Sommerakademie Paul Klee: call for applications 2023/24

Travel, lodging, visa fees, and a daily allowance of CHF 50 are all covered. Residents who use production facilities are entitled to a CHF 500 production subsidy. Each year of the cycle also has a pot of money that can be distributed collectively.

Curatorial Framework 2023/24
Because of the world’s recurring fragility and catastrophe, it is more important than ever to develop deep ties with people, to place oneself in and act from a feeling of community. Simultaneously, there has been a substantial increase in knowledge of the complexities of care and the extremely sensitive approaches required to establish meaningful and inclusive ways of being with others in recent years.

The SPK 2023/24 cycle seeks to bring together a group of residents who have worked with others in crisis or conflict modes in cultural, activist, or educational contexts. This cycle is interested in the methodology of collaborative working practices and economics, as well as the reflection and awareness that emerge from groups whose practices imagine other ways of engaging to one another. The program intends to expand its range of resonance in collaboration with the inhabitants, based on the recognition that such practices are always highly distinctive to their surroundings. In light of this, the program recommends a loose framework with freedom for group decisions and the ability to accept adjustments in its focus and direction.

Timeline
–The first meeting in Bern will take place from August 12–19, 2023.
–The second meeting in Bern is planned for mid-August 2024.
–Between summer 2023 and late 2024 the group will sporadically meet online.
–In spring or autumn 2024, for periods of up to five days, residents will have access to HKB infrastructure and technical support. During that time, they will also conduct workshops or studio visits with HKB students, remunerated at the standard local rates.

SPK
In 2006, the Sommerakademie im Zentrum Paul Klee pioneered a groundbreaking educational model—a carefully curated retreat for international artists—a format that soon spread throughout Europe. In 2017, the newly reformed SPK revived this framework, combining rigorous collaborative inquiry with the benefits of production-oriented residencies. The SPK serves practitioners working at the postgraduate level, regardless of whether they have an official diploma to prove it. Practical experience as a member of artistic and activist groups, as well as an openness to engage in a process of sharing and learning from one another, are required. This call for applications encourages practitioners from many disciplines such as culture, education, and activism to apply. More than one person from the same collective or group may apply, or a collective application may be submitted, designating one to two representatives who will alternate in taking part in the residency. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2023 (7 a.m. CET); selected candidates will be notified on March 30, 2023.

Requirements
–application file (more info on the following website) to be submitted digitally by March 15, 2023, 7am CET
–availability for a short Zoom interview March 29, 2023
–a firm commitment over the entire span of the programme