 January 2013 as a “constantly evolving online tool”.  It is going to be enriched regularly and signatories are kept up-to-date through a monthly newsletter about new signatories, new good practices listed, new available resources, etc.

Whether you practice, support or fund the international mobility of artists and cultural professionals, On the Move invites you to engage in a three-step path:

  1. Find your Charter – There are different principles to respect according to your role and activities as a stakeholder of mobility. How do you deal with “cultural mobility”?
  2.  Sign the Charter – Say that you care. Acknowledge your current situation, commit to improve, define objectives and assess your improvements. OTM supports you through peer-learning, training and information.
  3. Get inspired – See what other signatories are doing — and share your experience.

If you don’t want to sign the Charter, you can still use it as a check-list to make sure you daily activities related to mobility respect social and environmental criteria.


More about cultural mobility

Visas and cultural mobility

  1. Ease the mobility of artists and cultural professionals you invite or send abroad as far as visa procedures are concerned.
  2. Raise awareness on obstacles related to visa issues at different levels: national – international, political-social.

Click here for more details, links and resources

Administrative & social aspects of cultural mobility

  1. Ensure sustainable working conditions for the artists and cultural operators you work / collaborate with / employ.
  2. Consider the social and economic issues at stake whenever cultural mobility takes place.
  3. Be present in policy development, decision-making processes and their implementation at all levels.

Click here for more details, links and resources

Environmental aspects of cultural mobility

  1. Commit to environmental issues.
  2. Understand the environmental impact of your mobility practices.
  3. Improve the various aspects of your mobility practices.
  4. Communicate your impacts and improvements.

Click here for more details, links and resources

Culture|Futures is an international collaboration of organizations and individuals who are concerned with shaping and delivering a proactive cultural agenda to support the necessary transition towards an Ecological Age by 2050.

The Cultural sector that we refer to is an interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral, inter-genre collaboration, which encompasses policy-making, intercultural dialogue/cultural relations, creative cities/cultural planning, creative industries and research and development. It is those decision-makers and practitioners who can reach people in a direct way, through diverse messages and mediums.

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A new performance by Sara Wookey presented by Automata Arts Los Angeles

tumblr_llyvwrdY7x1qje7eco1_500.1AUTOMATA PRESENTS: Sara Wookey’s new solo performance/lecture

Disappearing Acts & Resurfacing Subjects

The performance considers dance as a disappearing act, an erasure as construct, and questions recurring subjects floating in the public sphere- such as the preservation, ownership, and value of dance itself.

Through image, movement and text, Sara reflects on being a subsidized artist in Europe in the 1990’s, a freelance artist creating site-based projects in Los Angeles, and a selection of responses to her well known Open Letter to Artists. She spins together large themes of legacy in dance, the economic condition of artists, and strategies for making it (including a humorously touching, yet failed, fundraising campaign on Kickstarter), into a digestible, funny and poetic consideration of dance in our time.

MARCH 15 & 16, 8:00PM
MARCH 17, 4:00PM

SEATING IS LIMITED: Please purchase your tickets in advance at Automata Arts 
$15 General
$12 Members/Students/Seniors