180° Community Lab
Over the past nine years, 180° – Laboratory for Innovative Art has established itself as one of the most innovative and inspiring cultural events on the European scene – an event that has managed to create an environment and network for international artists to be able to create together without having to conform to set criteria; and a space where risks are possible and mistakes and failure are part of the artistic process.
With its valuable experience based on working with representatives of various international cultural organisations, participating in and creating numerous forums and lectures, the 180° team will for the first year hold the innovative Community Lab forum within the ninth edition of the 180° – laboratory for innovative art .
The forum has been developed according to an innovative European model based on stimulating the creativity of the participants and their interaction with each other, reflection and horizontal communication with a focus on the theme of the role of art and culture in society.
180° Community Lab Program
20 – 23.07.2022 – Creative Lab°
Creative Lab is a four-day workshop for students from art high schools in Sofia, with the aim to provoke the creation of an artistic interdisciplinary performance, which will be presented at the opening event of the 180° – Laboratory for Innovative Art Festival at the Toplocentrala Sofia. The initiative will include workshops on improvisation, stage presence and the creation and development of creative artistic concepts.
Participants will get the opportunity to learn more about the collective interdisciplinary artistic process that could help shape their artistic identity. Within four days, students will create their own concept, which they will present to the audience at 180°. The program is specially designed by the interdisciplinary artists Ksenia Ravvina (director, writer), Alexander Hadjiev (musician, composer, curator), Michaela Dobreva (scenographer, digital artist, teacher), who have extensive international experience in conducting cultural and educational projects.
23.07.2022 | Toplocentrala Sofia | 19:30 – This year 180° will open with a performance by students from the Sofia’s art schools, generated during the Creativity Lab (part of 180° Community Lab 2022) and led by artists Ksenia Ravvina, Mihaela Dobreva and Alexander Hadjiev. Also by tradition, 180° will provoke the audience with an open-ended experimental surprise that will introduce all the participants and the theme of the festival.
25.07.2022 – Symposium “The Role of Art in Society”
Symposium “The Role of Art in Society” is part of the 180° Community Lab program, which this year asks one of the most important questions for a cultural development, namely – what is the role of art and artists in society. In recent years, art has often been placed in the category of “entertainment and leisure”, but is this its real function? Is a change needed? What should it be? Does society need art? How independent is the free sector?
The symposium will bring together diverse representatives of the cultural (independent and product-oriented) scene to provoke them to actively engage through the exchange of experiences, ideas and discussions, formulating utopias and common values for the sector and its development. The results will be presented to the audience of the festival. In the spirit of 180°, the symposium will have an abstract and innovative aspect.
25.07.2022 | Toplocentrala Sofia | 18:30 – Results and panel of the symposium on “The Role of Art in Society”. Members of the workgroups will present their statements and diverse points of view. The event will be in Bulgarian and English language. Moderation and concept: Florence Ruckstuhl, Mihaela Dobreva and Alexandar Hadjiev.
25 – 28.07.2022 – Student Lab°
For another year 180° – laboratory for innovative art Festival (Bulgaria) in partnership with International Ensemble Modern Academy (Germany) organizes a lab for students and young professionals. The project offers the participants an active educational program led by prominent interdisciplinary professionals; work in an online platform for the exchange of ideas; work on live projects within the 180° – Laboratory for Innovative Art Festival.
The goal of the Lab is creating innovative creative projects that eliminate boundaries between disciplines and genres by going beyond traditional methods of art making and support young artists by providing an environment that encourages freedom of creativity and exploration of contemporary art trends.
28.07.2022 | Goethe-Institut Sofia | 19:30 – The students Rebecca Lawrence – double bass (USA), Jacobo Rebledillo – viola (Spain), Rebecca Blau – flute (Switzerland), Maria Tabakova – dance (Bulgaria), Gergana Ivanova – visual arts (Bulgaria) and Irina Stoyanova – dance (Bulgaria) will present the outcome of their collaboration inspired by this year’s festival theme existinct.
26 – 29.07.2022 – Improvisation Lab°
The Improvisation Lab is a four-day workshop for music students and young professionals that focuses on improvisation and ensemble playing. With his remarkable expertise, the Lab’s mentor Dietmar Wiesner will inspire participants to create a collective musical work with performative elements, which they will present at the closing event of 180° – laboratory for innovative art Festival.
29.07.2022 | Fabrica 126 | 19:30 – Outcomes of the improvisation and chamber music lab (part of the 180° Community Lab) led by flutist and co-founder of Ensemble Modern, Dietmar Wiesner.
180° Community Lab is held with the kind support and partnership of the Goethe-Institut, International Ensemble Modern Academy and Sofia Municipality.
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