Meeting Concept presented in Berlin for the TEH meeting 59 at buenaventura
MEETING CONCEPT
The basic idea is to make the meeting not a conference but a project of supporting Buenaventura's decision-making process and their struggle to find a new place.
As there is no suitable space in town that TEH can use for the meeting, it will take place in a tent in tjhe public sphere of Castelfranco. This will enhance the visibility of the meeting and the process. One or two empty public buildings will serve as the starting points for the Buenaproject; the idea being to pool information about setting up a new cultural centre in 2005 and to discuss different options across all working areas. See it as a DIY game; getting specialists of different cultural centres to work together.
The meeting will draw on the extensive knowledge and experience of its members who will be able to share some stories of the start of their projects and the choices they had to make. Within the main areas that make up the running of a cultural centre members will be able to explain, share and debate the many different ways of working and surviving. Members who are just starting their projects will learn about the histories, policies and views of our diverse network while more established centres will have the opportunity to re-evalate their current policies and future visions. Physical space is a key issue in this meeting. Lots of TEH centres are in phase of transition and have changed or rebuilt their premises.
Working teams will include the following topics: economical/political-social/artistic/operational/physical/use of new technology. Every workshop will result in proposals that will be presented and discussed in a final meeting.
AIM OF THE MEETING
- The meeting itself will generate public and media interest for the situation of cultural venues in Italy in general and Buenaventura in Castelfranco in special.
- Apart from the dialogue/discussion started by means of the meeting, it should have a snowball effect: the community should acknowledge thhe right of Buenaventura to claim public space but at the same time be encouraged to take the initiative to re-use other empty public buildings. From the mere feeling of having the right to re-occupy or re-use a space should be translated into concrete action.
- New centres can draw from the experiences of more established ones and the latter can discuss and re-think their strategies and policies.