A Call for Action at the Intersection of Artistic and Civic Practices
international workshop – action space – research blog
The initiative „politics of the small act“ invites 34 international actors (activists, artists, curators) from 13 countries to Leipzig for a two-day workshop at the intersection of artistic and socio-political discourses.
With presentations, discussions, working groups and dinner debates, the event focuses on „small acts“ – micro-strategies of self-empowerment and self-organisation – as potential tools to induce social and/or political change. It explores different forms of intervention in the social fabric and maps artistic and civic strategies in the context of small acts.
The workshop takes recent socio-political developments in Hungary as its point of departure. It understands the strongly criticised and arguably anti-democratic policymaking of the current Hungarian government not as an isolated, local phenomenon, but as part of longer-term transformation processes, in a broader, regional and European context.
The workshop in Leipzig creates a temporary platform for strategic encounters and exchange between international actors and through its focus on Hungary fosters collective and collaborative knowledge production, potentially also relevant to other socio-political contexts. Drawing on the notion of small acts, the participants explore the possibilities of intervening in a complex situation with a variety of artistic and civic strategies, renouncing both exclusivity or universal approaches.
The workshop coincides with the Festival of Lights in Leipzig. Taking place on 9 October 2012, the Festival of Lights is a large-scale event that commemorates the peaceful revolution in Autumn 1989. In 2012 the festival will host Hungary as its guest country. In this context the workshop aims to open different critical perspectives on the current situation in Hungary.
Alongside above participants, an open call for participation was published to open up the workshop to further actors from Germany, as well as abroad. The deadline for the call was 10 September 2012. We would like to thank you for your interest and your applications!
In cooperation with Begegnungsstätte Similde e.V.
