The Cultural Innovators Network (CIN) announces the Call for Participants for the CIN Culture Open Source Forum 2017, which will take place in Berlin, Germany, on the 31st August, 1st and 2nd of September 2017, at the Forum Factory. How can cultural organisations use participatory approaches and open source methodologies to create and manage co-produced cultural initiatives? How can we combine flexible, non-hierarchical structures with efficiency and impact? What are the best tools and models to enhance participation and community engagement in both virtual and physical environment? How can we learn from our past experiences and co-produce stronger initiatives with more impact in local communities and the interconnected Mediterranean region? We want to reflect on all these questions and beyond, inviting CIN members and representatives of other cultural initiatives and organisations across the Mediterranean region1 to the first CIN Culture Open Source forum, an unconference built upon its participants’ needs and contributions around the broad theme of participation. Three days of roundtables, workshops, plenary debates, speeches to share best practices, challenges, and visions. The participants will formulate recommendations and action plans to strengthen the culture of participation in the region both on a grassroots level and on a cultural policy and advocacy one. The Cultural Innovators Network is a hybrid community of cultural workers from countries across the Mediterranean. CIN members are artists, cultural managers, civil society professionals, media practitioners, activists who use cultural co-production to engage with and provoke social transformation in their communities and the Mediterranean region as a whole. Through participatory approaches and a non-hierarchical organisational structure, CIN bridges people and ideas, provides an open space for collaboration and promotes mechanisms of democratic, inclusive discourse, exchange of working experiences, embracement of cutting-edge perspectives, and mutual learning and understanding. In the past five years, CIN has consistently been experimenting with its self-organisation and cross-cultural projects co-production. Since its establishment in 2012, CIN members have transformed social, cultural, and organisational challenges into opportunities for growth, collaboration, and transformation. We have challenged borders’ constraints, physical distance, political and social changes, through creativity and innovation, finding solutions in diversity and knowledge sharing. We now want to share this journey with other initiatives and organisations, starting from mutual success stories, experiences, and failures, and exchanging ideas on how to move forward together. One of our CINspiration, a quote from our member Hanja, states: “As an individual, you have only limited possibilities to change your environment, while you are often much stronger as a group.” This year’s forum wants not only to talk about participation but to enact participation.

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We are looking for representatives of organisations legally based and/or working in/with countries in the Mediterranean region. As much as this term has a blurry and flexible definition, the Cultural Innovators Network currently focuses on, and is looking for organisations from these countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey. If you live outside this region but you are representing an organisation that fits in the geographical scope of the Culture Opens Source forum, please do apply.



Are you ready to take on the challenge? If you are part of a cultural organisation or initiative using participatory approaches, read the guidelines below and follow this link to apply online OR fill the offline application below and send it to [email protected]. For practical reasons, we would prefer to receive online applications when possible. The deadline for submission is Sunday, 11th of June 2017, 23.00 (Berlin time).

Culture Open Source is a 10-months project of the Cultural Innovators Network in partnership with the GoetheInstitut. The process has already started with a decentralised research on participatory practices in the Mediterranean region and three Local Preparatory Meetings in Jordan, Serbia, and Greece, carried out and curated by groups of CIN members to map local initiatives and collect data on common challenges and best practices in the use of participatory approaches. The findings will be reviewed by CIN Research Working Group and presented during the Forum as a basis for further discussion and work. To engage in our journey towards the Forum and start interacting with CIN members, follow our social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and stay tuned!

Contact information: If you need to contact the organisation team, send an email to: [email protected] Website: www.culturalinnovators.org (for updated information, stay tuned for our brand-new website coming live by the end of May!) Dates: 31 August, 1 and 2 September 2017 Location: Forum Factory, Berlin (http://www.forum-factory.de/Eventgallerie-Seminar-undTagungslocation.1.0.html).

Cultural Innovators Network is supported by the Goethe-Institut as part of the German-Arab Transformation Partnership and is financed by the German Federal Foreign Office.



