PROGRAM

Water tower art residency 2018

 “Social Development Through Creative Practices”

Places and Events by date:

-13.06- Public presentation by guests mentors art directors from UK 16:00- 19:00 @The Fridge. With the Support form National Fund of Culture Bulgaria

- 14.06 – opening exhibition for works made for Arosita Gallery

- 15.06 – the artists of “Water tower Creative Residence” №2 and a team will appear as volunteers-hosts of the event “Suspended Lunch” in support of Solidarity Kitchen Sofia. Invited guests will prepay one lunch for themselves and one “suspended” – the collected funds and products will go to the Sunday lunch organized by Solidarity Kitchen on 17 June, as an initiative to support people in need, held every Sunday in the Solidarity Club at 51 George Washington Street – and part of the prepared “suspended” lunches will be given out on the same day, on the 15th. Partners of the initiative are Move.bg, the lunch taking place at their space on 20 Serdika Str.

- 15.06 – opening in the art space “Rakovski 167″

- 16.06 – opening in the former warehouse “Despred” on Veslets street with public performances and music program – closing of the creative residence

- 17.06 – 19.06 spaces open for visits

Grantees:

Валентина Шара (Италия) / Valentina Sciarra (Italy)

Ева-Лиса Пухака (Финландия) / Eeva Lisa Puhaka (Finland)

Participants:

Patrick Fenech (Malta)

Juan José Valencia (Spain)

Marta Wlusek (Poland)

Marc Shmitz (Germany)

Xiao Li (Japan)

Ruby Cedar (UK)

Corinne Fhima (France)

Gal Leshem(Israel)

Maia Iotzova (Bulgaria)

Darena Georgieva (Bulgaria)

***

The project was made possible with the kind support of: Nikolay Nedelchev, Gaudenz B Ruf Awards, Ministry of Culture

***

CONCEPT OF WATER TOWER ART RESIDENCY – BENEVOLENT EDITION 2018

In the face of rapid changes in environment and urban development as well as social and cultural scene we are also changing
What once we thought was valuable and real now has stepped out to a more serene look on matters connected with communication through the arts
Water tower art fest is no longer,
But a new platform for immediate communication through contemporary arts is rising
We invite you to do socially interactive actions, performances or exhibition addressing issues or tendency of general isolation in the cities, tolerance and well-being, as well as actions, which contribute in general way the communication between people– where elitism is peaking its head out suffocating real people-to-people communication. What we know is not what we see, what we get is not what we want. This is an artist run initiative and as we are starting to run it independently from institutions without any financial support, there is a participation fee for the organization.

OPEN CALL FOR WATER TOWER ART RESIDENCY – BENEVOLENT EDITION 2
Theme: Social Development Through Creative Practices

Deadline 15 April 2018
Period of residency 01.06. – 17.06.2018
Event opening dates: various at each place tba
What we offer is interaction in the city of Sofia in four or more venues with additional possibility for public spaces interaction based on application proposal
What we expect from the artistic proposals is:
> Leaving immediate social impact through practice
> Creative methods of achieving improvements for the specific site/space/social context/existing issue in the society
> Requires immersion in the local context, as well as bringing global practices
> Participants come together for period of 2 weeks,
> Incorporation of scheduled one-to-one meetings with residency advisors, workshops and public interaction throughout the stay, sites open to visit while works are developed
> Final 2-3 days – official results presentation to the public and partners with musical concert and performances at a destination in Sofia tba
Rules for applying;
Please send via email no later than 10.April 2018, 18:00pm to this email: watertowerartfest@gmail.com (if you are sending big file transfer please use wetransfer) the following:
• A resume of proposed project to do during the residency; it can be only an outline of possible activity, exhibit, performance, installation or action explained in a resume. Please mention possible media usage technical details and scale of proposed project, add visualization including photos or sketches if possible.
• A recent CV
• One Recommendation

What we offer:
Three scholarships available for WTAR2 based on proposed projects and decision of selection juries of 500 Euros each
For the rest of accepted residents there is a fee of 200 Euros to be paid prior to arrival- the fee covers:
- Accommodation, arranged by us in center of Sofia for the whole period covered. All artists are to cook or arrange their own meals. With the help of staff, we will be able to show you closest supermarkets and grocery stores, as well as restaurants close by.
- A guide in Sofia with help of staff upon arrival
- technical support and support sourcing out required materials for the respective works (artists are responsible for their materials for which we are ready to help find them or rent them)
*All artists are responsible for their transportation. A staff member will pick you up from airport.
**We will ask you to leave one artwork at the end of residency to the organizers, which will be subject of choice for a collector form Bulgaria.

During the residency, participants will be offered:
One-to-one meetings with guest workshop facilitators and residency advisors, as well as group meetings with local curators and other industry professionals
Curator’s walk and lunch with both national and international curators and collectors during the period of residency.
Integration with other galleries and arts programs, and a host of presentations, openings, performances and lectures.
Unrestricted access to venues to work on site
Technical support for installing the works
Catalogue and brochure issuing after end of residency + online edition on site
Interviews arranged in national media
Highlight of artworks on social media facebook (5000 followers) and site
Professional photo and video documentation high res of artworks and performances
A workshop or lecture organized by WTAR for artists to give to local art scene and students
General interaction with local art scene
Works development and installation will take place with “Open Doors” policy – members of the public as well as visiting residency advisors and other interested party are invited to come by and visit the process. This is an opportunity to maintain local contact and be strongly rooted within the local context of the program, making direct impact on the community/place where works are to be carried out/presented.
Selection Juries:
Nia Pushkarova – Director and Chief Curator of Water tower art fest/ residency
Rositsa Getsova – Artist and Gallerist owner of Arosita Gallery
Nikolay Nedelchev – Art Collector from Sofia

Places:
Arosita Gallery- exhibition place, http://www.arosita.info/
Labaratory of BG ROSE- social interaction place for performance action and exhibition (tbc)
Despred Hall – exhibition place- https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2gqDgNTx6J-LTNKRUwtem1kMkE
Public Mineral water basin area
Other public spaces around the city
*More photos will follow of sties soon
**The organizers remain their right to change/replace venues due to outside circumstances beyond their jurisdiction.

Contact:
Ngo IME, Nia Pushkarova – Director and Curator of WTAF
www.watertowerartfest.com
watertowerartfest@gmail.com
9 Bogatista street, Sofia 1421
Bulgaria
Skype: niapush