After the realisation of “Galway Lab – Digital Practices” in April/May 2019 in Galway hosted by Galway Theatre Festival and facilitated by local digital media professionals where a wide range of topics in the field of digital practices were explored, we are pleased to present the “Rijeka Lab  – Site-specific Theatre Practices and Audiences” as part of the project MAKE A MOVE – An Art Incubator for contemporary European non-institutionalised and independent theatre (MaM). MaM is part of the wider project “Unreal Cities”, developed under the European Capital of Culture programme – Rijeka 2020: Port of Diversity, Kitchen flagship.

“Rijeka Lab – Site-specific Theatre Practices and Audiences” is hosted in Rijeka from 10th to 19th September 2019 by the Creative Laboratory of Contemporary Theatre KRILA and it is comprised of two modules: Artistic and Business Module. The Artistic Module will focus on the exchange of different contemporary performance practices and approaches within the context of site-specific theatre. The Business Module will expand the fundraising focus topic initiated during the Galway Lab session. However, the Rijeka Lab will switch the perspective from the supply to the demand side. The element of Audience Development will be interwoven in both modules in accordance with more audience-centric perspective, within small cultural organisations and among independent artists, addressing relations between artists and audiences in the context of site-specific performances. This approach looks at audience development as multifaceted strategy that includes different aspects of any cultural work/organisation: marketing, promotion, programming, education and digital.

The “Rijeka Lab – Site-specific Theatre Practices and Audiences” Art Incubator is organised and delivered by Creative Laboratory of Contemporary Theatre KRILA

Artistic Module

The Artistic Module of Rijeka Lab is based on co-creation methodology and is divided in two distinctive parts:

Those artistic works will be shared with local audience in the format of work-in-progress presentation on 17th September 2019. on the following locations:

Locations

Invited collaborators for Artistic Module

The ‘Digital Practices’ Art Incubator will be led by ‘Make a Move’ Artist Director Ivana Peranić and Galway Project Manager Dr. Máiréad Ní Chróinín. The incubator will consist of hands-on workshops and discussions led by national and international experts in the areas of digital technologies, digital marketing and audience development, project development and creative producing. These experts will include:

Since 2016 – in the frame of the project Unreal Cities – Branco and Giacomin have been developing together with Ivana Peranic a co-creation methodology called Reflective Bodies, which investigates sensorial ways to engage with the landscape and how the thinking and reflecting is done through the body. The aim of their participation in Rijeka Lab is to put in practice Reflective Bodies methodology in a natural environment in a site-specific context as well as further developing a common way to work that can be transmitted to others.

Ivana Golob will be giving historical, social and architectural inputs on the sites with the intend to spark the imagination and inspire the artists in their artistic creations. The information has also the purpose of offering a grounded knowledge of the sites to the artists as a site-specific strategy of work, based on learning about the place one visits and works on. This approach wishes to provide the artists with contextual tools, so one can relate to a place not only from the present, but also with historical references, aiming for a wider understanding and respect for the place.

Musician(s), light and sound technicians and possible other professionals will be on disposal to artists during the co-creation Lab.

Business Module

Inside of the Business Module participants will work on the process of developing an effective and competitive grant proposal and facing financial and managerial challenges after successful grant application. Experienced professionals will identify at least 5 follow-up cooperation projects among the Make a Move Art Incubator participants. Participants from more than 8 European countries (Austria, France, Croatia, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain) will exchange their experiences and knowledge in fundraising and financial managing of their work.

Fundraising element will be led by Barbara Rovere (SLO), an experienced professional with an excellent track-record in securing project grant financing from the Creative Europe program. It will be consisted of two components: a lecture on best practices and key challenges, followed by practical team work. For the purpose of the latter the participants will be divided into groups, depending on their level of interest in applying for funding to the Creative Europe program.

Financial management element will be led by Adam Jeanes (UK), Senior Relationship Manager of Arts Council England with an extensive knowledge and experience in financial coordination of international cooperation projects inside Creative Europe program. He will summarise the EU’s financial framework and demonstrate how project managers and their partners can design, manage and report their EU project budgets effectively.

Both experts will be available for individual consultations throughout this time.

Artistic work developed during Rijeka Lab has the potential to be further developed and presented inside Rijeka 2020 the European Capital of Culture programme. Those possibilities and further developments will be discussed here from the business point of view.

Business Experts for Business Module

Audience Development Element

Audience Development element will be interwoven in both Artistic and Business Module. Through facilitated talks participants will have an opportunity to share their views on how they understand, approach and experience audiences in their artistic practice: (1) Levels of Engaging with the Audiences (2) Challenges of managing audiences in non-conventional theatre spaces.

Local and Regional Artists

In June 2019 Creative Laboratory of Contemporary Theatre KRILA held an open call for applications from artists from Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Slovenia and Serbia to join the ‘Site-specific Theatre Practices and Audiences’ co-creation lab.  

The 10 artists who were selected from this open call are:

Resident Artists and Collectives

Evaluators

Internal evaluators

External evaluators

Artistic Director

Gallery

Co-funders and supporters

The project is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

Lab in Rijeka & “Make a Move” project are part of the Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture programme, Kitchen flagship – Center for Creative Migrations.

Project activities are implemented with the financial support of: RIJEKA 2020 LLC, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, Kultura nova Foundation, City of Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski kotar County, Austrian Cultural Forum Zagreb and Embassy of Spain in Zagreb.

The “Site-specific theatre practices and audiences” Art Incubator is made possible with the additional support of the following partners that enable us to work in their locations: