Programme
Werkstätten- und Kulturhaus in Vienna
C’MAN training program – Presentation
26 September, 15:00-16:00 CET
Astrid Exner, Head of Communications, WUK
The Werkstätten- und Kulturhaus in Vienna’s 9th district is an arts and culture center focused on innovative, experimental, interdisciplinary, critical arts and culture at local, regional, and international levels. It began its work 42 years ago and welcomes 200,000 people annually. This presentation on the history and organization of WUK offers a look at some of the challenges and solutions experienced within this open cultural space at the intersection of art, politics and social issues.
Between Context and Conflict: The Role of Arts and Cultural Management
Keynote
27 September, 10:11:00 CET
Olga Kolokytha, Academic Director of the Master in Music Management and the Master in Music for Applied Media University of Krems, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Communication – University of Vienna
The topic of the speech revolves around the different crises our society has faced in the past and those it is still facing: the financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian war but also the energy crisis have played a paramount role in the shaping of our everyday lives and our societies. The speech will discuss these crises and the impact they had or have, and will elaborate on what was and what is the role of arts and cultural management towards both the cultural sector but also the society in general.
Arts and culture, soft power on the world stage. Culture's diplomatic impact: Global perspectives
Panel
27 September 11:00-12:00 CET
- Matic Gajsek, Director for Europe – Europe Asia Center, lecturer at Breda University and doctoral researcher at Tilburg University
- Olga Kolokytha, Academic Director of the Master in Music Management and the Master in Music for Applied Media at the University of Krems, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Communication at the University of Vienna
- Alain Matton, Communication and Public Information Officer for the Delegation of the European Union to the International Organizations in Vienna
- Klara Kostal, Austrian contact point for the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
Moderator: Cäcilia Regner, Youth Representative at the Austrian Commission for UNESCO
This panel session is set to explore power relations between countries, regions, continents, or political alliances such as the EU, and where arts and culture fit within these dynamics. Some of the questions we aim to address: How important is culture on diplomatic agendas? How has art and cultural content been or can be used to tone down or, on the other hand, accentuate conflict at international level? How do arts and culture influence such power dynamics between countries?
Critical Cataloguing and Silences in Museums
Workshop
27 September, 13:30-15:10 CET
Robyn Dora Radway, Associate Professor, Department of History at the Central European University in Vienna
Cataloguing is an epistemological practice. Institutions catalogue objects (such as works of art, books, or archival funds) to provide metadata that enables users to discover and access their collections. As materials are described and categorised for documentation purposes following established guidelines, knowledge is produced for internal databases. The increasing pressure on institutions to make their collections accessible online has highlighted the evolution of scientific standards in the documentation of material culture. The interpretations, biases, and judgments of the persons doing the cataloguing mediate between objects and viewers. This has implications for how users’ access and engage with collections. This workshop explores recent critical approaches to knowledge organisation and their implications. We will survey scholarship on mitigating the power of classification regimes that reproduce hierarchies of oppression and follow a handful of case studies before trying out some critical cataloguing techniques of our own.
Fair Pay - Fair Play? The fairness process in Austria as a study in contradiction
Presentation
27 September, 14:00-15:00 CET
Eva-Maria Bauer, Vice-president of the Austrian Music Council, Music Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Krems
As vice-president of the Austrian Music Council and a music researcher focusing on music sociology and the economic framework of the music market, Eva-Maria will share her experience as a representative of the music branch in the 2020 launched fairness process in Austria. Through the presentation of the principles of fair pay and the challenges in implementing fairer wages and fees in the cultural market, the session aims to stimulate discussion and raise awareness on fairness issues in the cultural field.
Women in the music industry: A behind the beats panel
Panel
27 September, 16:30-17:30 CET
- Chiara Leoni, Photographer, Music Video Director, Manager – Interxenial, ELAV
- Sandra Alleman, Co-founder – Behind the Beats and Odelia Raza, Publicity & Events Executive – A&A Records, Co-founder – Behind the Beats
Art and music are for everyone and should be made by everyone. Not only male voices and influences deserve to be heard.
The lack of inclusivity in the music industry is illustrated by studies that look at the representation of women. In almost all significant milestones that are considered successes for artists, men are significantly more represented.
In order to make the issue understandable for people who are not directly affected, it is of particular importance to give those concerned a voice and thus the opportunity to share their experiences.
In addition to highlighting gender discrimination in the music industry, we will ask our guests to share their experiences as women in the industry and to talk about their specific wishes for change. Along with exploring this issue through the personal experiences of our guests, we will actively discuss concrete solutions and involve the audience.
