1. SHARE; creative powers of art (2020–24)

 

SHARE is an inclusive, innovative, connecting and in Slovenia unique international socio-cultural project, created on the basis of experience and examples of good practice; as a result of joint previous international projects in which artists from Europe, Africa and the Middle East have participated. Based on joint action, which often took place in extreme but inspiring circumstances, far from the infrastructural conditions (as "in principle" apply in Europe), it represents a new connecting artistic model, while paving the way for a new way of transcultural creation and social cooperation, which crosses the borders not only of countries but also of continents.

With this starting point, SHARE represents a building block of a new, inclusive global perspective that thinks of networking and networking more broadly and seeks to establish connections where they do not exist today (yet), precisely in terms of capacity building. The purpose of the SHARE project is to continuously expand the modus operandi of socio-cultural division.

 

STARTING POINTS

In the individual projects we co-created before SHARE, the conversation often started about the similarities, differences, conditions and potentials of culture and art as we know and live “here” and “there”. We agreed: If you are a good artist from a developing country, you are quickly "found" and recognized abroad, but when you return home, you do not have the conditions to work. After gaining experience and education abroad, all African artists want to work constructively in their homeland, not only as guests or working migrants in Europe. And more: Artists from Europe are constantly finding that cooperation with Africa and the Middle East is not only a project exchange of knowledge, experience and performances, but also opens space for new joint cultural and social projects as a new pool for the exchange of experiences and productions.

 

DISPOSITION

Based on a lot of experience, the idea of a common art platform based on sharing experiences and creating new connections was slowly formed. SHARE was created. And his first, opening performance I Have a Dream, choreographed by Gregor Luštek, is a "cornerstone" and at the same time a common disposition for new things in new times. It also features Korotomi Barro and Tchinatadi Ndjidda, African artists chosen by Luštek at workshops in Cameroon and Burkina Faso. Both are in Slovenia for the first time. Just as Cukrarna represents a unique wonder of memory, when something new was created on the fires of an old building with exceptional symbolic value of Slovene modernists, likewise SHARE arose from the ossified socio-cultural belief of the last 20 years about established rails and connections that creates wrong impression that nothing can be moved and changed non-hierarchically and non-institutionally.

 

DIMENSION

2 continents, 8 countries (Senegal, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Palestine) and 10 cities, SHARE, focused on education and creation in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, has connected for many years (2022 −24). It is based on the win-win principle, as each partner, each participant empowers those who are disadvantaged with knowledge and creativity, and at the same time gains invaluable experience, ideas and involvement in new projects. At the same time, on the African continent, which is one of the fastest growing economies, there are also new markets and new spaces, which are helped by our knowledge and experience. SHARE is an expression of the creative power of art, bringing together a large number of European, Asian and African partners for the same purpose: it provides the conditions for creative art in countries where they are such excellent artists, but unfortunately do not have the production conditions to create and together with that strengthen the self-confidence of individuals and communities to further develop and acquire knowledge. These are primarily more vulnerable and overlooked groups, women, children, the disabled and young people from socially weaker backgrounds. Thus, SHARE intends to cover several areas in the future, such as:

• arts and culture / creative industry

• art and community

• arts and sports

• arts and agriculture / eco-tourism

 

OBJECTIVE: SUSTAINABLE CIRCULAR PROJECT

From our thinking, design and strategy, it is clear that SHARE focuses on an integrated production sharing scheme: to strengthen the capacity of technicians, producers, young artists, communities and special groups, as we believe that art can improve society and contribute to its development. The aim of the SHARE project is to create an integrated and sustainable circular project of international dialogue and exchange of knowledge and artistic productions: Europe-Africa-Middle East-Europe-Africa. The three main and seven associate partners of the SHARE project know each other well, and associate partners from Africa also participated in several projects together. Precisely because each of the partners has a slightly different understanding of residences, festivals, production or creative centers, we are a coherent group in which everyone will add something, bring something and thus enrich the whole project. SHARE grows “from the bottom up”, which means that together with local partners it defines what an individual local environment really needs. As part of the preparations, in 2019 we conducted two surveys in Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cameroon, and also carried out the first pilot project in Cameroon in the form of a 10-day workshop for technicians and producers. We thank the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia for their support of the mentioned preparations.

 

SHARE AND EU OBJECTIVES

The EU also considers culture in the context of its external relations, development policy and the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Stresses the importance of intercultural dialogue; interaction between the civil society of the EU Member States and third countries and further cooperation between the cultural institutions of the EU Member States and the Third World. SHARE is in line with this concept and follows the EU guidelines for culture:

• promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue;

• represent the promotion of culture as a catalyst for creativity, employment, innovation and competitiveness;

• to promote culture as an essential element in the development of culture and creativity, so that culture and the importance of drivers for personal development, social cohesion, economic growth, job creation, innovation and competitiveness.

