The Arts in Society Award aims to encourage young artists who are active in different disciplines to develop a participatory art project that responds to a societal challenge. And this in collaboration with an organization that is in contact with people in a vulnerable position during its daily operations.
Three projects of our own students were selected and receive financial support from CERA "Artist in Society Award" to carry out their project. Congratulations to all five students!
A community story telling and songwriting project with asylum seekers.
Jonathan Westhorp in collaboration with Rode Kruis shelter Linkeroever
This is a community story telling and songwriting project. The mission of the project is to listen deeply and honor personal stories, and then to create and share songs shaped from the words of those stories. The purpose is to create bonds among peoples and to give voice to stories and experiences so that people feel heard and honored. The project is based on similar ones used by organizations such as Documentary Songwriters and the Carnegie Hall Weil Institute.
Wachtgeluiden: a series of auditory portraits of female refugees.
Misja Nolet, Sascha Bornkamp, Yelena Schmitz in collaboration with Wilde Raven vzw
Wachtgeluiden is a series of auditory portraits of female refugees. With the help of nursery rhymes from their countries of origin, these women, these new Belgians, introduce themselves. Wachtgeluiden is an audio system that will be placed in waiting places in the public space.
A musical project with children and parents who are foreign and newcomers.
Jef Callebaut in collaboration with vzw ZING ZANG ZONG
Children of non-native newcomers learn the language faster than their parents. As a result, they will often act as interpreters for their parents. The children become the medium through which the parents express their questions. This relationship is very special and specific to the situation of this target group. This project shows this relationship, but not in its usual context. The parents tell a story in their own language. This story is played by the children in a universal language, namely music. The parents are strongly involved in this musical project.