How can traditional icon painting connect with the landscape of Lake Balaton and the daily rhythms of Benedictine life? Artist Sanja Dragutinovic Komatina is exploring these connections during her MON-ART residency at Tihany Benedictine Abbey in Hungary, bringing together historical research, traditional craftsmanship and her experiences of the place.
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What happens when a festival not only brings performances to a town, but also creates opportunities for local communities to meet, collaborate and create together?
We explored this through the programmes of this year’s TeatRom Festival and the project’s closing conference, which marked an important milestone in the three-year SPARSE Plus project. Both the personal experiences of project manager Annamária Jacsó and the insights of community development expert Márton Beke demonstrate that the power of culture extends far beyond the performances themselves.
The TeatRom Festival 2025 continues with site visits
The Utcaszínházi Alkotóközösség, the organization behind the TeatRom Festival, has been working for over fifteen years to provide space and visibility for Roma children in the Cserehát region, one of Northern Hungary’s most beautiful yet economically challenged areas. Building on long-standing professional and personal relationships, the SPARSE+ project will be implemented in five municipalities between 2024 and 2026, continuing the work that began with the launch of the TeatRom Festival in 2020.
LeCAKE Train – Ending a project with many new beginnings
LeCAKE: Common Art Knowledge Europe was a project supported by Erasmus+ that focused on the role of the cultural sector in the ecological transition. Running for two years, from October 2022 – October 2024, the project united seven cultural organisations and a think tank to build a common base of knowledge, skills and resources. The project had four phases, moving from knowledge-creation towards hands-on, practical models, methods and tools. Máté Tenke, former project manager and head of sustainability team at Pro Progressione share with us his experiences of the project:
“I actually have more freedom to make choice with a flat screen” – interview with Vânia Gala, the Artistic Anchor of the Manifest project, about her experience in Nantes and the use of XR
The multimedia exhibition in Nantes marked the grand finale of the Manifest project, showcasing the culmination of two years of artistic work across a wide range of media—from traditional genres like painting to intermedia installations and XR technology. The exhibition, which ran from September 19 to October 6 at l’Atelier in Nantes, attracted over 2,000 visitors and was accompanied by various programs, including panel discussions, workshops, and school visits.
The exhibition aimed to offer an innovative perspective on the history and legacies of the transatlantic slave trade, placing art at the centre of evoking memories and exploring these legacies. Through the works presented, the twenty-two artists of Manifest sought to reconcile both individual and collective memories, ensuring they are preserved from being forgotten. We spoke with Vânia Gala, the Artistic Anchor of the Manifest project, about her experience in Nantes and the use of XR as one of the central mediums in the exhibition, exploring both its limitations and possibilities in shaping the presented artworks.
TBG Food for Thought: ‘the world must develop sustainably if we are all to survive’
With our flagship project, The Big Green, we are bringing environmentally-engaged artists under one large-scale umbrella initiative and experiment with innovative ways of using art to promote sustainability. But what does it mean for us on a personal level? We asked our partners to write us a few lines about what art and sustainability and their relationship mean to them. Now, let us share the thoughts of Simana Markovska (Interpret Europe):
Exploring Borsod: TeatRom Festival 2024
In this summer, our dedicated Sparse PLUS – Supporting & Promoting Arts in Rural Settlements of Europe professional team embarked on a tour of the five municipalities where the SPARSE Plus TeatRom Festival will take place (Alsóvadász, Sajókaza and Borsodbóta) this mid-October. This early visit was essential to ensure everything is set for an amazing event.
What’SAP – local work of the Hungarian team
After last summer’s Academy, the trainees started their months-long local work – the Hungarian team (Heléna Ménesi, Szilvia Markos, Viktória Csaba, Zsófia Kozma and Zalán Haragonics) with Indahouse Hungary in Hernádszentandrás. But how is the joint work going? We asked the trainees about this:
Building Community in a Lockdown Year
Careers in the Common Good (CCG) was created out of a desire to contribute to a more open, innovative Eastern Europe. Our mission is to inspire the youth of Central and Eastern Europe to apply their passion for the enrichment of their communities: there are as many paths as there are people, and we seek to empower young adults to find the path that is right for them.