 

“Our new experience in practice only confirms that we have the right project, but it also shows that the challenges are great for us and local organizers and artists. We believe that Art and Creativity can build better communities for a better society. We have to share. We need to share more!” Nataša Zavolovšek, artistic director and executive producer of SHARE

 

Partners: EXODOS Ljubljana, ZKM (Croatia), DK.BEL (France), Errenteria (Spain), Tamadia (Burkina Faso), Freedom theater (Palestine), Poligon (Slovenia), Association Cadanses (Senegal)

Support: EACEA - European Executive Agency for Education and Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, City of Ljubljana - Department of Culture, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Public Administration, Etxepare Basque Institute, MGML - Cukrarna Gallery, Ivan Cankar Student Home Ljubljana , Spanish Fighters Cultural Center

 

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2. FIRST SHARE PRODUCTION

 

Gregor Luštek

I HAVE A DREAM

First presentation: 5. 11. 2021, 19.30, Cukrarna, Ljubljana

 

Performance I Have a Dream is the first production of SHARE. Its initiator and author is the renowned Slovenian choreographer, dancer and pedagogue Gregor Luštek co-created it together with artists from African and European countries (Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Czech Republic, Slovenia). It focuses on the desire for coexistence, in which one's own intimacy through the articulation of dreams becomes an integral part of a common research space. It is not just about finding a common artistic language beyond economic and political frameworks, but about the position of opening and confessing the dream world, expressing verbal, movement and musical connections and the unique stage coexistence of artists from different contexts.

The dancers were united by a common path in workshops in different countries of the world, where they have been meeting since 2016, and especially past research on the topic. The project itself is a kind of affirmation of the pursuit of dreams, as well as their partial realization; living together and creating in a professional production environment and sharing experiences not only within the creative process but also with audiences of different contexts is at the heart of the I Have a Dream concept. 

 

“In the journey through intimacy, we seek those truths that are extremely personal and at the same time essential for understanding social and collective functioning. Namely, individualism prevails in today's society, without an ear for community and solidarity.” Gregor Luštek 

Dreams are the field where an individual's intimacy intersects with dance expression. Dreams as a space of being without authority, a field without directing in which the individual lives autonomously, is at the same time the author and active actor of a new reality, which, however, has no influence, are an analogy of dance. Dance, as understood and realized by Gregor Luštek, is always just what it is. It is primarily an experience, including a moment of misunderstanding. In this, dancing is like a dream or dreams are like a dance, in the immediacy and concreteness of the experience, but at the moment of inexplicability, the point lacks understanding, which is what is exciting, sublime and what opens the space for the audience, which completes the common journey of each performance.

 

“Dreams as elusive language,

in which the body disappears and invisible connections between us sprout.

Dreams are at the same time hope, desires, reality itself, in which the body disappears…

Dreams are dancing…

The body is a story. Dance is the music of a story that disappears into a new day.” Gregor Luštek

 

author, choreographer: Gregor Luštek

co-authors: Korotomi Barro, Tchinatadi Ndjidda, Kristýna Šajtošova, Inti Šraj, Gregor Luštek

assistant director: Juš Zidar

music: Branko Rožman, Žigan Krajnčan

texts: Andreja Kopač, Juš Zidar

light design: Borut Bučinel

producers: Nataša Zavolovšek, Irena Silić (EXODOS)

 

production: EXODOS Ljubljana

co-production: Tamadia (bf), ZKM (hr)

support: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana Municipality - Department of Culture, Cukrarna

thanks: Spanish Fighters Cultural Center, Vitkar

The project is co-financed by the European Union's Creative Europe - Culture program

 

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3. FIRST SHARE LAB; BURKINA FASO; 24. 1.–12. 2. 2022

 

After the presentation of the first production of SHARE, Gregor Luštek's performance I Have a Dream, and a set of preparations in 2019 in Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cameroon at the beginning of 2022 as part of the international festival In and Out, we are launching SHARE; creative power of art with concrete programs:

• workshops for technicians (sound, light, video, scene) and producers;

• Why not? / Zakaj pa ne?   - workshop on reintegration of prisoners through cultural and artistic skills

• My Story / Moja zgodba - a project with young footballers (video and movement);

• Many Melo / Many Colors / Mnogo barv - a project with textile school students

and

1st SHARE International Conference with a focus on cultural policies, cooperation and networking.

 

The project is co-financed by the European Union's Creative Europe - Culture program

support: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana Municipality - Department of Culture