We’re very excited about the results and continue working with our partners to foster social change agents in Surinam in human rights, LGBTQ rights and gender equality.

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Ons project Artivism for ‘Social Change Surinam’ is in februari 2020 van start gegaan met trainingen in filmmaking en radio / podcast. De komende twee jaar zal Stichting art.1 blijven terugkeren naar Suriname om trainingen te geven in podcast, storytelling, film en mensenrechten.

We zijn erg enthousiast over de resultaten en blijven samenwerken met onze partners om sociale verandering in Suriname te bevorderen op het gebied van mensenrechten, LGBTQ-rechten en gendergelijkheid.

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Organized by the Thessaloniki Youth Club for UNESCO, the main goal of the exchange is to allow participants to share ideas and receive information and training on how to deal with LGBTQI+ issues by using artistic and social tools and practices, as well as to present the outcomes of the Intellectual Outputs of the Project. 

The group is constituted by young participants from Greece, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Cyprus and The Netherlands, who engage in multiple activities that include team building exercises, lectures, group trainings, role-play exercises, practical cases and advocacy trainings. 

On the first day, participants could learn about the Intellectual Outputs of the project. This included the manual “Rainbow in the Pocket”, which will function as a manual for teachers and youth workers who wish to address LGBT+ topics through art and games. It was presented by Didi Šišić and Aleks Kovač from Legebitra (Slovenia), who also engaged the participants in a workshop about privilege and equality of opportunities. North Macedonia was represented by Zorica Zafirovska, who, besides explaining the process, also showed us footage from the rehearsals of the performance that they are developing about the stories of LGBT+ people in the country. Afterwards, the output “Routes”, from Cyprus, was presented by Maria Varnakkidou (Accept LGBT). We got to see two out of the four short films that were made, documenting immersive theatre performances, where the audience was riding in a car with the actors and witnessing their phone conversations regarding LGBT+ topics. 

On the next day, it was time for Stefania Bouri from the Thessaloniki Youth Club for UNESCO to present Greece’s output: a short film with interviews to LGBT+ people from the country, which will then be complemented by a workshop on Saturday.  

Furthermore, the participants had the opportunity to take part in multiple workshops, such as “Gender Equality in the EU politics”, given by the former Parliamentary Assistant, Maria Brokou; “Legally combating Gender-based Discrimination in Greece”, by Despina Natsi; “Words matter – sexism in everyday language” by Athanasia Zaprou, and “Human Rights: for whom, how, when?”, conducted by Christina Azopoulou. 

The week goes on with more activities such as the ones organized by the Gender Alliance Initiative and the participative sessions about translation and gender with Sofia Georgiadou. 

During the exchange, the participants have also had the opportunity to become familiar with the city of Thessaloniki as well as with the distinct realities of all the participating countries. 

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“Perform to Reform” (P2R) project is an initiative by Stichting art.1 which aims to develop tools based on performative arts and soft skill methodologies in order to address sexual diversity topics and to create powerful and adaptable techniques for youth workers and educators.

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QFD has been organised by Open Mind Spectrum Albania (OMSA), headed by Arber Kodra, and in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana, the EU delegation, Stitching Art.1 and the International Human Rights Film Festival Albania (IHRFFA).

The events are also a part of the Youth Activists for Change (YAC) project which is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. YAC aims to empower filmmakers, storytellers, artists, and activists in creating art and performances focused on human rights/LGBTIQ+ rights and gender equality.

The festival opened on 18 September with a second showing of the award-winning exhibition ‘Culture of Humiliation’ by Macedonian artist and human rights activist Antonij Karadzoski. Through his artwork, he aims to break down stereotypes and raise awareness of important human rights issues such as bullying in the LGBTI community. The event kicked off at Europe House.

A number of films were shown over the days of the event, the first of which is ‘I Am Sofia’. This film was screened 19 September at Kinema Millenium and a Q&A with the director took place afterwards.

On the 20 September, there was a screening of a film called ‘Until Porn Do Us Part’ at the Academy of Film & Multimedia. The protagonist of the film, Sydney Riviera was also in the attendance and he was answering questions from the audience after the screening.

On 21 September it was a matinee of films ‘Scar Tissue’, ‘High Tide’, and ‘Up Close and Personal’ which was shown at Europe House.In attendance were Dutch LGBT police officers Marja Lust and Abdel Late, and a Q&A will take place.   

The last day of event 22 September took the shape of a presentation of the final results of the filmmaking training undertaken by Youth Artists for Change Project including individuals from both Albania and Kosovo.

