SUSTainable Artistic INnovation (Sustain) - SPACEMAKERS
A growing number of initiatives are emerging that focus on promoting a “sustainable” economy, which focuses on both social and environmental sustainability, as opposed to the extractive economy, which focuses on resource depletion. Art can play an essential role in exploring this complex issue and seeking new approaches. SUSTAIN research focused on creating space for art within businesses, research and organizations. How can we bridge these different worlds and make the differences fruitful?
SUSTAIN explores the role of Spacemakers: parties that aim to contribute to systemic change by creating space for art in unusual places such as within the economy, science, or technology. The goal: to work with art towards a sustainable and just society – ecologically, economically, and socially.
About SUSTAIN
There’s a lot going on in the world. There are almost as many conflicts as there are countries, more people on the move, a climate disaster looms, and inequality among people only continues to increase. Huge challenges where quick solutions are of very limited significance. But how do we find our way out of the current polycrisis? How can we work on systemic transitions?
The urgency is palpable, yet, encouragingly, we see more and more initiatives aimed at transitioning to a sustainable future.
We also see more and more artists trying to shape a future based on a different sustainable model. The role of the artist is undeniably unique. SUSTAIN examines the role art can play in visualising, driving, and shaping the transition to a world where we would actually want to live. More precisely: with SUSTAIN, we look at the collaboration between artists and other parties and the role of so-called Spacemakers in realising that collaboration.
Artists inquire into the unknown, they question what seems logical, and connect seemingly disparate elements. Precisely those qualities are of great importance for realising systemic transitions.
However, accessing the spaces where artists seek to make an impact is not always easy.
Spacemakers see a clear role for art in transition issues. Whether it’s about collaborations with science, technology, economy, or other domains, Spacemakers strive for a prominent role for art in those contexts to achieve meaningful transitions. Therefore, they try to create space for art in places where art often does not easily or naturally come to the table. With this practical research, SUSTAIN offers more insight into the exact role, methods, and added value of Spacemakers in the transition to be made. The research and the results contribute to the further professionalisation of this emergent sector.
SUSTAIN is a collaborative project between The Hague University of Applied Sciences and Avans University of Applied Sciences. The research was conducted by Jacco van Uden (Professor of Change Management), Godelieve Spaas (Professor of Economy in Common), Olga Mink, Marga Rotteveel, and Kim Caarls.
Partners
Additionally, we have collaborated closely with six Spacemakers: Art Partner, Circus Andersom, Future of Work, In4Art, V2_, and Waag.
SUSTAIN has yielded two main outcomes:
1) The Spacemaker Toolbox, a practical tool for Spacemakers to explore and professionalise their work internally.
2) The Spacemaker Stories, a series of cahiers where we look at the Spacemaker practices from a distance, helping Spacemakers articulate more clearly what they do, why they do it, how they do it, and the value they create.
In short: where The Spacemaker Toolbox focuses attention inward (strengthening the Spacemaker practice), The Spacemaker Stories consist of a collection of stories, reflections, experiences, images, concepts, and ideas that help give Spacemaking a place in the realisation of systemic transitions. The Spacemaker Stories also serve as a tool for artists and parties wanting to work with art to clarify what the possibilities with Spacemakers are and how to make choices that suit the situation, stakeholders, and issues.
Both The Spacemaker Toolbox and The Spacemaker Stories can be downloaded below as a zip-file. Available in English and Dutch
Researchteam SUSTAIN: Godelieve Spaas, Olga Mink, Marga Rotteveel, Kim Caarls