Working Landscapes
The Working in LANDscapes project brings together major arts organisations and festivals which work in outdoor, landscape-based and location specific settings who have built up a huge amount of knowledge and practical insights. These organisations join forces with an NGO from the educational sector, Learning Hub Friesland in the Netherlands. The partners, led by Oerol Festival (Netherlands), Activate Performing Arts (UK), Le Citron Jaune (France), Aktivny Park Rajec (Slovakia) and Bodo 2024 (Norway).
The Covid-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the cultural sector in Europe; artists and programmers were challenged to adapt their work to new settings, with outdoor settings in landscapes being a prime solution to socially distanced cultural programming.
By connecting and training artists and also the landscape professionals they will need to work with to develop their skills, the Working in LANDscapes project aims to upskill creative and landscape professionals in how to work together in their landscape settings.
In light of the climate emergency, as well as the pandemic, reflecting on society’s relationship with nature, in rural and urban settings has never been more pressing, and is one of the most important ways in which the cultural and creative sectors can contribute to the greening of our societies. By giving landscape professionals the chance to work with creatives, we also equip them with new skills and ways of engaging with the users of their landscape and furthering the often complex discussions around the protection of our natural world.
The project, funded by Erasmus + includes 4 transnational project meetings and 2 blended training programmes. The blended training weeks brought together the 40 cultural and landscape professionals who share learning in how to use site-specific and landscape-based cultural interventions to build their skills and expand their professional and employment opportunities. These two activities offer the project the chance to expand the impact and reach of the project far beyond the consortium by creating livestreamed moments where professionals from across Europe can be inspired, and relevant dissemination of content with practical tips and personal stories to spread the word even further and ensure reach throughout the project lifespan and beyond.
The project builds on the success of the LAND project, led by Oerol (Netherlands) with Activate Performing Arts (UK), Le Citron Jaune (France) and Plaac Festival (Hungary) funded by Creative Europe.
Cover photo: partners meeting in Port St Luis with artists, scientists and engineers. Photo by Katarina Mackova, Aktivny Park Rajec (Slovakia)
