Setting out together - A journey into community arts
Socially engaged arts, participatory arts, community-based art and community art come in many forms and under different names. What they share is a creative process that brings professional artists together with people who may have never been part of an artistic practice before.
How do we enter this relationship? Which values and ethics should guide the process? How do we build trust, work collaboratively and think about ownership and what we leave behind?
"Setting out together" opens a space to explore these questions through a series of online conversations, with free access (registration is mandatory). The webinars will be held in English (or providing English translation).
The webinars are implemented by the organisations Larnaka 2030 (Cyprus), Al Badil (Tunisia), Liv.in.g. (Italy) and Busart (Greece) as part of the Creative Europe Cooperation project “MedSEA: Socially Engaged Arts in the Mediterranean Area”
Save the date for the first two appointments and register for the first webinar!
** 28 September 2026 | 13:30–15:30 CET
Discovering Common Ground: Values and Ethics in Participatory Arts Practice
Registration open: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/setting-out-together-a-journey-into-community-arts-tickets-2000523396331?aff=oddtdtcreator
In this webinar we will discuss the different approaches to Community Art as an art practice in which professional artists work together with ‘community members’ as their non-professional collaborators. Do we focus on the artistic, the social or the human rights values in this practice – or can all play an equal part? Which ethics are needed to embark on a community arts project, from approaching your co-creators, to setting your goals, to working in collaboration and leaving a mark. And what are the potential pitfalls ?
The session will feature Kelly Diapouli, Artistic Director of Larnaka 2030; Lara Matos, social psychologist working at the intersection of psychology, art, and communities; and Selim Ben Safia, founder and Artistic Director of Al Badil – l’Alternative Culturelle in Tunisia.
** 5 October 2026 | 13:30–15:30 CET
Building on Common Ground: Relationship, Trust and Ownership
In this webinar we will build on the contributions of the first and discuss the essential attitudes to build a in-depth relationship within a limited timeframe. How doe we create trust, we don’t extract, but deliver a positive and lasting experience to our co-creators. Do we focus on the outcome or the process? And who will be the ‘owner’ of the work of art at the end of the process? Can we equally share ownership and leave a positive trace?
The session will feature Kelly Diapouli, Artistic Director of Larnaka 2030; Klaus Fruchtnis Durán, artist-researcher and Director of the Socially Engaged Art Program in France at the Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso; and Selim Ben Safia, founder and Artistic Director of Al Badil – l’Alternative Culturelle in Tunisia.
Follow the Series page on Eventbrite to keep in touch with us and our upcoming events!
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/setting-out-together-a-journey-into-community-art-4870474/
