COMMON GROUND: TRAINING IN SOCIALLY ENGAGED ART TOOLS

Common Ground, a training in socially engaged art tools is a 1-year long part-time programme comprising 3 residential and an online stage taking place in Budapest, Hungary, and Cork, Ireland, from February 2018 to February 2019 initiated by the Firestarter Network and developed by Makeshift Ensemble (IRL), Artemisszió Alapítvány (HUN) and Postmodernsquare (FIN).

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 30TH DECEMBER 2017

Common Ground is a training and research project focussing on approaches to working and engaging meaningfully with local communities of place within the internationalised, migratory professional practices of both international youth work and the arts. The project will “twin” two multi-cultural, inner city streets and communities in Cork and Budapest that will serve as the location as well as the subject of the training allowing to explore, through artistic tools, the questions: Who are your neighbours? Whose street is this anyway? How can you leave again? Bringing together participants from different backgrounds, the aim is to develop strategies and explore methodologies within the broader frame of socially engaged art with a specific focus on ‘parachute strategies’ to engage with local communities. By ‘parachute strategies’ we mean methods and practices that do not require long-term engagement with communities but work on the basis of interventions, one off events or remote practices that nonetheless provide meaningful connections and a real exchange.
This training will join trainers and participants coming from different backgrounds to allow Common Ground to act as a platform for peer-learning, sharing of international practice and collaboration which will have multiple outcomes in methodology, projects and the professional development of the participants.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

The aim is to equip the participants with a broad understanding of tools and practices, develop their skills and awareness and allow them to learn by doing while also providing support, mentorship as well as skills-based workshops. Having the experience of working in two different countries on similar streets will also give the participants the opportunity to understand the international dimension of working locally.
We firmly believe in peer learning and the power of joint thinking across sectors and disciplines. The participants will be invited to contribute their knowledge and expertise as well as receiving inputs from trainers, peers and invited guests. It is this learning and the questions raised, as well as the methods developed, that will form the backbone of the second half of the project and will culminate in the international seminar in Cork entitled How to finish? focussing on dissemination and knowledge sharing practices within the context of short-term international projects with young people taking place within local communities. The results of the activities will be the learning of the participants, development of new methods and potential projects on a local and European level, a book documenting the project and its outcomes, as well as public presentations, both in Cork and Budapest.

The training will have 4 segments:

1. Common Ground: Cork 30th Jan – 4th Feb 2018 a 4-day study visit in the context of the Quarter Block Party festival in Cork, Ireland, focussing on performative strategies and anthropological approach to public space.
2. An online part-time training conducted via www.artescommunity.eu, a web-portal for community and social engaged arts projects in Europe that will take place in April/May 2018.
3. Common Ground: Budapest in August (exact dates tbc) an 8-day residential training in Budapest, Hungary taking place at Aurora and other locations along Nepszinhaz utca in Budapest. This training will have a specific focus on exploring video methods.
4. Common Ground: How to finish? 1st Feb – 5th Feb 2019 a return to disseminating the results and learning of the project in the form of presentations, performances and talks in collaboration with Quarter Block Party festival. This will also include the launch of the book.
Full participation in the four elements of Common Ground is mandatory!

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

This training is aimed specifically for participants resident in Hungary, Ireland, Serbia, Finland, Greece and Portugal who work with young people under 30 and have a background in either socially engaged art, public art, urban design intervention, documentary film, participatory arts and/or social work, youth work, community organising, activism or cultural anthropology, and already have some professional experience in their fields and a genuine interest and openness to explore the intersection of art and the social in a cross-disciplinary environment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Successful applicants will be required to pay a €30 / training participation fee.
Travel, accommodation and meals during the training will be provided. Please note that we will only be able to reimburse travel up to a certain limit defined per country by the European Commission. The travel band applicable to your country will be provided. This limit will be communicated to successful applicants, if you require more information at this point do not hesitate to get in touch.
Common Ground is funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ programme.

HOW TO APPLY?

To apply, please, fill out the online application: https://goo.gl/forms/PlDDNMREy4gESxao2

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 30TH DECEMBER 2017

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU APPLY?

After the deadline of 30TH DECEMBER 2017 a committee will read the application form and make the first selection. You will be informed by email if you are invited to the training.
In case you are selected you will be invited to travel to Cork, Ireland, for the period of 30th January – 4th February; remember that participation in the online training is mandatory. (Tip: As there is limited time between the selection date and the training, be sure to prepare for your possible travel to Cork in good time.)

More information: In case you have questions concerning the training or your application, don’t hesitate to contact Eszter Némethi at eszter@makeshiftensemble.com.

Training Course – COMMON GROUND- TRAINING IN SOCIALLY ENGAGED ART TOOLS – Ireland – abroadship.org

Click to access Call-for-participants_final2.pdf