thinc

ThincAustria, Vienna

Jessica Kennedy White, BA (hons) M.Sc Wolfson, University of [email protected]

Thursday, 9 December 2010

Summary_______________________________________________

• Vision Statement• Mission Statement• Context• Target Beneficiaries• Project Strategy• Proposed Implementation• Funding required


Vision Statement

Thinc is an Intercultural art education project that finds a common language through art,

calling for appreciation of diversity within and between different communities, so that

understanding and information flow between communities can increase.


People have had

to leave

part of themselves behind

to “get ahead”


We All See Things Differently

5


We need to provide environments where we can experiment with our diverse

expressions of creativity.


so we all become co-

investigators in the creative

learning process


Creativity broadens the scope of how we interact with each othercreativity supports our multiple visions for the future.


Mission Statement

Thinc by accepting diversity and by advocating that the preservation of identity is all about accepting hybridity we can be living and working towards a more peaceful

way of life through social inclusion on many levelsThinc enables youth and adults to realise their highest values and tolerance of each other`s diversity through

the emotive language of art.



Das Projekt

Die Grundidee des Thinc. Projekts, zeigt dass man durch gegenseitiges interkulturelles Verständnis und durch

Akzeptanz der Verschiedenheit den Informationsaustausch zwischen verschiedenen Gemeinschaften fördern und so zu

einem interkulturellen Dialog beitragen kann. Jede Gemeinschaft hat über einen längeren Zeitraum eine

Symbolik entwickelt durch die sie on anderen Gemeinschaften wahrgenommen wird, doch genau hier kommen oft Vorurteile zu tragen, da die Gemeinschaften

gegenseitig nur ihre vereinfachten Stereotypen und Vorurteile sehen und so der Informationsaustausch schon im

Vorfeld zum Scheitern verurteilt ist.


Current ContextThinc is in line with 2011 European Year of Volunteering Thinc joins the EU in this solidarity to support different

forms of exchange to create a new economy promoting a society that sustains and develops quality of life, social well-being and equal opportunities for all;

Boosts solidarity between generations and ensures sustainable development.

EU education minister stakesthese aims as a top priority therefore

endorses the project fully.Susanne Bransteidl head of schools fully endorses the project and infrastructure mentoring will be supported and by the Stadt Schul Rat. Further mentoring support

from EDUCULT


13

Our Creatively Diverse Landscape

good intentions areneeded but they arenot enough alone to bring about real change

to more deeply understand social and historical contexts that we are all operating within

our actions consistently in line with our values in and that these are fluid and open to change

not just of the monetary kind. Our new economy is encouraging us to find new forms of resource exchange

resource exchangemust be diversified t o m a x i m i z e benefits. More and m o r e , w e a r e w o r k i n g i n a f r a g m e n t e d landscape and it is up to us together to s h a r e h o w t o c o n n e c t t h e s e pieces to find new ways of knowledge a n d r e s o u r c e exchange

intention + awareness + action + resources + network = sustainability


Thinc is a project that came out of a pilot project Intercultural Art Education that was in 2007-8 together with the European year of intercultural dialogue and

then in 2008-9 it became V.I.A Values, Identity, Art that is in line with the European year of creativity and innovation. This has been supported by ACES

Association of Central and European Schools that was created by the Interkulturelle Zentrum and funded by

the Erste Stiftung The supporting organizations are KulturKontakt, Dr.

Michael Wimmer EDUCULT http://www.educult.at and Horst Tschaikner, Rupert Corazza at StadtShulRat

Wien in Susanne Bransteidl Head of Schools Bureau. They fully endorse the project and consult on project

competence and infrastructure. Further consultants include child psychologists and educators: Prof. Dr. Toni Reinelt and Prof. Dr. Gisela

Gerber*for a further list of current stakeholders please see

Appendix A

Background &

Stakeholders*


Context _______________________________________________

Current situation• Lack of cross-curricular links hindering open-mindedness towards education

and culture• Lower values are expressed through art and media, suggesting suppression

of higher values in education• Students experience apathy and disengagement for learning, often students

are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, when really it is the lack of practical and creative engagement that is causing them to lose focus.

