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projects uncategorized

diaspora women

Summary:

The term diaspora women refers to women who have migrated or are descendants of those who have migrated from their country of origin to a different host country.

They often navigate complex intersections of identity, encompassing their cultural heritage, gender roles, and experiences as migrants or members of diaspora communities.

The goal of this project is to create a supportive environment that honours their rich cultural backgrounds while promoting financial and cultural empowerment, equality, and a sense of belonging in their adopted countries.

Our Mission:

In the tapestry of our diverse society, diaspora women stand as vibrant threads weaving stories of resilience, creativity, and strength. Our mission is to illuminate and amplify these voices, creating a dynamic cultural, social and economic space that celebrates the rich intersectionality of diaspora experiences among women.

Our Vision:

A world where diaspora women are recognised as pillars of strength, where their stories, cultures, and talents are not only acknowledged but embraced as essential threads in the fabric of our shared humanity.

Our Values:

  1. Intersectional Empowerment:

Acknowledge and empower diaspora women at the crossings of gender, culture, and migration, recognising the unique strengths that arise from these intersections. Advancing intersectional empowerment through financial and cultural inclusion and fostering entrepreneurial spirit to reach agency and independency.

2. Cultural Appreciation:

Encourage appreciation and understanding of diverse cultures, languages, and traditions. Fostering an environment of mutual respect and collaboration.

3. Inclusivity in Leadership:

Promote and support diaspora women in leadership roles across various sectors, ensuring their voices contribute to shaping policies, institutions, and cultural narratives.

4. Global Solidarity:

Foster connections and collaborations with diaspora women globally, recognising the universal aspects of their experiences and leveraging collective strength for positive change.

Join us in the celebration of diaspora women — where diversity is not just acknowledged but celebrated, and where the collective strength of these women becomes a source of inspiration and empowerment for generations to come.

For our SDGs: click here.

Photo by Luwadlin Bosman
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about uncategorized

about

At Otherness Project, we embark on a transformative journey that transcends borders and disciplines, seamlessly blending art, science, and society.

Our mission is to design sub-projects to deliver high-quality performances, workshops, and research initiatives that not only captivate audiences but also serve as catalysts for education, individual growth, and social healing.

We are dedicated to pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and creating experiences that resonate with the complexity of our interconnected world. We believe in the transformative power of art to bridge gaps, foster understanding, and ignite the spark of curiosity that fuels both individual growth and societal progress.

We cooperate in various artistic and research environments internationally. Our partners reside in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, the UK, Montenegro, and the spectrum is getting larger every year.

Join us on this global exploration where art becomes a powerful force for change, education becomes a journey of discovery, and society is enriched through the diverse narratives we weave together.

CONTACT: othernessproject@gmail.com

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OUR STORY:

Otherness Project was initiated as a third sector organisation in Helsingør, Denmark, in 2014, with a core group of artists and researchers residing in Eastern European and Nordic countries.

In Denmark, between 2014 and 2019, Otherness Project:

  • participated in 11 EU projects,
  • developed and disseminated among 8 partners organisations the social research-based Sideways Storytelling method,
  • developed 4 participatory performances with/for/by local audiences, using relational art, dialogical art, performing arts, installation art, gamification, art-and-science methods,
  • raised 2 million EUR for its sub-projects,
  • delegated 15 young professionals to participate pan-European exchange and training programmes,
  • was endorsed by the Danish Ministry of Culture for its excellence in socially engaged arts projects.

In the UK, between 2019 and 2023, Otherness Project continued its work as a grassroots organisation with global team members from the UK, Scotland, China, Italy, the US, Hungary, Romania, the Check Republic, and Colombia.

  • initiated a global object-storytelling project during the pandemic,
  • created a trilingual hybrid performance tackling both gender equity and the role of AI in human life,
  • was endorsed by the National Centre for Writing and the International PEN,
  • created a platform for intersectional voices,
  • has become a member of the prestigious publib directory: https://www.publib.co.uk/othernessproject.

An example of one of our gamified action-research performances is ‘IF’, which took part in several international artistic and research events and platforms, its methodology was published by De Gruyere and was represented in the volume Global Perspectives on Youth Art Programs, by Bristol University Press.

