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KONSERVE project operates within a conceptual framework developed as a result of international workshops by the KARANTİNA collective (Izmir) and the Meeting Points initiative (Sofia) in 2021, and this project hosted 13 artists for 21 days in five villages of Izmir, Çanakkale and Bursa in its 2022 edition. 2024 edition of the KONSERVE project has plans to host 8 artists for 21 days in two villages of Izmir and Bursa, in cooperation with Efes Selçuk Municipality and Nilüfer Municipality, in line with the goals of Ortaklaşa Programme. The programme aims to enable artists to interact with local cultures and develop creative approaches in rural heritage.
The goals of KONSERVE network include the following:
The programme leads project partner municipalities to develop activities for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage through international workshops and meetings. At the end of the programme, two exhibitions will be held in Izmir and Bursa, a video documentary will be produced and a final boom will be published.
Intercity Residency Programs are designed to encourage artists, who are invited via a closed call, to interact with local communities. Social gatherings organised by individuals under focus within the project will take place with the participation of local artists, women, children, and the local population in general. These meetings, which will last 21 days, will lay the groundwork for artists to begin the process of producing their works and to be inspired by intangible cultural heritage elements. Additionally, project partner district municipalities will be given the opportunity to seek solutions to concrete problems they encounter in the field of protection and awareness of cultural heritage as they will work with international experts.
The works expected to be produced by the artists will be in various artistic disciplines such as photography, art installation, object production, video, contemporary dance performances, sound design, paper production using natural materials, literature, eco print, compiling and telling tales.
During the project, there will be various activities such as capacity building meetings and workshops focusing on the process of creating cultural policies, artist talks along with open studio visits to accompany artists during their production processes, and workshops with the participation of experts from European countries on the preservation and visibility of rural cultural heritage.
At the end of the residency programme, the works produced by the artists for public spaces will remain in the villages. The artworks that are mobile and supported by audio-visual materials will be exhibited in Izmir with the sponsorship of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Department of Cultural Affairs and at the Nazım Hikmet Cultural Centre with the support of Nilüfer Municipality, along with documents regarding the process. These exhibitions will allow works that reflect the diversity and richness of the programme to meet a wider audience.
Teos Culture and Arts Association has been operating with the understanding of solidarity and unity since 2016 and working on projects to increase the cultural capacity of the Aegean region. As stated in its founding manifesto and charter, the association attaches importance to solidarity with local, regional and international networks, ecological sustainability, gender equality and diversity. It also follows an approach that embraces local and regional capacity building, heritage conservation and an interspecies egalitarian worldview.
In addition to providing accommodation opportunities in the previous stages of the project, Nilüfer Municipality provided information to the participating artists about the intangible cultural heritage elements of the district and made significant contributions to the project by organising effective events. These activities, which strengthen participation in events such as open studio days, artist talks, and exhibitions, show that the municipality is actively involved in the project process.
In order to ensure the sustainability of the model developed by the KONSERVE network, Nilüfer Municipality will continue to maintain the support shown in the previous stages, including the organisation of capacity development workshops to be held with the participation of stakeholders. These workshops and events aim to strengthen regional and international cultural collaborations whilst providing valuable information and experience to project participants.
Efes – Selçuk Municipality
Efes – Selçuk Municipality became an active part of the project by establishing a direct connection with the cultural managers in the project team. The municipality provides both public transport and carriage of artworks for the resident artists within the district. It is also organising the international workshop, promotion of the open studio event and the exhibition in Izmir.
İzmir Mediterranean Academy
Izmir Mediterranean Academy continues its work under the consultancy of an international board, and will contribute to ensuring that the emerging model becomes more common by providing expert support to the programme in the context of cultural policy writing, specifically for Selçuk Efes Municipality.
AnArt
AnArt, based in Seferihisar, will help increase the diversity and artistic richness of the programme by recommending artists. AnArt will also be a stakeholder in the pilot works for field research of the workshop planned by Izmir Mediterranean Academy on the Selçuk Efes – Seferihisar axis. These pilot works aim to contribute to the efficiency and feasibility of the workshop. In addition, AnArt will also support the visibility of the programme on social media.
www.instagram.com/anart_seferihisar
A Room of One’s Own Initiative – KABO
KABO, which successfully coordinated the residency programme in Misi village in the 2022 edition and ensured the strong participation of the village people in the exhibition, will both recommend artists for the 2024 programme and contribute to the visibility of the project, in line with the strong bond it has developed with Nilüfer Municipality after the programme.
www.instagram.com/kendineait1oda
KARE Collective
The collective, founded by seven young artists from Izmir and producing video and contemporary art-based works, will contribute to the programme by recommending artists.
Yellow Submarine Art Initiative
Yellow Submarine Art Initiative is one of the founders of ODEON Pergamon Art Space, which produces comprehensive projects in the field of documentation of intangible cultural heritage and local memory in Bergama and its region. The initiative aims to strengthen local participation by taking part in workshops to be held in Selçuk Efes and Nilüfer districts. As a “local best practice”, they will share their experiences on documentation methods and recommend artists for the programme.
Balconnection
The initiative, which conducts national and international activities in the field of contemporary art in the Selçuk district, will contribute to the programme by recommending artists and providing workshop studios for the programme.
Dikine Ongoing Project
As the only participant from Istanbul, DOP will contribute to the programme with artist suggestions.
www.instagram.com/dikine_ongoingproject
No238 Sanat İnisiyatifi
The initiative, which works in the field of photography, will contribute to the programme with recommending artists.
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