There There

We've had a few intense months, and Alessandra Cianetti kindly provoked us to reflect on our work, research and planning over this period of time for .

You can listen to our thoughts below, and read an interview with Copenhagen-based Hamide Design Studio's founders, Şeyda and Seda Özçetin, on immigration, human rights, racism and power. Displayed on the studio windows following their unlawful deportation, the gesture is an act of resistance.

There There | December 2018 Alessandra Cianetti: Dana and Bojana you have founded There There – a 50% Romanian 50% Serbian performance company – in 2010 and I have been lucky enough to attend both Eastern European…

Great news this Monday morning; our friends from KAJET Journal have a new distributor in the UK, which means you can purchase their second issue below.

Editorial excerpt from 'On Utopias':

"Focusing on revolts and rebels, on insurgency and visionaries, on the speculative and idealistic, the second issue of KAJET Journal seeks to decipher and resurface utopian alternatives. At a time when the guarantee of liberal Westernism has reached a certain point of saturation in Eastern Europe, we’ve come to realise that we have been tricked into distrusting the existence of an alternative modernity, dooming ourselves to decades of stagnating, catching up, and forever emerging. In fact, utopia itself has become utopian—a forsaken relic of the past, a symbol of failure.

But storming palaces and booing speeches bear no meaning any longer, for these counter-hegemonic tactics have become largely ineffectual. We ultimately need to replace these excessive sentiments of powerlessness and disorientation with a new futurology of the East. We need to proclaim the end of the end of history, to reclaim the future, and to start building. Eventually, we end up asking ourselves:

Is there room for utopia after utopia?"

Happy reading!

www.antennebooks.com

If you're around Pimlico tonight, we'd love to see you at Iniva - Institute of International Visual Arts; we'll be discussing the invisibility of Eastern European minorities in art spaces with Lina Džuverović.

As part of the 'Duties of Self-Care' Research Network.

➡️18:30-20:30⬅️

Chelsea College of Arts,
Billiards Room, 45 Millbank, SW1P 4RQ

Research Network: The Invisible Other Who are Eastern Europeans? In the media, they are a perpetual danger to the economy and cultural cohesion. In certain public spaces they are invisible. Classified as ‘other’ on equal opportunity forms in the UK, they do not fit within the traditional segmentation of diversity and sit uncomfortab...

Can't take these two anywhere! They performed palm readings last night, and claim the future's not looking bright. Who knew?
Thank you, Being Human Festival for having us in Portsmouth for the day.

Standing on the shoulders of giants here with: Ana Turos, Alina Cristea Adriana Minu, Catalina Bolozan and Tatiana Moise.

We made it, we played it, thank you all for coming - Cristina Bogdan for the collaboration and tranzit.ro for hosting.

We co-created a new game with our participants. Predictably, it's entitled 'The Romanians are Coming Back.' Come play it tomorrow at Tranzit from 19:00 - should you be around. It will be immediately followed by a discussion on the perils of 'reintegration'. Worry not, you can participate in both even if you haven't won anything.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1063295740497340/

🌿🌿 Greetings from the greenest orangery in Bucharest 🌿🌿

Day one is go! A brilliant encounter with five Romanian women who are sharing their experiences of returning home, and exploring 'reintegration' from both personal and professional perspectives. The Romanian leg of our project is done in collaboration with Cristina Bogdan (ODD), and hosted by tranzit.ro

We're heading to Bucharest next, collaborating with ODD and working on a new game about returning home, post-immigration. And we're after participants: former Romanian/minority ethnic immigrants.

Details in the call-out below; honorarium 250 RON; dates: 3, 4, & 6 November.

CALL OUT FOR WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS: ART PROJECT ON EMIGRANT IDENTITIES BY THERE THERE – ODD October 14, 2018CALL OUT FOR WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS: ART PROJECT ON EMIGRANT IDENTITIES BY THERE THERE We are There There, a 50% Romanian, 50% Serbian, London-based performance company. Our work explores immigration, national identities and exclusion, and uses participation to create inclusive, alter...

