CTM project #shares: 2023 Knowledge Roundtable

What is CTM project?

Cultural Transformation Movement (CTM) project is a context-based process to diversify artistic production and its destination starting from within the organisation. It is led by Trans Europe Halles with four of TEH members, Brunnenpassage from Austria, VIERNULVIER from Belgium, Zo centro culture contemporanee from Italy, IZOLYATSIA. Platform for Cultural Initiatives from Ukraine. With the Cultural Transformation Movement project, we are taking real steps, making genuine commitments and openly sharing experiences with the other TEH members about how to make social justice a priority in arts, culture and creative industries. Funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, the Cultural Transformation Movement project is designed for four years (2023-2027) and aims to transform the participating cultural organisations, so they include and reflect the full range of backgrounds and perspectives to be found in European society today.

What is Knowledge Roundtable?

Knowledge Roundtable is an essential part of the CTM project happening on the transnational, collective level. Facilitated by Israel Aloni, the CTM project researcher, Knowledge Roundtable is an annual meet-up at TEH Camp Meeting aiming to present the so-far research findings, as well as share and collectively reflect on the important project knowledge and valuable insights collected by the CTM project researcher over the past year. The CTM project knowledge is being built gradually over the years 2024-2027 and will eventually culminate in the CTM project final publication.

CTM project partners are active participants of Knowledge Roundtable, together with other TEH members who are invited to participate as observers.

What was the first Knowledge Roundtable held at 2023 TEH Camp Meeting 96 'Reboot' about?

The first Knowledge Roundtable that took place in October 2023 at annual TEH Camp Meeting 96 looked at the notion of representation.

• Are there advantages in being "invited to the table"?
• Are there disadvantages in being “the one”? How much weight is placed on the shoulders of those who expected to be doing the representation?
• The CTM project uses the terminology “underrepresented communities” to refer to those who are too often overlooked. How much representation can indeed remedy underrepresentation?

From the report: "We often think of representation as an aspirational concept. However, when we unpack some of the problems with the notion of individuals representing a community, we learn that we must readjust our perspective to interact with those who are too often underrepresented".

Interested in the topic of diversity and social justice in arts and culture? Willing to explore various methodologies about how to approach social justice and diversity? Curious to read more about what was discussed during 2023 Knowledge Roundtable of Cultural Transformation Movement (CTM) project?