Our goal is to give the audience an impression of the position of women in the music industry and to include all aspects related to it. Opinions and prejudices will be critically examined from different points of view. Furthermore, concrete suggestions for improvement for different actors in the industry will be examined and discussed. As an open, creative and colourful scene, we should set ourselves the goal of working together against the structural discrimination of women in the music industry, in order to make our contribution to improving the overall situation.
Opera Aperta: how to make Opera in Museum during a wartime
Keynote
28 September, 10:00-11:-00 CET
Illia Razumeiko, Ukrainian composer, Co-founder of Opera Aperta
In February-March 2022, with the outbreak of a full-scale Russian invasion on Ukraine, all artefacts of the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts in Kyiv were moved to shelters. The historical interiors of the museum became empty, as it was during the Second World War. In the summer of 2022, artistic group Opera Aperta found themselves inside an empty museum and started to create an opera “Genesis” that would rethink the history of the museum, opera, and the wars of the last centuries. On October 10, 2022, a week after the premiere of the opera, Russia fired 70 missiles at Kyiv, starting a new phase of autumn-winter air terror. During this attack, one of the rockets hit the square in front of the museum. The blast wave damaged the windows and ceiling of the historic building. Currently, the work on the opera continues in the form of the creation of a documentary book “How to make Opera in a Museum during wartime?”, supported by the program “Documenting Ukraine”, launched by the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM).
Opera Aperta is a laboratory for contemporary opera, based in Kyiv, Ukraine, founded by Ukrainian composers Roman Grygoriv and Illia Razumeiko. Since 2015, they have created over 10 operas and music-theatre productions that were successfully presented in theatres and opera festivals in Ukraine, Poland, Austria, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Two operas, IYOV, and Chornobyldorf, were listed among the best modern music-theatre productions at the Music Theater Now competitions.
They stole the past and betrayed the future: An investigation on the Russian looting of the Kherson Art Museum
Presentation
28 September, 11:00-12:00 CET
Deniz M. Dirisu & Agata Pyka, Journalists, The European Correspondent
Since April, a team of five researchers has been tirelessly working on identifying key collaborators in potentially the biggest art theft since the Second World War, occurring in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. In an especially shocking case of Russia’s war against Ukrainian culture, over 10,000 art pieces were stolen by retreating Russian occupation forces ahead of the city’s liberation last November. Two members of the investigation team will join us to present their findings.
Creative Writing, Navigating Conflict through Creative Expression
Workshop
28 September, 13:30-15:00
Borbala Farago, Lecturer, Academic Writing Instructor, Academic Writing Center, Undergraduate Studies Central European University
People pay attention to the world around them, but writers do something different. A writer’s task is to make every and any little detail or moment feel new – as if it has never been experienced from that specific perspective ever before. But how do writers witness conflict and themselves in it? How do we write about others with responsibility? How do we give testimony and also bear witness to things and events beyond our full understanding? What are the differences in writing about conflict as a witness, a bystander, a participant, a spectator, and/or an ally? In this workshop we will explore such questions through reading short texts, responding to writing prompts and sharing our work with each other. No previous writing experience is necessary, just bring your laptop or pen and paper along!
Writing in times of Crisis: Hope through the lense of young thinkers
Panel
28 September, 14:00-15:00 CET
- Alitza Cardona-Collazo, Writer for the Journal d’Ambroisie
- Anja Radonjic, Writer for the Journal d’Ambroisie
- Robert Isaf, Poetry Editor of the Journal d’Ambroisie
Preserving Difficult Heritage? Decontextualizing or Recontextualizing After Conflicting Times? A Set of Provocations
Presentation
28 September, 16:30-17:00
Marcell Sebők, Associate Professor, Department of Medieval Studies, Central European University
This session will address questions of difficult artistic heritage, removals and attempts of erasing memory, the significance of contexts, and present-day claims of “cancel culture”. As it is intended on a set of “provocations”, examples will cover the faith of controversial statues and memorials, the shifting meaning of artistic representation, and questions of de- or re-contextualization.
Fostering Community and Perspective through Music
Presentation
28 September, 16:00-17:00 CET
- Péter Újvári: Main organizer of Udvar Fesztivál, mentor at Szimfolk Zenei Műhely (Szimfolk Music Workshop)
- Milán Rafael Bartis: Szimfolk Zenei Műhely (Szimfolk Music Workshop): co-founder, mentor
- Róbert Velkey: Szimfolk Zenei Műhely (Szimfolk Music Workshop): founder, mentor
What does Education Mean in the Museum Today? Wien Museum Neu as a space for Dialogue, Exchange, and Belonging
Presentation
29 September, 10:00-11:00 CET
Nathaniel Prottas, Director of Education at the Wien Museum
With the re-opening of the Wien Museum Karlsplatz after a multi-year renovation, the Education Department is preparing to launch an entirely new set of programs, ranging from family workshops, to community projects, to formats for seniors. What does it take to create programming for a multi-language, multi-cultural city like Vienna? How can a city museum work towards inclusive, polyphonic programming while facing the realities of a large portion of the public’s lack of connection with museums? In this discussion, we will think together about how museums can be welcoming spaces and the challenges that face the museum today.