• Latent indifference and apathy towards different communities, causing prejudices

• Teenagers that are wanting to creatively use their multiple intelligences are finding that the current education system in Vienna is restricting

Existing Initiatives• Initiatives have not succeeded in raising awareness of diversity leaving

stereotypes & lack of information flow between the different communities• Currently there are creative projects, but none yet that address simultaneous

language learning and that enable a level of creativity that is healing and innovative by connecting with our incredibly intersecting and diverse history.


Target Beneficiaries• Teenagers from Austria, Vienna, Central and South Eastern Europe and

Brooklyn, USA aged 13-18 with mentors from 18-30 being exposed to intercultural, innovative communication with each other through the common language of Art Education

• Assistance provided• Legal support with EDUCULT and infrastructure provided by Stadt

schulrat: Vienna Board of Education and Interkulturelle Zentrum• Discussion based seminars in http://www.theresianumgasse10.at Delivery• Workshops with a diverse range of children to be held with artists in

interactive environment with stimulus provided by artists and museums in Vienna including ZOOM museum. The workshops allow contact and interaction between communities through art raising awareness of diversity

Target Beneficiaries________________________________________


Thinc Advocacy

• Enabling teenagers who are traditionally the subjects of art and education to become its co-creator

• Giving a voice to those who are too often ignored or silenced

• Enabling participants to become advocates for change

• Enabling participants to inform and affect policy on local and international levels



Expect the unexpected


Unlocking creativity takes us further than we ever could have imagined or expected with prescribed outcomes


Proposed Implementation_______________________________________________

Service• Interactive Workshops (2-4 hours)• Seminars for teachers and art educators with diversity

consultants and policy makers in Teresaniumgasse• Workshops: 1 Artist or Art Educator per workshop• Jessica White moderator/facilitator• Workshops every week during the school terms and in

holidays they will be extended to all day workshops. In Vienna workshops in collaboration with a variety of artists and museums as well as in collaboration with Art Educators, social entrepreneurs such as emersense www.emersense.organd at spaces such as The Hub & Schmiede.ca


http://www.emersense.org

http://www.emersense.org

Promotion _______________________________________________

Promotion Delivery• Existing promotion carried out with all stakeholders• Currently have received many testimonials with

widespread acceptance & enthusiasm on both a local and national level (available on request)

Administration• If funds are to be placed with EDUCULT based in the

museum’s quarter they will provide a legal basis.


Workshops and Seminars ____________________________________________

Providing training in vocational art projects through Innovative Art Education practiceExploring diverse heritage and identityIntercultural dialogueCultural Diversity and fluidity of language


Thinc(Phase 1: Feb 2011)

Phase 1: Third week of Feb-third week of July

Thinc heads innovative programs with a series of workshops and seminars.

Expenses covered: Venue hire, seminar rooms. Expenses to cover: artists fees, art education concepts

and materials, travel (cameras, printing materials, costume) that will be developed by Jessica White with Art educators, artists and teachersFor all details of expenditure, please see the attached

budget sheet


Thinc(Phase 2: Sept – Feb 2012)

Phase 2: First week of Sept - First week in feb

As in phase one, phase two will be workshops and seminars on a local and international scale with

students from different schools with the age category 13-18 yrs with mentors/ art educators age

18-35


Projected Scenario____________________________________________

F

Courses have already started to be rolled out to children, teenagers and adults in other part of Austria--Salzburg and on more of an international scale and offered to students of

all ages. With the financial support of a variety of commercial sponsors and non-for-profit/governmental donors.

It Starts With Oneour connection to each other is as colourful as

we are


Seminars ____________________________________________

Seminars will proceed in different locations depending on the target groups in Vienna: http://www.theresianumgasse10.at

and http://vienna.the-hub.net/ & in Salzburg: www.schmiede.ca so that teachers, art educators, artists and entrepreneurs can share skills and resources. In the first month of Phase One

project there will be a launch, several workshops and a seminar


http://www.theresianumgasse10.at

http://www.theresianumgasse10.at

http://vienna.the-hub.net/and

http://vienna.the-hub.net/and

Innovative Art Education Methods

Based on primary research of how art educators engage with exhibitions and artefacts, continental European museums

focus on dialogue, discussion and debate, whereas UK museums focus on craftwork. Therefore, an objective of

this project is to merge the two methods together integrating both theory and practice for a praxis


ICP and Luksuz

The project is also linked in with ICP International Centre of Photography at The Point in the Bronx, NYC and Luksuz

connection that is a group of Film and Media Literacy projects for Young People across South Eastern Europe.