Our installation-performance, IF, developed with the action research methodology, invited to several festivals across Europe: Bådteatret, CPH / Actor Training in a Globalised World, CPH /Altofest, Naples (IT) / International Time Perspective Conference, Nantes (FR) / Passage Festival, Helsingor-Helsingborg (DK-SE) / Bridges Festival, Cluj-Napoca (RO) / Rahvusvahekine A-Festival (ET).

TEAM in DENMARK (2014-2019)

artistic director: Rita Sebestyen (RO/HU/DK/UK)

performer: Minni Katina Mertens (NO/DK)

performer: Sara Vilardo (IT/BE/DK)

light- and sound designer: Ivan Wahren (SE)

EU-project manager: Stine Ebbesen (DK)

dramaturge: Mira Nadina Mertens (NO/DK)

social media editor: Nora Ugron (RO/FI)

Categories
art uncategorized

if

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoBuxeNNfuk 

What would you do if you could be reborn in any body at any place? What would you do if you could choose your gender? Your lifespan? From one minute to eternity? If you could choose your surroundings? Sea? Desert? Palm-trees? If you could pick the people around you? If you could build a community from scratch? What would you do with the given hardships in your society?

If you could move around four different stages of human existence – would you? If you could join us in a crossover between science, installation, performance lecture – would you? If you could save someone – would you? Whom? Yourself? Or somebody else?

IF is a cross-over genre: a participative performance using 4 interactive installations, which invite the audience into different levels of action and interaction, by choosing life-circumstances: gender, lifespan, friends, relations, society and future. A performer leads the whole game of existence, orientating the audience among the rules of the games, reacts and responds to their actions, and, at well-defined moments, acts out roles related to the 4 stages-installations-games. Participants can choose at each stage the level of their activity from watching to acting.

Duration: 90 mins.

Language: English.

TEAM:

Rita Sebestyen (RO/HU/DK): writer and director

Minni Katina Mertens (NO/DK): performer

Sara Vilardo (IT/BE/DK): performer

Ivan Wahren (SE): light and sound designer

Mira Nadina Mertens (NO/DK): dramaturge

Stine Ebbesen (DK): videos and documentation

Trine Heller (DK): graphic design 

music courtesy of Ya Tosiba

Premiere: Bådteatret (16-21 October 2017), and: Actor Training in a Globalized World (24 October 2017).

The performance is approved by the Danish Arts Fund (Statens Kunst Fond) for the communication and ticket sale scheme (billetkøbsordningen).

“As an audience member you are free to participate to the degree you wish; as such you can observe the action or take part in it by playing. It is a quirky analogy to the real world – I would, however, recommend that you, as far as possible, allow yourself to participate actively to make the most of the experience. (…) The performance is thought-provoking, exceptionally thought-provoking even. (…) I would readily recommend this little philosophical piece as it offers a great opportunity to reflect. I was entertained!” Original review in Danish by Sofie Herdorf Krøyer, scenekanten.com, 20 October, 2017.

 

Categories
uncategorized workshops

gribskov 2018

SOUND!

How can we relate within a short time, how we communicate, if our background is different, and we do not even speak the same language?
Are we curious about each other at all? If yes, how we pose questions, and how we answer them?
How we tell our own stories, and what kind of stories we tell about ourselves?
How do we ask the others about their stories, and what kind of other stories will we be able to process, to understand? Whom can we empathise with and why?
How can we get more empathetic and communicative?

The endless series of questions were not answered, not even asked. This time, we inhabited the space, we moved around, we perceived it and ourselves and each other. Movements, gestures, sound became of high importance in establishing connection.
Sounds, the beat of the drums were able to express a wide range of emotions, feelings, and even could tell simple stories. Owning stories and narratives are the cornerstone of empowerment, self-empowerment and the ability to relate.

This workshop was offered within the framework of a Europe for Citizens programme: You Are Welcome, having 13 partners in 7 countries around Europe.

Participants: unaccompanied refugee minors and students from the Nordsjællands Efterskole.

Time: 7th and 10th March 2018.

Led by: Rita Sebestyen

Lead organizer from Gribskov: Lisbeth Eckhardt-Hansen

Assistant: Marin Hermanssdottir

Othernessproject, Gribskov Center – Red Cross, Nordsjællands Efterskole, You Are Welcome, Europe for Citizens.