Sustainability, Heritage, and Films
Panel
29 September, 11:00-12:00 CET
- Éva Mészáros, PHD researcher in the Medieval and Early Modern English Culture and Literature Programme at Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
- Eimear Conlan, Event Manager, CHARM-EU Global Challenges for Sustainability MSc graduate
- David Fajayomi, CHARM-EU European sustainable development MSc graduate Sara Lang, Environment and Sustainability Manager at Vestel UK Ltd, CHARM-EU Global Challenges for Sustainability MSc graduate
- Bob Steenmeije, CHARM-EU European sustainable development MSc graduate
Design, Develop and Deliver: Strategic Cultural Project Management
C’MAN training program – workshop
29 September, 13:30-16:30 CET
Barna Petrányi, managing director, Pro Progressione
This workshop is designed to upskill emerging cultural managers, providing practical skills and techniques to enhance your project planning and execution skills. The workshop will comprise a small group of like-minded professionals, fostering a collaborative learning environment from practitioners in the field. There will be an introduction to project management tools that will enable individuals to write applications for grants, funding, and sponsorships with more confidence. Participants will gain hands-on experience utilising proven project management practices, boosting the team’s efficiency. Through interactive exercises and case studies, you will learn how to effectively communicate ideas and develop viable project plans.
Conflict & Context: “Different perspectives on the role of arts and culture
Presentations by successful applicants to the ACMC 2023, “Conflict and Context” call for applications
27 September. 15:30-16:30 CET
Mahmoud Barakat - The Cultural Landscape of Ancient Villages of Northern Syria in the Memories of Displaced Locals and Diaspora Cultural landscape impact in the post-war recovery
Since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Syria’s rich archaeological heritage has faced serious threats, including looting and damage. This destruction is prevalent across the Ancient Villages in Northern Syria, some of which are part of World Heritage sites. There are a huge number of displaced local people who have sought refuge within the cultural landscape of northwest Syria. The significance of the cultural landscape created by the physically endangered ancient villages of North Syria makes the research for this thesis crucial. There is the possibility that cultural heritage could be used as one tool in helping reduce the psychological trauma of people in the diaspora and even in internal post-war recovery in Syria. There are social connections that can be created through stimulating mutual memories of this special cultural landscape. The research focuses on cultural landscapes in Idlib province in northern Syria. The features of cultural heritage at these archaeological sites can be assessed carefully, identifying their resonance with the memories of locals as well as the connection between the monuments and displaced locals. The study aims to explore issues of the importance of heritage to support the post-war psychological recovery of the community in the Syrian diaspora, drawing upon their memories of home as well as mapping their memories of the home where special echoes in old buildings can have new meaning. The role that such significant cultural landscapes play in the preservation of collective memory and post-war psychological recovery will be pivotal.
Aswini Prabhakaran - Art vs Conflict: A case study of wall paintings defeating violent suburb conflicts in Salcedo in the Dominican Republic
This presentation retells the story of the Ruta de Murales project conducted by the local Oficina Technica and the Town Hall of Salcedo in the Dominican Republic helped to reduce violent conflicts among youth in the suburbs of the Hermanas Mirabal Province.
28 September, 16:00-17:00 CET
Faustas Norvaisa - The Fear and Trembling: the Sublime-Terror in Seneca’s Octavia
Seneca was a Roman statesman and philosopher who presumably wrote a five-act play, Octavia. This thesis focuses on how through the use of the sublime-terror, the author communicates with the audience. This thesis’ central claim is that Seneca uses the rhetorical technique of sublime terror to make an ethical critique against the Roman socio-political events under the Principate rule. This claim will be illustrated by examining the background from which Seneca’s rhetoric stems, the structure of the sublime-terror technique, and its use in Octavia. Due to the scope of the thesis, the research will cover only the play’s first act to illustrate how Seneca’s rhetorical technique directs the audience toward the realisation of ethics-related meanings.
Nellya Dzhamanbaeva - Art-activism in Kyrgyzstan
In Kyrgyzstan, artists actively engage in art activism by seeking answers to pressing societal questions and drawing attention to social issues through their artwork. They utilise public platforms for contemplation, discussions, and exploration of complex matters, offering unexpected insights through their creative expressions. Focused on the art of the present, these artists shed light on societal development and challenges, presenting their own proposed solutions. Emerging talents showcase a wide spectrum of relevant and contemporary art genres at exhibitions, creating a unified space for activists and artists to share their visions with the audience.
