The Future of European Independent Art Spaces in a Period of Socially Engaged Art

ended

FEINART is an extensive collaboration between degree-awarding research-centres in political philosophy, art theory/practice and curatorial studies/cultural management, and the independent European art sector, as the basis for the first interdisciplinary and holistic investigation of the democratic role and function of socially engaged art in Europe. In this it will train 11 Early-Stage Researchers in order to provide the relevant academic and non-academic skills to engage with the challenges of this new artistic and cultural landscape. The 11 ESRs will be spread across four academic Beneficiaries (University of Wolverhampton University of Iceland, University of Edinburgh, Zeppelin University, Germany) and 7 Partner Organizations (Tensta Konstall, Sweden; BAK, Netherlands; State of Concept, Greece; W-Est, Italy; Tranzit.ro, Romania; Teatr Scena Prezentacje (Biennale Warsawa), Poland; and Icelandic Academy of the Arts, Iceland). The selected POs represent an exemplary cross section of small-scale and larger independent spaces - projects spaces, cultural centres, art labs/research hubs - working under different demands and expectations, yet all providing invaluable support and resources for artists working in the area of socially engaged practice. The training programme, as such, will provide invaluable data about the distribution, impact, and role of socially engaged art, as a future contribution to funding policy recommendations on state support of art beyond the museum’s traditional functions, and debates on art and public culture.