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Backlight in Tampere1999 - 2002 - 2005
How to built a Cultural Product of European Dimensions...
-
...based on international funding?
by: Ulrich Haas-Pursiainen M.A.
Backlight Project Developer
How to start: I.
• Have a good idea or a well designed cultural product
• Find reliable partners who share and like to develop these idea.
Photography Triennial Backlight
• Documentary Photography since 1987 not Only Photography
not Photo Journalism not Photo Design
• Periodical update / interdisciplinary research • ...in European and global perspective
• ...concepts, aesthetics and content• ...exploring the edges of the subject
Searching for partners
• You need more?• You offer something?
– Extension of local IDs– Shared values & duties– Economical power– etc.
Backlight2005 & Partners
• Seven partner-institutions in Tampere.• Nine national partner-institutions.• Eight international partner-institutions.• = 24 institutional partners in total != 24 institutional partners in total !• Main funding: EU and NRW/Germany• Sponsors: two commercial sponsors
• twelve institutional sponsors
Be aware:Audience loves what it knows!
• Local and National Stars attract mass audience in the same way like renown International Stars.
• Artists from foreign countries are not International Stars, they attract attention of a special audience only!
EU-Program “Culture 2007”
• Project period can last 12 months.• Organizer plus four international co-
organizers are required. • Exact program and budget must be
fixed in the application form.• Program can not be based on the EU
funding only! • EU decision is coming late! > Plan B
...and few objectives:
• intercultural dialogues
• integrating new Europeans
• equal rights for men and women
• search for shared values
• equality between cultures
• supporting mobility and creativity
• etc. (find in the application form)
How to continue
• Develop your idea or product so that it fits into the parameters of the funding program
Documentary Photography specialized:
• Backlight is name & message since 1999
• Thematic specification: Document & Identity Critical Authenticity Untouchable Things
Resulting Character:
• + wide open for artistic interpretation.
• + precise expectations and purpose
• + international shape & critical reflection
=> enhanced intercultural communication
Achieved by:
• Exhibitions, Symposium, Workshops Meetings, Interviews, Traveling, Artist & Stuff exchange, Publications etc.
• => Backlight has become a renown center of Photo-Art, representing Tampere on international NGO meetings: The “Additional Value”*
Talking about Money
• Backlight Budgets:
• 1999 - > 30.000 Euro
• 2002 - >130.000 Euro
• 2005 - >270.000 Euro
Budget Structure Backlight
100 % about 270.000 Euro in 2005
15% Bilateral Partner (i.e. NRW/Germany)
25 % National: Tax Money and Sponsors
10 % EU-International Co-organizers
50 % EU-central funding => Plan B*
In 1999 and 2002 the total budget was smaller but its structure was similar.
Plan B
• is stipulated to run the event alone if no money from EU will come!
• is build only on the partner institutions and on engaged foreign funding institutions.
• offers to the partner-country a dominant representation in an international event!
Some Statistics (BL2005)
• 25.000 Visitors (12.000 in BL02)• 4 main exhibitions and 3 satellites in Tampere
2 touring exhibitions in Europe; Symposium*• 88 artists, 23 from Finland, 12 on EU-tour • 40 artists&curators have been invited to
Tampere: for workshops, lectures and portfolio review.
• 26 countries and four continents in Tampere• 9 curators from 8 countries have been involved.
235.000 foreign BL-Euros...
• ...have been spent in Tampere for:• - Hotels and Catering Service• - Translations and interpreting service • - Layout and Advertising• - Printing and Laboratory • - Transportation• - Work-Power and Knowledge• - Administration: 2,5 employees per event
All over in Europe many clever projects are
in progress and under construction, <“Changing Faces” in Jyväskylä>.
To keep the advantage of Backlight for a few more years means: Work hard and update the profile permanently!
The Culture 2007 EU-Program is a new challenge, it requires clever international networking and reliable local recourses.
Backlight will try again!
Again:
• All activities must be planned and written down into the application form.
• Each partners involvement must be explained: his rights and duties.
• The budget-plan must mirror all these activities!!!
• Everything must be structured about one year in advanced, also the budget!
pay1 - work3
• Backlight was a One-Year-Event in 2005.• It took the year 2004 to prepare it:
Establishing the program and creating the application.
• It will take nearly whole year 2006 to clear all the papers and to close the EU project. (Final activity & budget report)
• & 2008 is knocking already at the door.
Dimensions of the Network
• Seven institutions in Tampere +• Nine institutions in Finland +• Eight institutions in Europe =
• 24 institutional partners have been coordinated to produce the event!
Fragility of Networks
• they have no natural centre!!!
• need permanent care for balance
• tendency for uncontrolled extension or collapse
• stabilized by communication and production of additional value*
EU: Partner and Co-organizer
• Co-Organizers are part of the organization, they sign the EU-contract. They give 5% of total budget, they have rights & duties*.
• Partners are invited by the organizer. They give no money and have no rights. Its wise to have some partners too.
Co-organizers & Partners in Backlight
• most are still located in Western Europe
• since 2004 efforts to integrate partners from Poland and the Baltic States.
• access exists to curators and institutions in non-European countries, an option for 2011.
Poland and the Baltic States*
• Partner yes, but also Co-organizer?
• Independent & responsible Institutions: the political message of the EU.
• Challenging the Network:Doing it together: Lodz* ?
...Tallin ?
Organizer: keep balance between
• - your local resources
• - the expectations of your local audience
• - the objectives of the funding program
• - the expectations of your international partners
In the Shadow...1.
• Backlight since 9 years is working on a very complex regional & multinational network: recognized by EU-funding 3x in serial !
• Backlight has spent in Tampere since 1999 about 280.000 foreign Euros !!
• Despite of this, Backlight in Tampere has no budget to develop the 2008 program and to stabilize the network. A lot is voluntary work!
So what?
• building short-lasting soap bubbles with a lot of energy and self-exploitation?
• creating plenty new products without sustainability?
• Art&Culture business needs Fair Trade too!
In the Shadow...2
• The project you will apply for must be able to run also without EU funding. EU money is meant to be additional money!
• Even in case of success, EU money comes late, partly after the project has long finished.
• There exists no local fund where you could meanwhile loan the necessary money. You and your Bank must be ready for a loan. Interest is not covered by the EU funding!
After that:
• Building an international project is sense-less out of a mainly local perspective. It consumes tremendous time and money and it produces lot of stress & problems.
• Stressing extra creativity for international networking is productive only in a shared and broader perspective.
What should we do...?
• Stabilize and carefully extend the existing Cultural Networks in town!
• Dock reliable infrastructures and productive capacities together to increase synergy & additional output!
• Promote interdisciplinary co-operation as the keynote of creativity!
• Lets create the missing system-links!!!!!