29 September, 11:00-12:00 CET
Harriet Simons - The Role of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Post-Conflict Settings
It has been established that tangible and intangible cultural heritage are intrinsically linked however, the protection of intangible heritage can be overlooked within the area of law surrounding the protection of cultural heritage during conflicts.1 The emphasis on the incorporation of intangible heritage significantly contributed to the successful post-conflict reconstruction of Mausoleums in Timbuktu in Mali. This paper seeks to explore the role of intangible heritage within post-conflict settings and how it can contribute to the overall protection of cultural property protection within armed conflicts.
Samar Abdelaal - Echoes of Resistance: Forging a Collective Narrative Through Semsemya's Melodies in the Face of Colonialism and Beyond
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Africa fell under the control of fifteen European powers, serving as extensive colonies for their respective interests. Within this colonial landscape, local populations tried to safeguard their unique identities and cultures, leading them to create innovative strategies for resisting colonialism and expressing their sentiments. These efforts often found expression through various forms of artistic creation, such as music, visual arts, and literature. Even after achieving independence, these communities continued to rely on these strategies that shaped their collective memories. Therefore, This article traces the evolutionary journey of the Semsemya instrument and its music and melodies in Port Said, Egypt. Rooted in the Suez Canal cities of Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez; the Semsemya holds a vital place in local heritage and identity. This instrument played a significant role as a tool of public resistance during times of conflict. Furthermore, the article explores different ways of impact on the local cultural heritage, such as traditions, storytelling and community interactions and how it adapted in the aftermath of peace settlements to remain relevant in the face of contemporary challenges and lived experiences. The article explores the dynamic interplay between history, culture, and resistance, tracing Semsemya’s development from a musical instrument to a profound cultural expression.
Robert Isaf - The World as Anthology, The Editor as Artist: Public Poetry in the Twenty Twenties
The poem has a particularly strong dependence on the medium and means of its delivery. Homerian epic and choral lyrics were composed with great awareness of where and how they would be encountered, just as a poem designed today to succeed in a competitive slam will follow different impulses than a poem written with an Instagram audience in mind. The particulars of the public space in which a poem is encountered, then, impact the poems written for it, in everything from theme to technique; the organisers of that public space have the ability to help shape the very verse at its creation. This presentation will, from the perspective of an editor and poetry event organiser, examine what this means in practice. After looking first at a number of example events from the recent past, we will consider how the lessons learnt there can be applied to new events in the future. How can public space outside of the traditional page/stage dichotomy be used more creatively to encourage different approaches to verse writing and to poetic engagement with the questions and conflicts of the contemporary world? How can new technology be employed to make new types of poetry possible? How can organisers create events where new poetry simultaneously engages large publics, grapples unswervingly with difficult and even unpopular topics, and is celebrated and rewarded for rarified skill and risk-taking? There are as always more questions than answers, and parsing them out is the first step to encouraging the new poetries that can address the questions and conflicts of our day and age.
Blanka Kicsák - Oasis in Sitke - Participatory design and art for sustainable development
Blanka will present a project named “Oasis in Sitke”; which aims to create a self-sufficient and sustainable community in Stike, Hungary. The project’s goal is to enhance community building in the area, while respecting its natural and social environment, to encourage its residents to unfold their talents and implement innovative ideas through environmentally friendly practices. Sustainable communities play a significant role in solving current and future problems, as they can serve as exemplary models for creating a healthier and a wealthier world and way of life. Sitke will encourage artistic innovation, which will allow new art forms and approaches to emerge in the process of community building, and which can contribute to the development of art and the profession, opening new directions and perspectives.
Navigating the complexities of working in the cultural sector: anticipating and adapting to change
C’MAN training program – Workshop
30 September, 09:00-12:00 CET
Arthur Le Gall, director, KEA
Working in the cultural and creative sectors is often a matter of juggling between various unexpected changes. Cultural managers need to tackle the difficulties of the ever-changing setting of the environments they operate in. Learning how to anticipate changes that impact operations and activities is a crucial skill, especially in the cultural industries. In this workshop, we will work on those skills and teach you all the basics of change and risk management so you become familiar with them. In addition, you will exchange ideas with experienced cultural professionals and hone your abilities to develop a risk management plan.
The New Normal: Integrating Environmental and Climate Change Issues in our Professional Practices
C’MAN training program – Workshop
1 October, 09:00-12:00 CET
Gwendolenn Sharp, director, The Green Room
Cécile Pavec, administrative and project manager, The Green Room
The topic of the speech revolves around the different crises our society has faced in the past and those it is still facing: the financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian war but also the energy crisis have played a paramount role in the shaping of our everyday lives and our societies. The speech will discuss these crises and the impact they had or have, and will elaborate on what was and what is the role of arts and cultural management towards both the cultural sector but also the society in general.