At a critical juncture for Lebanon and its cultural scene, ArtEvolution aims to provide a space for the development of an activist, socially committed, and at the same time reflective artistic production. It seeks to support collaborative structures within the cultural scene, in which knowledge is shared, experiences are exchanged, and impulses are passed on.
The 3rd Edition of ArtEvolution is a support program and production grant which runs from spring 2023 to fall 2023, including a production grant, two short-term residencies, and a five-month time frame, in which participants work on their already conceptualized project, get supported by individual mentors and a program of workshops. The final productions will be presented in a public platform in Beirut and two other locations in Lebanon, followed by public discussions with the artist(s) and their mentor.
The program is accompanied by a series of public Impulse sessions, externally curated to exchange social and political critical topics with the participants and the public.
In March 2023, emerging artists and practitioners working in or with practices revolving around the performing arts, will be invited to submit applications with a project already developed and conceptualized, but not yet produced. Five projects will be supported, and up to ten applicants will be selected to participate in the program. They will be accompanied by established cultural practitioners while putting their projects into practice. The program includes:
ArtEvolution Residencies, scheduled outside of Beirut at the beginning and before the final presentations at the end of the program, aim to develop competencies for each project's successful implementation and production. Those two short-term residencies will be underpinned by a workshop program focusing on collaborative and production working methods, which local trainers will lead.
ArtEvolution Creation, a five-month period of implementation in which participants will receive funding to produce their projects. It thus encourages the participants to focus on their artistic practices by providing the necessary time and resources.
ArtEvolution Tutoring, a five-month period where the participants will meet monthly with an individual mentor to support them in their production process.
ArtEvolution Workshop, a program of five monthly group workshops to give practical advice for producing and staging to the participants.
ArtEvolution Impulse, a series of events open to the public where practitioners with their enriching experience will be invited. The conversations will provide an opportunity to discuss collaboration processes within the local and international art scene, as well as social transformations and culture-specific (re)action possibilities.
ArtEvolution Platform, three public platforms will be set up for the participants to present their finalized works in front of different audiences, international curators, and festival directors in Lebanon. The events are followed by public discussions with the artist(s) and their mentor.
ArtEvolution is a project of the Goethe-Institut supported by the Ta’ziz-Partnership fund of the German Federal Foreign Office.
