Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TPAAE (Transcultural Perspective in Art and Art Education)
Período documentado: 2020-02-03 hasta 2022-06-02
The project Transcultural Perspectives in Art and Art Education (TPAAE) investigates contemporary art in Europe and East Africa, and forms of art education on both continents in transcultural perspective.
Innovative in our approach is setting up the theoretical and practical dialogue, recognizing mutual artistic and cultural influences between Europe and East Africa since times of Great Avant-garde until contemporary globalization; in the same time valuing cultural heritage and opening it for modern transformations for the sake of community and social development.
The profound research in transcultural perspectives on art and art education is realized within the TPAAE project by the Consortium containing academic and non-academic institutions from Poland, Italy, and Kenya. International and intersectoral mobility guarantees high level and effective sharing of knowledge. All the institutions investigate art, culture and cultural heritage and have various complementing each other competences, allowing for research and implementation of its effects into practice.
Transcultural perspective is the response to the three main strategies for the reduction of otherness developed due to globalization: egocentrism, logocentrism and ethnocentrism, and is essential, today more than ever, to persuade individuals to appreciate cultural diversity and to recognize the importance of defending and promoting tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
The TPAAE project is developing according to three lines, each having its specific goals:
1) theoretical - researching on relations between East African and European art,
2) academic - elaborating and implementing the programme in Fine Arts and Design at PUC in dialogue with European institutions,
3) practical - supporting the development of art scene in the region in Kenya.
Innovative in our approach is setting up the theoretical and practical dialogue, recognizing mutual artistic and cultural influences between Europe and East Africa since times of Great Avant-garde until contemporary globalization; in the same time valuing cultural heritage and opening it for modern transformations for the sake of community and social development.
The profound research in transcultural perspectives on art and art education is realized within the TPAAE project by the Consortium containing academic and non-academic institutions from Poland, Italy, and Kenya. International and intersectoral mobility guarantees high level and effective sharing of knowledge. All the institutions investigate art, culture and cultural heritage and have various complementing each other competences, allowing for research and implementation of its effects into practice.
Transcultural perspective is the response to the three main strategies for the reduction of otherness developed due to globalization: egocentrism, logocentrism and ethnocentrism, and is essential, today more than ever, to persuade individuals to appreciate cultural diversity and to recognize the importance of defending and promoting tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
The TPAAE project is developing according to three lines, each having its specific goals:
1) theoretical - researching on relations between East African and European art,
2) academic - elaborating and implementing the programme in Fine Arts and Design at PUC in dialogue with European institutions,
3) practical - supporting the development of art scene in the region in Kenya.
In the first two years of the project, the partners and beneficiaries have implemented secondments for 99,34 researchers’ months out of planned 110, what is 90,31% of the plan. The mobilities were carried out by 57 researchers: 27 from AASZ, 3 from UNIMC, 6 from NMS, 11 from BtB, 4 from PUC and 6 from KU.
The structure of the research work in the TPAAE project was perfected and confirmed during the first secondment, when partners discussed three interconnected research lines in the TPAAE project: (1) research on art in East Africa and Europe; (2) art-based research in transcultural dialogue; (3) transcultural art education development. These paths are still ongoing and evolving.
The communication of TPAAE is realized through the official website of the project and social networks (Instagram, Facebook). In addition, the partners/beneficiaries make official communications on their institutional pages in several languages. This allows us to reach many targets of people, also through the use of images as a communicative channel of the project, its progress, the events realized, and the objectives achieved.
The dissemination is coordinated by AASZ with the contribution of all research units. There are multiple channels of diffusion at local, regional, national, and international levels. At the end of the first period, we consider the chosen strategy as effective, as it has used numerous tools: seminars, workshops, presentations at conferences, exhibitions, festivals, and also radio and television broadcasting, and newspaper and magazine coverages. First articles in scientific journals and essays in volumes that are effects of the TPAAE project are in the process of publication.
Art education
In 2020 and 2021 the interdisciplinary and international team (consisting of researchers from PUC, KU, UNIMC, AASZ) worked on development of Art & Design programmes at the Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree level that are being implemented at the Pwani University, since September 2022. Many seminars and workshops (live and online) led to finalizing the programmes and pushing them through subsequent steps of accreditation. Now, in June 2022 the programmes are being staffed and equipped.
There were also other educational activities realized in the first period by AASZ and UNIMC at PUC and KU in 2020 and 2021.
Art-based research
In 2021 the international team (consisting of AASZ, NMS, UNIMC, PU, KU, BtB) realized two editions of art festival DUOS: “Community” (February-March 2021) and “Women Power” (August-September 2021) in Kilifi, Kenya and two exhibitions after the festivals: “Community” and “Women Power” (November 2021-January 2022) in National Museum in Szczecin, Poland.
All together 15 number of art works within the project were realized and one, documentary film, is in the process of postproduction.
Art research
Within the TPPAE project there is conducted research on:
- Kenyan film history
- Kenyan culture and creative industries
- Contemporary Kenyan art and its relations to European art
- Transformations of cultural heritage
- Transcultural character of women’s bodily practices
- Visual paths of slave trade in the cultural environment in the region of Kilifi
- Contemporary cultural mixed identity expressed through transformed traditional Masaai body paintings
At the end of the first period, we are satisfied with the results achieved, although there were objective challenges in the project development. Thanks to good cooperation, communication, and flexibility of all the partners and beneficiaries, and constant monitoring the situation in the world and project’s development by the Project Board it was possible to realize most of the activities planned for the first period.