APPLICATION GUIDELINES The following assessment criteria will be taken into consideration for the selection of participants:

ORGANISATION

Organisation’s background in terms of: •

Geographical scope

We are looking for organisations which geographical scope is the Mediterranean region. As much as this term may have a blurry and flexible definition, the Cultural Innovators Network currently focuses on, and is looking for organisations legally based and/or working in/with the following countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey

The selection process will take into consideration the balanced geographical distribution of participants and organisations. •

Participatory approach in its management, implementation, and/or project creation

We are looking for formal and informal organisations, networks, initiatives, among others, coming from public, civil and private sectors, in the field of culture, that have experience in using participatory approaches in their organisational structure, management and/or planning, creation, implementation, and evaluation of different activities (e.g.: projects, courses, performances, researches). The term “participatory approach” comprehends all the organisational structures, tools, and methodologies actively involving ‘the public’ in planning, decisionmaking, implementation, and/or evaluation processes, whereby the relevant ‘public’ may be citizens, members of a community/network/organisation, the stakeholders of a particular project or policy, etc. Participation is based on non-hierarchical management, peer collaboration, and knowledge sharing. •

Experience

We are looking for participants that have implemented the above mentioned participatory approaches in a number of activities and/or in their daily management. Whether you are part of an initiative, collective, project team, social enterprise, association, network, organization, educational institute, hub, among else, your experience, point of view, success stories, challenges, and even failures, are at the core of this forum. We are not looking for many years of experience, but for relevant experience. So whether you are part of a 20-years-old organisation, or a recently established initiative, do apply. Examples we can think of are: a public cultural centre, a music band, an independent theatre group, an NGO/CSO, social innovation project, educational institutes, art collectives, academic departments, researchers’ groups, community initiatives, international network, festivals, etc.)

DELEGATE

Organisation’s representative’s relevance in terms of: • • •

Role in the organisation Experience in relation to participatory practices Relevance and clarity of the motivations, expectations, and proposals (in relation to topics suggested and follow-up)

ASSET: CONTRIBUTION Not mandatory but constituting an asset in case of equally relevant applications.

Contribution in terms of: • •

Proposed session (relevancy, use of participatory approaches, innovation, expected outcomes/outputs) Proposed artistic content (feasibility, relevancy in terms of participatory approaches, innovation)

Follow this link to apply online OR fill the offline application below and send it to [email protected]. For practical reasons, we would prefer to receive online applications when possible. The deadline for submission is Sunday, 11th of June 2017, 23.00 (Berlin time). We will get back to you by the end of June. In the meantime, continue follow our journey towards the Culture Open Source Forum on CIN social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). For any question, write an email to [email protected]





APPLICATION FORM

I - Personal Information

1. Name and Surname

2. Date of Birth

3. Gender

4. Nationality

5. Current residency * We are looking for representatives of organisations legally based and/or working in/with countries in the Mediterranean region. The applicant’s organisation’s main geographical scope should be the Mediterranean region. As much as this term may have a blurry and flexible definition, the Cultural Innovators Network currently focuses on, and is looking for organisations from these countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey

If you live outside this region but you are representing an organisation that fits in the geographical scope of the Culture Opens Source Forum, please do apply.

6. Telephone (including international code)

7. E-mail

II - Organisation

1. Name of the organisation you represent

2. Website of the organization

3. Type of organisation * We are looking for formal and informal organisations, networks, initiatives, among others, coming from public, civil, and private sectors, in the field of culture. Whether you are part of an initiative, collective, project team, social enterprise, association, network, organization, educational institute, hub, among else, your experience, point of view, success stories, challenges, and even failures, are the core of this forum. We are not looking for many years of experience, but for relevant experience. So, whether you are part of a 20-years-old organisation, or a recently established initiative, do apply. Examples we can think of are: a public cultural centre, a music band, an independent theatre group, an NGO/CSO, social innovation project, educational institutes, art collectives, academic departments, researchers’ groups, community initiatives, international network, festivals, etc.)

