Kulturschafft e.V., CSN Lab, and Untitled Tbilisi are launching an open call for participation in an online mentoring programme from September to October 2023, followed by a programme of visit(s) and an exhibition in Yerevan from 6-12 November 2023.
The project is aimed at artists, curators, cultural managers, art educators, and other cultural practitioners who want to broaden their practices by using digital tools and new media to address the current social and political issues. The call is for professionals from Armenia, Georgia, and those who migrated to Germany, Armenia, and Georgia due to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and political repressions in Belarus.
The programme offers lectures, presentations and discussions on digital technologies and trends, such as AI, VR, Metaverse and Blockchain, and their use and impact on art and culture. Special attention will be given to socially oriented and activist media art, as well as to the strategies of formation of self-organised initiatives, based on the principles of decolonisation, social inclusion, solidarity, and active interaction with the local context and community.
The online programme (September – October) will be dedicated to digital art production, as well as its representation and promotion in virtual platforms and digital spaces. With the support of qualified mentors, participants will develop their own digital project prototypes and will be offered the opportunity to present them at the exhibition in Yerevan (10-12 November 2023). They will also be introduced to funding instruments in the aforementioned countries, which may help them further develop their projects.
During the program of visits in Yerevan (6-12 November 2023), participants will explore the local cultural scene, its transformation and challenges caused by recent events in Armenia and Georgia, including political, economic crises and neocolonial practices resulting from high migration flow. Exchange and group work, on cultural and social practices of decolonising, will play a core role in the programme. The experiences of the project will be documented in the form of a zine, which will include essays, interviews, mind maps, and other materials produced during the project.
Travel expenses (transportation, accommodation, and meals) will be covered and arranged by the project organisers.
The working language of the workshops and the conference is English. The expected level of English for participants is upper intermediate (B2).