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Today we submitted our project proposal The LightHouse Project in the Open Call for Cinemas as Innovation Hubs for Local Communities from the European Commission. The LightHouse Project consists of a consortium with cinemas, cultural institutions and film festivals from Latvia, Hungary, Italy and The Netherlands and aims to turn cinemas into vivid iDeaHUBs for young artists, filmmakers and creatives. How? By organising pop-up LightHouse Film Festivals, conducting workshops in VR, Podcast and film and an extensive exchange fo cinema programmers who will bring their finest curations to cinemas in the other participating countries. Besides Stichting art.1, International Queer & Migrant Film Festival, Cinema of the Dam’d and Stichting Ado Ato Interactive participate in the project. Results will be made public by the end of November. Stay tuned!

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Recently, our intern Clara Mendes participated in the training Refugees+ which took place in Brussels, organized by JINT and funded by Erasmus+. 

Besides her, other twenty-three people from 20 different nationalities joined the training, eager to learn about each other’s projects and practices concerning the integration of young migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in their countries of residency. 

The training was conducted by Jana Pajic and Pepijn Hellebuyck who worked hard to maintain a good balance between work and fun throughout the week. The multiple ice-breaking games and group activities were a crucial part in order for the participants to establish very close relationships with each other and to feel comfortable in sharing more about their life and work experiences. 

The organization made sure that the participants got familiar with multiple NGOs which are actively working on these topics within Belgium. For instance, representatives from Tumult and PIN came to the venue to present their project Navigate You(th), through which they have developed a peer coaching system so that refugees who are already established in the country can help newcomers finding suiting activities for their free time while articulating the process with their families. 

The group also had the opportunity to visit different cities in Belgium and to get to know the environment in which other NGOs work. Some of the participants went to Antwerp, while others made their way to Louvain, or stayed in the area to further explore Brussels. Clara’s group went to Ghent, where they got to know Refu Interim (who aims to promote the social and professional self-sufficiency of newcomers, through paid volunteering experiences), Jong (an open house in the neighborhood which welcomes young asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, where they can find support and multiple activities) and JES (an urban laboratory developing innovative projects for children and youth in Belgium). The day ended with a wonderful session of communal cooking under the orientation of a Kurdish Syrian family and some magic tricks performed by some of the youngsters from the youth center.

The rest of the days were filled with workshops, presentations and debates, organized and carried on by all the participants, plus very touching personal stories shared by the ones who were also refugees. Topics discussed included sexual health, trauma, self-care, local action and youth participation, alongside activities such as dancing or visiting an Arabic bookshop. 

On the last evening, at the Open Arts House Globe Aroma, an artistic work and meeting place that newcomers can use to improve for their own cultural and artistic development, the group was surprised with a workshop of Dabke, a traditional dance performed by Lebanese, Syrians, Palestinians and Jordanians. It was the perfect (even though exhausting!) end for an incredible week, full of captivating ideas, hopes, projects, friends, cultures and lots of languages.

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Youth Artivists for Change is a project funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Creative Twinning scheme. Art. 1 is the main applicant of the project, which focuses on the participation of youth (15-24 years old) in film, theater, podcast and storytelling activities. The main goal is to provide them the tools that will empower them to speak up about social awareness on human rights/LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality through the arts.

The project takes place in four different countries in the Western Balkan: Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, and Kosovo, through the alliance of seventeen organizations working within arts, culture, gender equality and Human/LGBTQ+ rights. This alliance connects young people with different cultural backgrounds through activities such as the launch of LGBTQ+ film festivals, photo exhibitions, debates and multiplier events to disseminate the results of the project.

In every country there have been trainings in film, podcast, storytelling, and human rights/LGBTIQ+ rights advocacy. Furthermore, the initiatives also contemplate the launch of safe art spaces where young people can work on their projects with safety and support. This aims to make a significant contribution to the understanding of human rights and understanding of democratic EU principles which might lead to a smoother transitioning for the collaborating countries in their quest for EU membership.

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This training aims to generate an exchange of information between participants from different countries in order to create a deeper understanding of main concepts, legal framework and terminology relevant to the work with young migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

The youth workers attending will reflect and learn about their role(s) in the inclusion process of YMRA, share good practices, tools and methods on various related topics. The program will be built on non-formal education and it will help developing competencies for a better inclusion process in local communities.

This is initiative, organized by JINT vzw, and funded by Erasmus+, will include debates, guest lectures, workshops, field visits and debates. Art. 1’s representative will be our intern Clara Mendes and she is very much looking forward to the training!

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The filmmaking training in Tirana started on the 10th of May and it took place in the Marubi Film Academy. The group of participants consisted of 9 people, with ages ranging from 17 to 29 years-old. They all shared an affinity for the arts and particularly for filmmaking, but most of them hadn’t had the opportunity to really learn about it until now. During the introductions, it was also immediately evident that they were very interested in engaging with LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality issues, and that they were very excited to learn how to do so using film.

