Our call is now closed
“Because how do humans live?” is a question that calls for reflection on the complexity and diversity of human existence. It is not just a query about our daily routines; but an invitation to explore the values we stand for and how specific contexts influence our ability to scrutinize and challenge societal, political and cultural norms. How do humans live in the face of adversity? How do we move about and position ourselves in the world?
This thought provoking question is taken from Bertolt Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera (1928). This opera addresses the concerns of our world with a delicate balance of lightness and distance encouraging thoughts that transcend its predicted tragic outcome. It prompts us to reflect actively, offering a perspective that resists succumbing to paralysis and lamentation.
This capacity to aspire collectively for change and the confidence in the power that artists and digital content creators can have to promote human rights principles, despite the current context of our Mediterranean region, is the silver lining that our project Tae’thir – influence in Arabic – is structured around.
The project covers the Mediterranean region with a particular focus on the southern region considering the massive decline in human rights it has undergone in recent years. The economic, social, and political situation in many southern Mediterranean countries continues to deteriorate.
In such contexts artists and content creators in the Mediterranean region see their capacity for expression and reflection restricted by the absence of spaces and platforms promoting dialogue and content production.
Our 4 organizations (listed below) share these deep concerns and believe that supporting and promoting human rights among young people is a priority that calls for creative and experimental approaches. Tae’thir project aims to open up spaces for dialogue and creativity by encouraging the promotion of a culture of human rights in the Mediterranean through the artistic and digital practices of young people.
Both contemporary art forms and digital content creation serve as dynamic mediums through which the complexities of human life and existence are explored, interpreted, and communicated. They create languages, prompt discussions, and inspire change, making them indispensable in the contemporary dialogue about the human condition. Faced with the multitude of issues that this raises, we want to address this subject in a critical way.
We shall examine this from different perspectives:
- How do art and digital content creation play a role in unraveling the complexities of this situation? How can individual or collective expression reclaim the power of narrative through a creative outlet?
- How does the artist’s imagination work in this landscape? Which aesthetic choices are at work? How can artistic expression and the poetic essence of the creative process be leveraged to approach intricate issues?
- Digital content permeates nearly every aspect of people’s lives, shaping their daily experiences. How does it impact our perception and comprehension of the world we inhabit?
- How are culture and artwork connected to the public space?
- What role do artists play in society, given their inherent propensity to raise questions
stemming from their own inquiries? Similarly, what significance does art and digital content creation hold in society? How can we consistently challenge the status of artwork, the artist’s role, and the position of art within our societal framework? - How are culture and artwork connected to the public space?
- How do ideologies draw upon aesthetics and delicate nuances? Why are the most rational, political, economic, and fundamental decisions never solely technical but also profoundly intertwined with cultural perspectives and sensitivities?
The human rights agenda is directed at bridging attitudinal disparities, such as prejudices based on ethnicity, religion, gender, age, nationality, culture and identity. Art and digital creation possess the capacity to ignite inspiration and evoke empathy, reaching an audience beyond the scope of traditional human rights organizations.
Please note that during the first year of the Tae’thir project, spanning from September 2023 to October 2024, only 10 to 15 productions will be financially supported and will have the opportunity to be presented during the 2024 Festival Les Instants Vidéo.
The call for projects is open to young artists and digital content creators aged between 21 and 35:
- About 70% of projects will be led by youth from the following countries of the southern shore of the Mediterranean: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey.
- About 30% of projects will be led by youth from the following countries of the northern shore of the Mediterranean: Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain.
Candidates do not have to reside in the aforementioned countries but to originate from them - Propose an original artwork or digital content creation in resonance with the theme of the project: “Because how do humans live?” as an open question and an invitation to explore the complexity of the human conditions through a human rights lens.
- The artwork or digital content must be completed for its presentation during the next Festival Les Instants Vidéo scheduled for October 2024.
- Work in the following artistic forms is eligible: Creative writing, Digital content creation, Installation and visual art, Sound creation, Performance, Vidéo installation
