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seminar
“midstream”
*
March 4, 2022 - 13:00 - 18:00
Live at der Aa-theater, Akerkstraat 11 Groningen
Midstream: a one-time artist serving seminar that deals with taking your own position in society as an artist. How can you as an artist take power in a neoliberal system, in which the focus on audience numbers and opinions seems to increase and you are dependent on institutions and governments for income. How can you find a way in the system and how do you turn it to your own advantage?
The program consisted of: 1) a lecture about HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE ARTIST’S POSITION, 2) a talk with various professionals in the art scene about what should change, 3) a talk with artists about how they deal or counter with the set rules and 4) four workshops where we get to action.
Midstream is made possible by Pictoright Fonds.
13:00 INTRODUCTION & WELCOME by MIRTHE BERENTSEN
13:00 – 13:45 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE ARTIST’S POSITION
To understand what the current state of affairs is, it is important to look at how we got to this point. A presentation that focuses on 1. A historical analysis of social art policy in NL after WWII, 2. The transformation of the concept of autonomy during the rise of the creative industry and 3. Three principles for new organization, earning models and policy beyond precarity. (Due to technical difficulties the presentation is not fully available online)
Speaker: Sepp Eckenhaussen (Platform BK)
14:00 - 14:45 PANEL TALK #1 CONTEXT
Talk about the position of the artist in the current era and political landscape. Where is it going? What needs to be changed? Where do we need to intervene?
Panelists: Sepp Eckenhaussen (Platform BK), Quirijn van den Hoogen (RUG), Joke de Wolf (Trouw, De Groene Amsterdammer)
14:55 - 15:45 PANEL TALK #2 PRACTICE
Talk about the historical perspective outlined earlier, the vision on art and artistry that underlies the headstrong way of working, insertion of one's own practice, how practical things are; what are the challenges; what is the importance of communicating.
Panelists: Elise Ehry, Steven Jouwersma, Esther de Graaf, Dragan Glamocic
{ the livestream stops here }
16:00 – 17:30 WORKSHOPS
LOBBY 101
––––– by Lieselot van Damme
Lobbying often has a negative association, which is unjustified. You don't have to be slick to have an impact. But how do you lobby as a maker? Through the various positions Lieselot van Damme has held, she knows like no other how to act from your role as an artist. After a short introduction on lobbying, there is room for discussion. As a participant you can bring up your own questions and situations and together we will discuss what you can do.
About: In 2012 Lieselot Van Damme graduated from Minerva Academy, since then she has worked as an artist, curator, director of VHDG in Leeuwarden and now works as a strategic link between culture and the province of Fryslân. Even before she became active in the arts, she was politically active. Because of her colorful palette of experiences, she knows the various sides of lobbying. With the motto Sharing is Caring, she likes to share her knowledge on setting up and running a lobby.
THE ARTISTIC BIOTOPE, PRIVATE & PRACTICAL BALANCE
––––– by Koen Bartijn (Platform BK)
The aim of this workshop is to give the participants insight into their precarity - can all the reasons that cause precarity be pinpointed? - and give the participants incentives to work in a solution-oriented way from this common precarity. This is done by stimulating and learning to experiment with (as yet) non-institutional solidarity structures that (young) artists themselves may be able to organize within their practice — so not only for their own precarious position but also for that of their fellow peers. In this workshop solidarity is not just a feeling of togetherness or compassion for your fellow artist, but a work structure, based on collective agreements and agreements between artists themselves, so that solidarity is actually put into practice.
The workshop follows the extensive research and the accompanying method of Pascal Gielen entitled The Artistic Biotope*. (*The biotope is an abstraction of the artist's living domain - divided into four different sub-areas between which the artist moves in the everyday. The biotope is the result of extensive empirical research, in-depth interviews, panel discussions and surveys with cultural workers from different disciplines. It turns out that a sustainable career in the arts requires a balance between the four sub-areas: the domestic domain, the educational institute, the market, and public life (civil society).)
ABOUT: Platform BK investigates the role of art in society and campaigns for a better art policy. They work towards a better appreciation of the visual arts and a stronger position of everyone working within the sector.
EXHIBITING IN ALTERNATIVE CONTEXTS
––––– by Willem de Haan
While the white cube is still used as the go to exhibition format at many leading institutions, this is not always the backdrop in which the artwork comes across best. That's why it's extra important as a maker to be well aware of the conditions that make your work stand out, or kill it… During this workshop for beginning artists and other makers you will delve into the ideal exhibition conditions for your own work.
In addition to realizing dozens of site-specific projects in a variety of environments – as an artist –, Willem de Haan – as a curator – has challenged other artists to exhibit their work in unusual contexts. This has resulted in art presentations in; a comedy club, on the street performed by street musicians and in a theater with daily life in Rotterdam's Witte de Withstraat as a backdrop. The workshop will start with a short walk through the city, after which you will continue to work in the der Aa theater.
In preparation of this workshop Willem would like to receive images of three projects that you have recently realized (which may not yet have been shown in an exhibition). Please send these before Thursday 3 March to productie@hetresort.nl.
ABOUT: Willem De Haan (1996, NL) challenges and undermines the socially conditioned and politically determined rules of everyday locations and situations. By adding artificial elements in a convincing yet uncanny manner his works exert direct influence on daily situations. These suggestive sculptural interventions reference the influence of props on fictional scenarios in film and theatre.
COMMUNICEREN 101, EEN INTRODUCTIE TOT NL (DUTCH ONLY)
––––– door NLP trainer
Ben jij je bewust van hoe je op anderen overkomt? Klopt dit met hoe jij over wilt komen? In deze workshop word je bewust van het effect van jouw gedrag op de ander. Hoe pas je jouw gedrag effectief aan, zodat je gedrag aansluit bij wat je bedoelt?
De workshop is voor iedereen die zich meer bewust wil worden van zijn of haar eigen communicatie, en het effect daarvan op de omgeving. Tijdens de workshop leer je: woorden en gedrag op elkaar af te stemmen, waardoor de ander begrijpt wat jij bedoelt; hoe communicatie werkt; hoe je miscommunicatie kunt voorkomen; tools waarmee je jouw communicatie positief kunt aanpassen.