In many ways, art is a powerful contribution to cultural survival. Artists can reflect the values and aspirations of their own society and of humanity. In confronting human, social & environmental issues, artists have addressed their art to, and involved, whole communities. This, in order to help people confront poverty and trauma and preserve traditions and values. And artist, as we know, can transcend and even change society as well as reflect its, sometimes problematic, history. At the same time, collecting and sharing their stories, visions and ideas will improve and expand the knowledge and insights about vulnerable communities for all of us.
So '8 Visions of Hope', is an inspiring project that explores how art, artists & musicians as positive change agents can help in the realization of the eight UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
'8 Visions of Hope', is an inspiring project that explores how art, artists & musicians as positive change agents can help in the realization of the eight UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)*.
The whole project exists of four integral connected sections
1. The teachings
2. The stories
3. The network
4. The visions
1. ‘The teachings’ exists of a number of workshops, master classes and art projects around the concept ‘8 Visions of Hope’. These teachings will stimulate and empower artists, art institutions and their communities in the South. This all will be organized in cooperation with the local art institutions & artists. By the ‘end’ of the project in 2015, ‘8 Visions of Hope’ has inspired and empowered artists in 16 countries.
2. In ‘the stories’ we collect stories, opinions and visions from the artists and their communities. Their stories will be shared and published into several inspiring publications, like; a documentary film, audio CD, DVD, an e-book and a paper publication.
3. ‘The network’ is an online social network (Web 2.0) that facilitates knowledge sharing, and promotes networking and artistic exchange.
4. ‘The visions’ contains the series of eight works of art, the ‘8 Visions of Hope’. These works of art were already exhibited at different places, like Amsterdam, Paris (UNESCO), Norway and Brussels, and will be exhibited at many more places around the world. These eight works are available for sale as hand signed and limited editions of 189 each. These sales will finance ‘the teachings’ 'the network' and ‘the stories’.
‘8 Visions of Hope’ is like planting, collecting and sharing seeds of creativity, hope and beauty in vulnerable communities around the world. Spreading and sharing these seeds will be made possible by the people, organizations and companies who are willing to be involved by having these inspiring '8 Visions of Hope' on their walls.
*The MDGs are eight international development goals that 189 United Nations member states have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. These goals include reducing poverty & child mortality, promoting gender equality, fighting disease epidemics such as AIDS, environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.
With workshops & master classes in developing countries, artists and art students will learn how to generate awareness on the MDGs with their art & music, and how they can inspire others to take action.
So ‘8 Visions of Hope’ will;
give those creative individuals voice, collect and share their work, stories & knowledge as well as encourage their role in inspiring their community, particularly in achieving the MDGs,
support the interdisciplinary approach of arts & social development,
push the awareness about the MDGs,
promote freedom of cultural expressions.
Outputs of '8 Visions of Hope' by 2015:
a strong and inspiring knowledge network between artists, art institutions, companies and NGO’s
16 workshops, 32 master classes and 16 art projects are organized in 16 countries
16 art schools, 16 art institutions, 192 artists, 80 art teachers and 1600 art students are involved and are empowered with knowledge and skills to inspire their communities
Art connecting to the MDG's,
Financing the greatest part by selling the works of art that are telling the stories of the MDGs, like a kind of eco-system.. By doing so we also get companies involved.
The knowledge and insights learned during the project will be published in a workshop manual together with the necessary papers and templates. All these materials will be available online as digital toolkit under a free of copyright license.
The knowledge network is an online social network (Web 2.0) that facilitates knowledge sharing, and promotes networking and artistic exchange. We will setup the network and during the project we will help to connect the participants to this social network that can be found at: 8visionsofhope.ning.com or at www.8visonsofhope.org/network This address becomes the central hub where the other ‘8 Visions of Hope’ network accounts and tools will come together, like; LinkedIn group, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Flickr.
For getting access to a bigger market, two things are important for the artists. One is their visibility and reach-ability and two is access to other art networks, artists initiatives and NGO’s. In the workshops we will teach the artists to connect to these initiatives and how this can improve their cultural entrepreneurship. Examples are; Africa Unsigned, African Colors, Arts Collaboratory, Penya Africa, Free Dimensional, Theatre Embassy.
All the artistic outcomes of the project will be stored in a multi-media database and will be published online.
Developing network, finishing project plan, get companies involved, PR, developing the technical part and seed money to be able to overcome the first year and start with the first workshops.
