Dear artists and cultural workers, we are thrilled to invite you to participate in the RE-IMAGINE Green Residency Program, a unique opportunity for critical minds to engage in transformative projects addressing the urgent challenges posed by climate change. The RE-IMAGINE Green Art Practices on the Margin project is a pioneering regional initiative, focusing on the green transformation of the performing arts sector, particularly in the Balkan region and Central Europe, where the green transformation processes are at their early stages.
Project Overview and Objectives
Climate change presents a long-term and formidable challenge to modern society. As the need for mitigation and adaptation becomes increasingly urgent, the role of culture and art in driving comprehensive societal transformation cannot be overstated. The RE-IMAGINE project seeks to redefine the social role of performing arts organizations as agents of environmental change. The RE-IMAGINE project aims to build capacities within organizations and professionals in the performing arts, to achieve goals related to reducing CO2 emissions and achieving zero-waste production, among others. By fostering internal changes in working practices, the project also aspires to bring about a significant shift in the external actions of the performing arts sector, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.
Project consortium gathers organizations that are among the pioneers in their countries regarding the promotion and implementation of green policies in culture and creative sectors and have now taken the leading role of advocates for environment-friendly and sustainable artistic production.
Green Art Incubator is a Belgrade, Serbia-based platform of experts and professionals in an interdisciplinary field oriented towards educating and empowering actors from arts and culture towards green transformation with an aim to create a climate-friendly cultural landscape.
Arte Urbana Collectif is an artistic collective based in Sofia, Bulgaria, founded in 2016 that organizes various cultural events such as festivals, theatre productions, workshops, masterclasses, and other educational forums aiming to create an international artistic and cultural dynamic in the country.
Lokomotiva – Centre for New Initiative in Arts and Culture was founded in 2003 in Macedonia, Skopje, as a platform for education, reflection, production, curation, and research for contemporary arts and culture, which is continuously developing the capacities and working conditions for artists and cultural workers.
Pro Progressione is an organization based in Budapest, Hungary, operating in the field of socially engaged arts, cultural & natural heritage and interpretation, music as tradition, and the production of unique performances.
Residency Focus
Residency participants will have the opportunity to develop projects aligned with the goals of the RE-IMAGINE project. We are encouraging organizations to imagine and explore new ways of incorporating environmentally sustainable practices within the performing arts and apply them to the Open Call as project proposals that will be developed during our residencies.
The Structure of the Residency Program
The Residency Program will take place over a one-year period. It is composed of four five-day residencies in each RE-IMAGINE project partner country.
- Residency: Climate Literacy – April 2024, Bulgaria
- Residency: Sustainable Preproduction – July 2024, Hungary
- Residency: Green Artistic Approach and Production – October 2024, North Macedonia
- Residency: Sustainable Distribution and Promotion – January 2025, Serbia
The official language of the residency program is English.
The selected organizations should nominate two representatives- tandems (producer and artist) that should be able to participate in each of these residencies. The residency program is foreseen to gather 12 organizations- 3 per project partner country. Entire residency costs (transportation, accommodation, and dietary costs) will be covered by the project partner organizations. Following the Residency program, a Pitch event will be organized that will encompass presentations of projects developed during the program. At the event, one project will be selected by an expert jury for co-financing its further development and implementation in the amount of 5.000 euros.
Who Can Apply
Project proposals in development can be applied by organizations, collectives, or informal groups of collaborators from the independent scene which should nominate two representatives- residency tandems (producer and artist). All with a passion for environmental sustainability and a commitment to driving positive change in the performing arts sector should apply!
Geographic Focus
The RE-IMAGINE project specifically addresses the challenges faced by civil society organizations in Serbia, North Macedonia, Hungary, and Bulgaria, exemplifying peripherality both geopolitically and within the performing arts sector. This unique context makes the green transformation in these regions complex and challenging, and the residency aims to strengthen the capacity of organizations in these areas.
How to Apply
Interested participants are invited to submit their project proposal draft for consideration. The project proposal should currently be in the early stage of development- conceptual level, and implemented during 2025.
The selected projects will benefit from the support of the RE-IMAGINE Residency Program, providing a model for adopting environmentally sustainable work procedures in the performing arts sector.
Join us in shaping the future of the performing arts and contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious society.
To submit your application, please visit the link.
Selection criteria
- Clarity and coherence of the project idea
- Innovation in terms of artistic expression and production model
- Demonstrated artistic excellence in previous works or projects
- The extent to which the project communicates the values related to the specificity of the periphery, inclusion, and diversity (projects that include marginal groups in the creative process, communicate deal with specific, experimental artistic expression, and thematize socially sensitive issues)
- Contribution of the project to the broader artistic community or society
- Elaboration of the project implementation plan
- Willingness and availability to commit to the residency program’s schedule and duration
Selection process timeline
Application Deadline: February 10th, 2024
Reviewing the applications: February 10th – February 17th, 2024
Interviews with the shortlisted applicants: February 19th – February 25th, 2024
Final selection and notifying the selected applicants: February 29th, 2024
In case of further questions feel free to contact us at re-imagine@greenartincubator.org. We look forward to receiving your innovative proposals and collaborating on a journey of artistic transformation and environmental impact!