Art as a Tool for Social Change – workshops in Tbilisi, Georgia

Art as a Tool for Social Change

On 21-26 October 2013 workshops with students will be held at the Academy of Fine Arts in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The project aims to inspire future Georgian artists with activities within the area of aesthetic education on the one hand and the integration of artistic environments of the Eastern Partnership countries on the other. Last year, as part of Artisterium in Tbilisi, I proposed an exhibition that presented the works of Polish and Belarusian artists. It focused on different levels of collaboration within Eastern Partnership, hopefully to make new relations between Belarusian and Georgian artists. This year we will continue our efforts to become a platform that joins different partnership countries and to organize more activities in a social sphere. We have probably much more experience in accomplishing visual educational programs than our Georgian partners, although we can see great potential in artists we know. We are convinced that if they had such an opportunity (invitation from the Academy) the results of their work with students would be interesting. Thus, we are suggesting Georgian Bouillon group to carry out the workshops. Through our experience we know, that in the area of art education – practice makes perfect. Last year, together with the Polish Institute in Kiev we organized three-day workshops held by Elżbieta Jabłońska with students of the Art Academy in Kiev. It was concluded with a joint exhibition, it became a success and the academy authorities were interested in the continuation of similar projects in the future. Our project will be an opportunity for students to become familiar with new work methods and continue similar activities with Georgian children and teens. Each artist is going to held two-days workshops, that is six days. They will carry out their own program including their own innovative methods of work with teenagers. The workshops will be concluded with a joint presentation for wider audience.

Schedule of activities:

21 October 2013 – Elżbieta Jablońska ‘Violation’

12.00 – 14.00 First meeting – lecture and presentation of an intermedia drawing activities documentation (broadly understood drawing – from imaginary projects to drawing actions, with the use of different materials) that were carried out by Elżbieta Jabłońska at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

Discussion on workshops, determining the guidelines for work for the next day

22 October 2013, 11.00 – 16.00 (with one hour break)

“Violation” as the workshop subject, in a broad meaning (the violation of space, idea, final violation, invisible violation, the violation through addition or removal) the analysis of drawing techniques used by the workshop participants. The arrangement of the joint space for Elżbieta and the participants.

23 October 2013- Bouillon Group ‘Untitled’

12.00 – 14.00 Bouillon Group will tell about their inspirations and work experiences, which mostly relate to social issues; presentation of documentation.

Discussion of social problems and selection of those themes with which the students would like to deal within the frames of workshops, determining the schedule for the next day

24 October 2013, 11.00 – 16.00 (with break)

Workshops, accomplishment of activities and joint presentation

25 October 2013 – Yurij Kruchak, Julia Kostereva ‘DoItYourself– DoItTogether’

12.00 – 14.00 Theoretical activities, meeting, presentation of documentation, discussion on ‘How can we make our local public, our collaborators and supporters? What resources can we find and create to sustain our artistic practices by working together, locally and internationally?’

26 October 2013, 11.00 – 16.00 (with break)

Workshops, development of different cooperation strategies and engagement in the activities in public space, the analysis of interactions between artists and audience, presentation of the students’ works in the public space

18.00 – 19.00 Open presentation of the workshops’ results for possible audience and students who did not take part in the workshops.

project co-organized by the Institute of Adam Mickiewicz