TEH87 Conference “pARTicipation”

Since 2017, Zentralwerk has been a member of Trans Europe Halles (TEH), a network of self-organized cultural centers with over 100 members across Europe. In May 2019, Zentralwerk will host one of TEH’s annual meetings, this time focusing on arts and participation.

The TEH87 Conference “pARTicipation” will take place at Zentralwerk, Dresden on 16-19 May 2019.

TEH (Trans Europe Halles) Conference #87 aims to share and exchange methods for activating civil society and independent creative and cultural actors through artistic means and strategies, the training of stakeholders and the development of recommendations for action for the cultural and creative industries.

The central potential of art lies in opening access to other ways of thinking and seeing the world. An important possibility of artistic work is to create encounters in which all participants can perceive themselves as actors within the artistic process. In order to enable an encounter at eye level, it is important that the initiators of the participatory work also understand it as a process with an open outcome.

At the conference we will recognise potentials, discuss difficulties and develop concepts. This creates knowledge that can be internalised, shared and passed on by all participants. Ideally, participants themselves become future initiators and the process radiates step by step into even larger groups.

The conference will offer participants a variety of opportunities to exchange artistic strategies and working methods that enable citizens throughout Europe to experience participation in social processes.