If you're in Copenhagen tonight, we're showing work in progress at CAMP / Center for Art on Migration Politics, as part of Culture Night.

We've had an incredibly rewarding week with four wonderful women, Olga M. Andrynowska, Magda Buczek, Monica Lucia and Alicja Peszkowska; together, we've co-created a new game on what it's like to be an immigrant in Denmark.

Come play it.

With special thanks to Roxana Olariu @ CAMP, for all the support & help!

Culture Night / The Politics of Migrant Images Would we have a different asylum and integration policy in Denmark if we had different representations of refugees and immigrants? How can we produce new images capable of creating community between new and old citizens? Trampoline House and its exhibition space CAMP / Center for Art on Migration

Collaborative workshop Day 2: Disrupting 'hygge'. New game in the making.

Eastern European women in action! Our first workshop with Copenhagen-based EEs - we are collaborating on creating funfair games based on their Danish experiences.

Insanely lucky to have the opportunity to co-author a new piece with such inspiring, insightful and creative women.

Center for Art on Migration Politics is our superb residency host.

Tonight: Bojana is taking part in Dash Café: Art on the Brink of Brexit. - an informal conversation on immigrant artists in the age of taking back control.

Rich Mix London, 19:30, free!

News Alert!

There There will be in residence at CAMP (Center for Art on Migration Politics) in Copenhagen, between 5 and 13 October. We'll be working with local Eastern European / Balkan immigrants, exploring their experiences of living in Denmark, and making a game that reflects them.

And we'll be meeting Copenhagen-based artists, curators, programmers, and others working at intersection of art & migration.

Is there anyone we should meet? Let us know.

Know any Eastern European / Balkan immigrants in Copenhagen? Here's our (paid) participant call out: https://www.therethere.eu/calloutcamp

There There | Participant call out - CAMP

We had an incredible day in the company of . Keep an eye on them, they will shake your world soon.

Come meet them tomorrow between 10:00-16:00 at Easton Gardens, Isle of Portland.

PAID OPPORTUNITY || Dorset, Portland, Why Festival || 14-15 September, 10:00-16:00 || £10/hr

Do you know any Dorset (or nearby) locals interested in participating in our project? We are looking for 'Trigger Warning' invigilators with migrant experience / interested in local migration issues. They will be playing with and talking to audiences over two days - we will be there to train, coach and support them throughout.

Details in the ad, do get in touch with any questions.

Thank you!

If we were an indie band, this would be our album cover!

Feeling honoured to feature in Katie Kerr's book, 'Between Two Strangers', alongside diverse migrant artists and their stories.

And super excited to see 'Are you an immigrant or an expat' in print; our words embellished by Katie's design.

Both available at GLORIA Books

'Trigger Warning' is heading to Portland, Dorset at b-side Multimedia Arts Festival.

We'll be there on 14-15 September, hacking games and running a workshop for young people on remaking immigrant stereotypes.

The programme is out, check it out, and tell your mum!

b-side Festival 2018 Programme Programme for the b-side festival 2018. Visit b-side.org.uk for more information.

That's us on the STEP travel map! It's official - we're going to Denmark and Romania later this year, where we'll be making new work with the help of local Eastern Europeans.

Details coming soon, including confirmed partners and exact dates.

Never thought we'd say this, but can't wait for the summer to end!

Our invigilators brought out the best in the audience. Stories were shared, jobs were stolen (of course) + the propeller made quite an impression.

Thank you to the Maritime Museum for having us.

We're showing 'Trigger Warning' at the Maritime Museum tomorrow, as part of the Seeking Refuge event.

FREE 11:00 - 16:00

Come meet our wonderful Eastern European invigilators, spin the wheel of benefits, hook a job, vent about Brexit - whatever takes your fancy.

