Culture Crops: cultural practices in non-urban territories sparks the debate on peripheral territories. Where does their territory begin and where it does it end? How do they see themselves and how are they seen by others? What are they and how do they work? The forum will take place in Constance (Germany) from the 23th to the 26th october. To provoke discussion on these themes, we propose to work in three conceptual blocks:
1. Dynamics & Organisation
How are rural communities, artists, activists, museums and other collectives creating structures and devices capable of proposing other forms of participation in their community life? What kind of opportunities does digitisation offer, particularly in terms of decentralisation? How does cultural work develop in peripheral areas? Are de-industrialised and delocalised economies creating other forms of work? How can cultural workers make a living in rural contexts? How can cultural practices be sustainable in this context?
2. Urban-Rural Discrepancies
Does the image of modern life belong only in urban territories? Could the lack of a utopian urban life form the basis for a new kind of romanticism towards the rural? What does it mean to be an artist in a rural context? How can we encourage a change of perspective regarding cultural production in non-urban territories? How can we give better visibility and support artistic practices in non-urban areas?
3. Blurred Borderlines
Can “places-in-between” - border areas, suburbia - become an experimental ground to rethink mobility and rights at all levels? Are we shifting back to nomadism? Are these emerging paradigm changes more visible in rural areas? Are transitional spaces a better environment for cross-disciplinary practices and diverse community interaction that can go beyond the norm and therefore provide the most fertile ground for emerging cultural and social projects?
Format
Culture Crops is a conference on the road. Various thematic itineraries are proposed to the participants in order to experience the diversity of models of practice present in the region. These visits include facilitated debate and exchange between similar practices from other parts of Europe and offers an opportunity for learning and peer-to-peer exchange. The conference aims to jointly develop CAE advocacy approach to the culture and the arts in rural and peripheral areas to be further applied in our policy actions.
The conference will also feature high level keynote speeches and panel discussions, as well as capacity building workshops and a project agora.