The structure of the research work in the TPAAE project was perfected and confirmed during the first secondment, when partners discussed three interconnected research lines in the TPAAE project: (1) research on art in East Africa and Europe; (2) art-based research in transcultural dialogue; (3) transcultural art education development. These paths are still ongoing and evolving.
The communication of TPAAE is realized through the official website of the project and social networks (Instagram, Facebook). In addition, the partners/beneficiaries make official communications on their institutional pages in several languages. This allows us to reach many targets of people, also through the use of images as a communicative channel of the project, its progress, the events realized, and the objectives achieved.
The dissemination is coordinated by AASZ with the contribution of all research units. There are multiple channels of diffusion at local, regional, national, and international levels. At the end of the first period, we consider the chosen strategy as effective, as it has used numerous tools: seminars, workshops, presentations at conferences, exhibitions, festivals, and also radio and television broadcasting, and newspaper and magazine coverages. First articles in scientific journals and essays in volumes that are effects of the TPAAE project are in the process of publication.
Art education
In 2020 and 2021 the interdisciplinary and international team (consisting of researchers from PUC, KU, UNIMC, AASZ) worked on development of Art & Design programmes at the Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree level that are being implemented at the Pwani University, since September 2022. Many seminars and workshops (live and online) led to finalizing the programmes and pushing them through subsequent steps of accreditation. Now, in June 2022 the programmes are being staffed and equipped.
There were also other educational activities realized in the first period by AASZ and UNIMC at PUC and KU in 2020 and 2021.
Art-based research
In 2021 the international team (consisting of AASZ, NMS, UNIMC, PU, KU, BtB) realized two editions of art festival DUOS: “Community” (February-March 2021) and “Women Power” (August-September 2021) in Kilifi, Kenya and two exhibitions after the festivals: “Community” and “Women Power” (November 2021-January 2022) in National Museum in Szczecin, Poland.
All together 15 number of art works within the project were realized and one, documentary film, is in the process of postproduction.
Art research
Within the TPPAE project there is conducted research on:
- Kenyan film history
- Kenyan culture and creative industries
- Contemporary Kenyan art and its relations to European art
- Transformations of cultural heritage
- Transcultural character of women’s bodily practices
- Visual paths of slave trade in the cultural environment in the region of Kilifi
- Contemporary cultural mixed identity expressed through transformed traditional Masaai body paintings
At the end of the first period, we are satisfied with the results achieved, although there were objective challenges in the project development. Thanks to good cooperation, communication, and flexibility of all the partners and beneficiaries, and constant monitoring the situation in the world and project’s development by the Project Board it was possible to realize most of the activities planned for the first period.
TThe engagement in the TPAAE project contributes to realizing the potential of individuals and provides new skills, enhances their knowledge and career perspectives.
Collaboration started within the TPAAE project is growing, including new cooperating organisations from academic, administrative, and artistic fields. After signing the Memorandum of Understanding with Technological University of Mombasa with Academy of Art in Szczecin (TUM), TUM entered the TPAAE Consortium in place of BtB. This move was motivated with foreseen better sustainability of the project’s results while cooperating with Kenyan university on the coast that can contract artists in workshops and laboratories, which gives better perspectives in supporting these artists in cooperating with events companies in pandemic times (that is, with BtB).
The TPAAE project also allowed for setting up the Erasmus+ exchange between KU and PU with AASZ, for teachers coming to Poland and to Kenya, and for Kenyan students studying in Poland.
Additionally, in 2021 the Board of Arts organized the competition for young artists within first DUOS Festival on the subject “Community”. Students from AASZ, UNIMC, PUC, and KU participated, and the winning student Gendo is from PUC, what allowed to present his painting at the international exhibition in NMS in Poland.
The partnership is sustainable due to established cooperation within Erasmus and Erasmus+ programmes. It is also needed from of AASZ and UNIMC to support art education at PUC also after the end of the project, what was discussed and initially settled during meeting with Vice-Chancellor at PUC.
The cooperation established with various art and culture centers on the Kenyan coast, with Kilifi County Government (Department of Culture), with Alliance Francoise and with local stakeholders.
Collaboration started within the TPAAE project is growing, including new cooperating organisations from academic, administrative, and artistic fields. After signing the Memorandum of Understanding with Technological University of Mombasa with Academy of Art in Szczecin (TUM), TUM entered the TPAAE Consortium in place of BtB. This move was motivated with foreseen better sustainability of the project’s results while cooperating with Kenyan university on the coast that can contract artists in workshops and laboratories, which gives better perspectives in supporting these artists in cooperating with events companies in pandemic times (that is, with BtB).
The TPAAE project also allowed for setting up the Erasmus+ exchange between KU and PU with AASZ, for teachers coming to Poland and to Kenya, and for Kenyan students studying in Poland.
Additionally, in 2021 the Board of Arts organized the competition for young artists within first DUOS Festival on the subject “Community”. Students from AASZ, UNIMC, PUC, and KU participated, and the winning student Gendo is from PUC, what allowed to present his painting at the international exhibition in NMS in Poland.
The partnership is sustainable due to established cooperation within Erasmus and Erasmus+ programmes. It is also needed from of AASZ and UNIMC to support art education at PUC also after the end of the project, what was discussed and initially settled during meeting with Vice-Chancellor at PUC.
The cooperation established with various art and culture centers on the Kenyan coast, with Kilifi County Government (Department of Culture), with Alliance Francoise and with local stakeholders.