'Trigger Warning' is part of Seeking Refuge, a event.

If you are around Tate Modern, drop by Switch House, where we are doing an artist reponse to the work of Július Koller as part of

NEWS KLAXON: 'Trigger Warning' is heading to Bar Bar Black Sheep as part of 'Who Are We?' project and in collaboration with Open University.

18th May, times tbc.

AND we're after Eastern European participants based in Milton Keynes/Wolverton to collaborate with (£10 per hour, link to call-out here: https://www.therethere.eu/calloutmk !)

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'Trigger Warning' is a participatory installation contesting immigrant stereotypes; hacked village fête-style games, such as ‘Hook-a-Job’, ‘Passport in a Bucket’ and ‘Wheel of Benefits’ depict and denounce deceitful Eastern European clichés, giving the audience an insight to the realities of European migration. Made by Eastern European artists, and invigilated by local Eastern European immigrants, the piece explores mechanisms of the ‘hostile environment’, and makes room for a wider, nuanced conversation on integration, belonging, and exclusion.

Our day at Bar Bar will see 'Trigger Warning' embedded in the rhythms of the community-hub cafe; Agnes Czajka (OU) will lead a Learning Lab dissecting local identity, belonging, ‘integration’ and xenophobia.

CALL-OUT here: https://www.therethere.eu/calloutmk

There There | Call out 2 A collection of traditional village fête games, with a distinct foreign twist.

Coming up in September: 'Between Two Strangers' a publication from the amazing Katie Kerr of GLORIA Books; it's all about immigrant artists - so obvs you'll find us inside. (Excitement!)

Today Katie's freshly bound book 'Between Two Strangers' arrived at her studio in Auckland. She compared it to the birth of her first child. This may be a wildly over-exaggerated claim. We will be sharing some of the 18 month process that went into the creation of the book in the lead up to the launch in September. Thanks Strange Haven for the pic x

Bojana, writing for the East Street Arts blog, on how money (or lack their of) shapes the work that gets made.

Includes a personal anecdote about a bed frame breaking.

East Street Arts» Making Rent, Making Work: The Strapped for Cash Art

The big questions!

Can art change society? | Tate Can art influence the way we think and act as individuals, and as a society? How do artists make and create change in the world today?

'The atmosphere is lively, lots of laughter goes on while people try to sn**ch those jobs and get the benefits; but once the meaning behind the games is uncovered, an uncomfortable pause sets in for many. The stereotypes stand bare, meaningless, ridiculous. ‘Trigger Warning’ performs its trick well – the initial joy is replaced by a set of prickly issues.'

Writer Vesna Marić reflects on Trigger Warning , presented as part of ‘Who Are We?’ programme at Modern Counterpoints Arts

Trigger Warning Writer Vesna Maric reflects on There There’s piece, ‘Trigger Warning’ , presented as part of ‘Who Are We?’ programme at Tate Modern.

Packed and ready to go: we're on our way to Leeds for Eurotopia - Transform 17 tonight. A party on the satirical edge of the old world awaits!

We've had a brilliant time at Who Are We? at Tate Exchange over the weekend. Incredible works from all the artists involved and an abundance of wonderful encounters.
Trigger Warning'' will be on the move soon, but here are some photos from Friday and Saturday.

Trigger Warning: Friday & Saturday, 12-8. Part or Who Are We? at Tate Exchange

Previews on Tuesday, everywhere you look.

LAST CALL FOR OUR PARTICIPANT CALL-OUT!

Apply by Sunday 5th March!

We're still after Eastern European participants for our interactive installation Trigger Warning.

All Eastern Europeans welcome (of course!), but we're particularly interested if you're:
- over 45(ish)
- from a non-EU country

Spread the word!
Dates and times: 17-18 March, Tate Modern, 12:00-20:00
Fee: £9.75 per hour
Details: http://www.therethere.eu/call-out