What followed were three very intense days, filled not only with theory learning but also with moments for reflecting, sharing, and experimenting with the cameras. The very first exercise consisted of them gathering in small groups to create a film with only five shots, where they would advertise a product that they wished existed. As results, we got a banana with a shape that wouldn’t be as easily sexualized, which stated that “it seems to be easier to change the shape of food rather than people’s minds”. The second film presented a machine and a card that would grant women free access to sanitary products, in order to avoid the costs adjacent to them, and the third group worked on an “anti-patriarchy” juice.

During the last stage of the workshop, the participants had to work in an 8-hour film project, including developing a concept, writing and pre-producing, shooting and then editing. At the end of the day, we got to watch all of their projects in a final screening. The first film was an animated response to a poem by the participant Thimi, which talked about being a star, even in moments when one feels sad and alone. They also worked on the story of a man who found out that his sister had a relationship with a girl and responded by murdering her. The film proposed an alternative scenario where she got her revenge by locking him up and threatening him. In addition to raising questions regarding homophobia, this was also a critique on the Albanian tradition of family members getting revenge on other families. The last film, on the other hand, portrayed a case of online bullying and aimed to function as an awareness campaign to prevent suicide and address mental health issues. As a bonus, we also got to see a short animation against homophobia on which one of the participants had worked on the night before.

Towards the end, they presented the ideas that they have in mind and that they will use when the time comes for them to apply for the project mini-grants which will allow them to create their own documentaries.

“I believe that many young people in our country are very creative but we don’t have many opportunities where to show our ideas. I personally think that movies are a great tool that if used in the right hands can make a big change because films have the power to influence people and make them think deeper. Films can elicit deep feelings and help us reflect on our lives”.

– Participant in the workshop

Participants: Romina, Dario, Thimi, Mateo, Tringë, Rexhina, Egzon, Ilenia and Elisabeta.

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The filmmaking training in Skopje happened between the 18th and the 22nd of April, and it was given by the Dutch trainer Nienke Eijsin and the local trainer Hanis Bagashov. We were received by a group of 9 participants, with ages varying from 17 to 26 years-old, who were very excited to gain more experience in filmmaking and particularly to use it to engage with matters of gender equality and human and LGBTQ+ rights as they told us that it was common for young people within their circles to have to deal with struggles related to these topics.

On the first day, inspired by the first bits of theory and some films made by the trainers of the workshop, they immediately went on to filming their first short movies, consisting of only five shots. The challenge was to create and advertise a product related to gender equality or LGBTQ+ issues that they wished already existed. The final products included a lipstick to be used by anyone regardless of their gender; a necklace which functioned as a whistle that women could use to scare off anyone chasing them down the street and a smelly chewing gum which had the same effect.

The following days were spent learning some more theory and watching practical examples, whilst also debating ideas for their individual final projects for which they can get a mini-grant for. Besides, the Dutch filmmaker Claire Zhou, who was present in Skopje for the screening of her film as part of the Queer Film Days, also joined the workshop by giving a lecture about character development and storytelling.

On the last day of the workshop, the participants delve into the adventure of an eight-hour film project. They started with concept, writing and pre-production, followed by shooting and then editing.

At the end of the day, all the films were screened in the Public Room, a creative space in Skopje. The first film to be presented was directed by Sofjia and Igor, who told the story of a woman who quit her job after being mistreated by her boss, and decided to go on an adventure with a friend. In the end, the audience realizes that they are actually in love with each other unlike what would be commonly assumed at first sight. In another film, Ivana, Kristijan and Antonella portrayed a universe where being gay was the norm, and presented the dynamics of a family where a son has to come out as straight to his two mothers. On the other hand, Andjela, Iskra, Angela, and Kris made a short film about an alien who lands on Earth and tries to take up a human form as he goes. As the alien isn’t aware of society’s gender roles and stereotypes, they end up breaking them, showing how much those are just a social construct.

By the end of the day, everyone felt very pleased with the happenings of the last few days and we all left very excited to see what the participants will do in the near future with their individual documentaries.

Participants: Ivana, Kristijan, Antonella, Andjela, Iskra, Angela, Sofjia, Igor, Kristijan

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The group of participants comprised six people who, on the first day, began getting to know each other through teambuilding and trust exercises, alongside a short introduction to storytelling.  The following sessions were spent alternating between storytelling theory and human rights discussions. Great conversations and personal stories came out of questions such as “Was there a moment where you thought about leaving Serbia?” and “Can you tell me about a time when you felt discriminated and a time when you felt validated?” 

When everyone had come up with their own story to work with, the time was dedicated to crafting their stories and coaching the participants on the structure and imaginary telling. 

The 4th day was an important day: after working on their presentation skills, everyone presented the stories to each other and to a small audience. The results were beautiful and really touching and we could wrap up the workshop with the distribution of the certificates and a nice drink together.

The very last day was a bit different: it consisted of training the group in the use of storytelling training methods and tools, so that they can be the ones applying it in their communities in the future.

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