Projectguggenheim

We have the opportunity to collaborate with Hans Guggenheim with his Projectguggenheim. He seeks to provide high quality training in traditional skills for young

artists and artisans. Our programs aim to encourage innovation because for traditions to survive they must

respond creatively to new cultural and economic challenges in their environment.


Is Art Education just on the side?

"Once the door is opened, they don't want to leave," Ms. Austin said, adding, "I think because photography is so fluid and so immediate — it's reflecting back to them a sense of possibility in

their lives they haven't seen before."


Combining Theory with Practice

Working with a variety of artists for creative interactive workshops


Thematic Connections

• Community • Ritual • Inclusion and exclusion • Diversity • Stereotypes • Memory • Photography • Narrative/storytelling • Identity • Tradition• History


Photography

Photo Elicitation and Photography workshop

Combining theory and practice


Illustration and Comic Workshop

Animation / Comic Comic book workshop Elicitation Combining theory and practice


Writing Workshop

• Finding words and themes that fit locations creating sound-scapes

• Reconstruction: To reveal history as a narrative and open to change depending on who narrates it

• Context Switching: between historical periods• Real letters: students write real letters to people in the past,

present and future• Collaborative writing


Film and Writing

Writing workshops will lead into film workshopsSo that students can understand how all these

mediums can be linked so they can empower themselves

For their own future creative expression


Acting workshop

• Acting class raising children and youths´ confidence through a variety of styles

including drama, comedy acting for both film and theatre


Music

In collaboration with members of Bauchklang- Vocal Groove Project (this is an example there will other many

music workshops) students will experiment with their voices around open spaces, working on

collaborative musical soundscapes


Acting/Movement

• Using movements, relationships between body, space, and speed to help students to explore both their inner realms as

well as their outer inter-personal relationships socially.


Unlocking creativity is our bridge between what has been, what is and what will be


Pilot workshop Feb - June `08 in relation to

Dress, Costume and Identity

The aim of this workshop was for

students to see themselves in relation

to identities constructed in the

history of art of both women and women and in relation to

men.


Unlocking creativity brings our core values to the surface


Balkan Workshops With Adults


Evaluation

Instead of using a method of assessment that focuses on

goals, targets, exams and grades in isolation, the art

education methods engages students at both a creative and

analytical level


Self and Peer EvaluationLearning Logs: Focus on

workshops activities and does not include comments about personal matters.

Personal journals: Students write whatever they wish. Students record events in their lives, explore ideas,

questions, fears, concerns and other

thoughts


Improving English Language with

Personal Language Portfolios

Competences will be evaluated by students, teachers, artists and art educators through art and language

portfolios developed by Jessica White and continuous self, peer and mentor evaluation


Tangible outcomes online

All materials will be available in an online database to which participants will have access. The curriculum will also feature extensive online components at Maptales (http://www.maptales.com), which will help facilitate the

creation of online communities around the topics discussed.

_______________________________________________


Online Documentation of ProjectsFacebook

mediadot.at/thinchttp://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=912&id=100000214743145

Bloggerhttp://jtamsin.blogspot.com/

YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/user/jtamsin

Schmiede.cahttp://bit.ly/d88QqP

Earth Charterhttp://bit.ly/9SV9Wd

Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/97282441@N00/


http://mediadot.at/thinc

http://mediadot.at/thinc

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=912&id=100000214743145

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=912&id=100000214743145

http://jtamsin.blogspot.com

http://jtamsin.blogspot.com

http://www.youtube.com/user/jtamsin

http://www.youtube.com/user/jtamsin

http://bit.ly/d88QqP

http://bit.ly/d88QqP

Tangible Outcomes

Exhibitions in Vienna, East and South East Europe and NYC supported by the Austrian Cultural

Forum


Das ProjektV.I.A. will sich vor Allem der

Problematik der eigenen Identität, der Verschiedenheit und dem

gegenseitigen Verständnis widmen um Vorurteile zu umgehen und einen

neuen Blickwinkel zu schaffen. Um dies zu erreichen bedient sich Thinc.

der Methode der Intercultural Art Education.


Documents

thinc