Start: 2017
End: 2020
Partner: QUARANTINE (UK)
GALERIA LABIRYNT (Poland) Art gallery
SARL COMEDIE DE BETHUNE (France) Theatre
Action: Creative Europe Cooperation projects
Summary:
Meet the Neighbours is a cross-artform project, spanning almost 3 years, inviting artists to live side-by-side with members of the public in specific neighbourhoods in 5 cities across Europe and North Africa. New artworks will be produced in response to changing urban environments & the people who live there. Meet the Neighbours takes place in: Béthune, Lillers & Bruay-la-Bussiere (FR), Groningen (NL), Lublin (PL), Manchester (UK) & Marrakech (MA) .Meet the Neighbours will involve 32 artists in 24 residencies in local domestic contexts, with artist exchange occurring across all 5 partners. Meet the Neighbours addresses questions around changes in city environments, comparing 5 different yet relatable urban conditions: How are cities changing shape & what is the role of artists in the process? How can artists have a progressive and critical voice in relation to urban regeneration & development? How is access to cultural provision affected by the presence of artists in neighbourhoods? How can artists create space & relationships where conversations and action might occur? How does mobility of artists relate to migration & mobility of people in a changing Europe? How can working with neighbouring countries develop artist mobility in Europe & beyond? Meet the Neighbours creates a platform for mobility of artists whose practice engages directly with civic life, through process & product. Work will be shared through public encounter, performance, exhibition, participation & publication, both analogue & digital. The temporary home for artists in each city will act as a creative locus for the project. Artistic research will be shared digitally, through exhibition & publication, building an enduring sustainable platform for work. Theoretical research, coordinated by University of Manchester, will help ensure that legacies of learning can be distributed widely. We will curate live encounters with research via Performative Symposia & online platforms.