Project Phakama UK
Project Phakama is committed to cultural exchange and the celebration of shared experiences. A youth arts organisation that believes individuals’ own stories and life experiences have the power to move, challenge and inform, Phakama creates shared spaces for young artists to express, perform and grow.
Originating in 1996 as a collaboration between Europe and South Africa, Phakama means stand up, elevate, empower yourself in Xhosa (one of the many languages spoken in South Africa). Phakama was launched as an international arts exchange programme involving young people and arts and education practitioners from communities from South Africa and Europe.
Today, Phakama’s influence is far-reaching. The company’s approach transcends age, experience and culture and is driven by a common desire to make high quality arts, fuelled by the diversity and difference of each individual. Through a process that we call Give and Gain, the learning process becomes two ways. Everybody has something that they can give to the project and everybody has something that they can gain, whether this is skills, knowledge or information.
Phakama chair is Jenny Harris and our work is supported by leading artists such as Benjamin Zephaniah and William Forsythe. Phakama has developed work in Portugal, Poland, Germany, Spain, Ireland, UK as well as further afield in India, Argentina, Brazil, Lesotho, Mauritius, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, USA and Indonesia. Phakama is a resident arts organisation at QMUL since 2009 working closely with the Department of Drama and on its Performing Public Engagement research programme led by Dr Caoimhe McAvinchey.
www.projectphakama.org
'Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre' Centre
The 'Grodzka Gate – NN Theatre' Centre is a municipal cultural institution engaged in fostering an awareness of Lublin's rich multicultural history and at developing a deeper sense of local identity and tolerance for other cultures. In its activities the centre refers to the symbolic and historical significance of its residence – the Grodzka Gate – which was once a passage from the Christian to the Jewish part of the city, as well as to the locality of Lublin as a place where various cultures, traditions and religions once met. The Centre employs about 50 people on regular basis and cooperate with many institutions in Poland and abroad.
NN Theatre was founded in 1990. Initially its activities focused on theatrical performances, but gradually its creators realised the historical significance of its location and the richness of Lublin's past. One of the most important programmes run at that time was called "Encounters of Cultures", where artists from Western and East Central Europe performed and presented their work. Since then the activities of the Centre have been focused on reviving the memory of Lublin's Jewish section. The Centre achieves this aim through artistic activities, exhibitions, interactive meetings, promotion of books and magazines, film screenings, concerts, and outdoor events. Since 1999 the Centre has been organising classes for students in the realm of multicultural education as well as workshops for teachers and cultural leaders.
Recently, the 'Grodzka Gate – NN Theate' Centre was responsible for an important part of Lublin's participation in the competition for the title of the European Capital of Culture 2016. Most projects planned for this occasion will be implemented in the coming years. Our activities are supported by well known Polish and foreign scientist, artists, writers and insitutions (universities, Yad Vashem Institute, Memorial de la Shoah).
www.teatrnn.pl
Stowarzyszenie Dla Ziemi (Association for the Earth)
The Association For The Earth aims to:
• use technology to enable sustainable development;
• improve the level of professional knowledge and ecological awareness of the
community of the Lublin region in South East Poland;
• undertake educational activities amongst people of all ages;
• provide global and developmental education;
• conduct international exchanges and develop relationships with other countries;
• act for Poland’s minorities and refugees;
• act for the development of local democracy;
• advocate for non-discrimination and protect human rights;
• promote the intercultural values and policy of European Union;
www.dlaziemi.org
Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
The University of the Basque Country, a publicly-run educational institution makes every effort to promote knowledge and research, consistently in pursuit of excellence. With 45,000 students and a 5,000-membered academic staff it has a dynamic and bilingual community (35 % of students choose to study in Basque: the only, isolated pre-Indo-European language still alive in Europe and cornerstone of our Basque culture.)
The University of the Basque Country is at the helm of Research, Development and Innovation in a region which stands out as one of the most prosperous in Europe, connecting cities (campus) Vitoria-Gasteiz, Bilbao and San Sebastian. A co-operative and dynamic learning method is centered in students' learning and active learning methodologies. The University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has been pioneer in offering Social Anthropology studies in Spain. Our students are active young people, with a strong commitment towards their communities, open to other cultural and social realities and eager to learn from these exchanges.
Escola Secundaria Pedro Alexandrino (ESPA)Escola Secundaria Pedro Alexandrino (ESPA) is located on the outskirts of Lisbon in Povoa de Santo Adriao. The School has 25% of foreign students from African countries where Portuguese is official language (such as Cabo Verde, Guineah Bissau, Angola and Mozambique) but also has a considerable number of students from Latin America such as Brazil, Eastern Europe, India, Macau and China.
The school is committed to the social and personal development of its students and has taken part in a number of extracurricular projects and is a member of activities such as Eco-Escolas, Ser Online, and the European Comenius programme.
- Ser Online is a local project developed by the school that enables students to access e- learning materials and ask for teachers’ advice via the project’s online platform. Ser Online has expanded to other 6 schools and the ambition is to create a network of schools and school libraries where online learning resources and online tutorials can be shared throughout the country and others countries where Portuguese is the official language.
- Eco-Escolas is an international programme that aims to encourage and recognise work developed by schools around Environmental Education. This programme offers methodology, training and learning resources to support the work developed by the school.
-The Commenius is also an international programme that aims “to help young people and educational staff to better understand the range of European cultures, languages and values". They also help young people acquire the basic life skills and competences necessary for personal development, future employment and active citizenship.
www.espa.edu.pt
Theatre Group U
U is a young and alternative theatre group, which was founded in 2011. U was established as the members felt there was very little inclusive theatre made in Turkey. The company has an open access policy and anyone who shares its creative vision can join. It is interested in performing in alternative theatre spaces and changing the position and form of stage and audience. U is interested in site-specific performances and curious to interrogate new experimental ideas in art.
The members from our group come from different disciplines and walks of life; ranging from students to newly-graduated ones, all of which are trying to survive in the arts, by emphasizing the vital potential it reflects on society. Therefore we give priority to the people we live with and we make art for. The samples of daily lives and the conditions or reflections of people in our city are our most important source of inspiration.
Tallaght Community Arts (TCA)
Tallaght Community Arts (TCA) is a pro-active arts development organisation working with local community groups to activate arts programmes in line with the needs of the wider South Dublin County communities: geographically, culturally and socially.
TCA's work focuses on participatory arts, encouraging people of all ages to be involved in the making of art. Our work embraces gallery-based art, site-specific performance, open-air events & collaborative arts commissions and radio/web broadcast.
The mission statement of TCA is ‘connecting through the arts’. TCA aims to connect people, through arts activities, as artists, participants and audiences.
TCA is both the catalyst and the resource for creative change.
Our artistic programme derives its unique qualities by:
• Building localised environments that stimulate creativity
• Engaging a wide range of individuals, groups and families
• Providing opportunity for people to develop their creative capacity
• Creating work which ignites collective moments that are critical to a person’s social development
• Facilitating events and happenings infused with honesty, joy, passion, and fun
• Accessing cultural forums and digital media outside that of people’s normal experiences.
www.tallaght-arts.ie
