• Stories
  • Collaborations
  • Programmes
  • Why Tandem?
  • How does it work?
  • Get involved!
  • Stories
  • Collaborations
  • Programmes
  • Why Tandem?
  • How does it work?
  • Get involved!
  1. Stories
  2. Current: Community, arts and public space!
Urban Gorillas and Non Riservato meet in Milano for a shared lunch
Urban Gorillas and Non Riservato meet in Milano for a shared lunch

Community, arts and public space!

Calls from the Tandem World
Shared by: Sergio Galasso
February 24th, 2019
  1. Tandem Europe 2017-18
  2. cultural exchange
  3. Empowerment
  4. Freedom of expression
  5. Participation & Active citizenship
  6. Political engagement
  7. Public space
  8. Urban development

Tandem Europe participants Sergio Galasso (Milano, Italy) and Veronika Antoniou (Nicosia, Cyprius) have worked together on PS:MiNi, proposing a network for groups interested in public space and urban regeneration in Milano and Nicosia. Sergio shares updates and thoughts from their collaboration.

I think this collaboration will continue beyond titles and organisations. It will continue among people who have common desires, curiosities and mutual respect.

When Veronika and I met in Sofia during the first Tandem meeting in October 2017, we where both representing not only a network of organisations, artists, and professionals from the creative sector, but also a very clear point of view. Public space, especially in urban contexts, is a very clear boundary of legitimacy and empowerment for communities. Defending the right to feel public space as an opportunity to meet, create and affirm civil, human and urban rights, is one of the most compelling challenges of our time. Our mission empathy was immediately clear and our collaboration opportunity came just along!

We decided to create a bridge crossing the Mediterranean and let artists and professionals from Milano and Nicosia exchange talent and creativity in two very peculiar urban contexts. In fact, not only we wanted to foster a collaboration among organisations, Non Riservato and Urban Gorillas, but we wanted to experiment real collaboration among artists in public events. This is why we decided to integrate the MiNi Tandem project and use the exchange opportunity to bring six artists/collectives to create site specific interventions in two public art Festivals: Pame Kaimakli in Nicosia and Pixel Pic Nic in Milano.

Non Riservato and Urban Gorillas artists and staff chating and having coffee with neighbours in Kaimakli, Nicosia. July 2018. Photo by Sergio Galasso
Non Riservato and Urban Gorillas artists and staff chating and having coffee with neighbours in Kaimakli, Nicosia. July 2018. Photo by Sergio Galasso

The first is a call for the small and characteristic neighbourhood community of Kaimakli to open their house and adopt an artist for two days; the second is a two-day “appropriation” of public space through urban games, performances, sports and creativity this year taking place in Monte Stella, a big park in the outskirts of Milano north-est side.

Beyond the staff members and project managers of the Tandem project Veronika, Giovanna, Sergio, Irene and Teresa, this exchange and project was possible thanks to all Urban Gorillas and Non Riservato staff and of course thanks to the artists: Borderlight Collective, Sophie Usunier, Mirko Canesi, Natalie Konyalian, Mathieu Devavry. But most of all, I think we should thank the more than three thousand neighbours and community members in Nicosia and Milano that responded to our call, accepted our invitation to be part of our events and demonstrated that art can be a trigger for engagement and inclusion.

Our exchange programme has been full of crazy production challenges, hurries and worries, staff meetings and unexpected turnovers, but created a very powerful connection among people and cultures. I think this collaboration will continue beyond titles and organisations. It will continue among people who have common desires, curiosities and mutual respect.

This story has been shared by Sergio Galasso, who currently works on the project PS:MiNi Network (Milano Nicosia Public Space Network) as a participant in Tandem Europe 2017-18.

Share this story with friends ( or take it with you! )


Do you have a Tandem story you would like to share?

Share your story

Read more

  1. Tandem Europe 2017-18
  2. Community development

11 Little Things We Learned

Tandem Europe participants Sara Filippelli and Bistra Ivanova wrote a list, completely using "the honesty from the stomach" as they...
SEE THE FULL PHOTO-STORY
Aranka, Maria and the students involved in the Circular Storytelling student exchange
  1. Tandem Europe 2017-18
  2. Cross-sector collaboration

Thoughts and Lessons Learned after a Year with Tandem

Tandem Europe participants Maria Cojocariu (Lyon, France) and Aranka Dijkstra (Delft, The Netherlands) have worked on Circular Storytelling, a cross-border...
READ THE FULL CALL-FROM-THE-TANDEM-WORLD
Nerina & Vasi
  1. Tandem Europe 2017-18
  2. Identity

The End is a Real Beginning: a Letter for Tandem

Tandem Europe participant Vasilena Radeva has written us a poignant letter to share her experience of being part of the...
READ THE FULL ESSAY
  • Urban Gorillas and Non Riservato meet in Milano for a shared lunch
    Urban Gorillas and Non Riservato meet in Milano for a shared lunch
  • Non Riservato and Urban Gorillas artists and staff chating and having coffee with neighbours in Kaimakli, Nicosia. July 2018. Photo by Sergio Galasso
    Non Riservato and Urban Gorillas artists and staff chating and having coffee with neighbours in Kaimakli, Nicosia. July 2018. Photo by Sergio Galasso
  • Contact us
  • Share your story
  • Meet the team
  • Partners & Funders
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • vimeo
  • flickr

Tandem is an initiative of European Cultural Foundation and MitOst e.V. | Imprint, Privacy Policy

By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.