4. What is the organisation’s geographical scope? * We are looking for organisations which geographical scope is the Mediterranean region. As much as this term has a blurry and flexible definition, the Cultural Innovators Network currently focuses on, and is looking for organisations legally based and/or working in/with the following countries: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Tunisia, Turkey

5. Aims and Activities of the organization

6. Does the organisation use participatory approaches in its management and/or projects creation/implementation? If yes, can you provide further explanation and examples? * The term “participatory approaches” in cultural organisations and initiatives comprehends all the organisational structures, tools, and methodologies actively involving ‘the public’ in planning, decision-making, implementation, and/or evaluation processes, whereby the relevant ‘public’ may be citizens, members of a community/network/organisation, the stakeholders of a particular project or policy, etc. Participation is based on non-hierarchical management, peer collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

7. How can your organisation contribute to the Culture Open Source forum?

8. Is your organisation open to future partnership with CIN?

III - Delegate’s experience

1. What is your role/responsibility within the organization you are representing?

2. What is your educational background?

3. Please, specify your level of English

4. Do you have experience in the field of participatory approaches? If yes, please specify

5. How do participatory approaches and tools impact your daily life?

IV - Delegate’s motivations and expectations

1. Why do you want to participate to the Culture Open Source Forum 2017?

2. What specific topics would you like to see in the agenda and why?

3. What do you expect to gain from the Culture Open Source Forum 2017?

V - Contribution to the Forum * Your participation itself is already a great contribution to the programme of the Culture Open Source Forum 2017! The contribution in terms of workshop or artistic content is not mandatory but it will constitute an asset in case of equally relevant applications. Feel free to skip the next two sections if you don’t want to propose a further contribution to the Forum.

1. Would you like to propose and lead a session/workshop/activity? If yes, please respond to the following questions: 1.1.

Name of the session

1.2.

Goals of the session (outcomes and outputs)

1.3.

Description of the session (including content and methodology used)

1.4.

Length of the session

1.5.

Indicative number of participants

1.6.

Needed space and equipment

2. Would you like to propose any artistic content for the Forum’s closing cultural event? If yes, please respond to the following questions: * The closing event of the Forum will be a participants-curated and implemented cultural event open to the public, taking place on the afternoon and evening of the 2nd of September. It will see the performances, installations, exhibitions, and other kinds of cultural expression proposed by the Forum’s participants. The artistic content needs to fit within the theme of participation. Ideally we are looking for artistic content that is participatory in its creation and/or implementation/execution. We will provide space and basic equipment and we might be able to provide some funding for the production cost of some selected artistic contents (up to € 500 each)

2.1. Type of artistic content (exhibition, music or theatre performance, art installation, DJ set, etc.)

2.2. Describe the concept and content

2.3. Is your artistic content participatory in its creation or execution? If yes, please specify

2.4. Needed space and equipment

2.5. How long do you need to set up your proposed content?

2.6. Length of the performance (if applicable)

2.7. Did you present this artistic content before? If yes, can you provide any link?

2.8. Please, provide an indicative breakdown of the budget * The maximum amount of budget we might be able to cover for each artistic production is up to € 500. Please, specify any potential cost for printing, shipping, special equipment that needs to be rented or any other cost related to technical needs.

2.9. Are you and/or your organisation able to cover the budget for the artistic content?



VI - Follow up

How would you contribute to the follow up of the Culture Open Source Forum 2017?

VII - Source of Funding * The Cultural Innovators Network may be able to provide travel grants only to a limited number of participants Lunch and coffee breaks will be provided during the three days of the Forum. Accommodation costs will not be covered.

1. Are you able to cover your travel and accommodation expenses?

2. Is any other organisation/body covering your travel and accommodation expenses?

3. Do you need assistance in acquiring the visa to Germany?

Thank you very much for your application and good luck! We will get back by the end of June. In the meantime, continue follow our journey towards the Culture Open Source Forum on CIN social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). For any question, write an email to [email protected]