EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network

Artfactories

Introduction

Artfactories is an international resource platform dedicated to art and cultural centres based on involvement within communities and citizen artistic initiatives re-using old industrial buildings.

Description

“Artfactories” is an international platform of resources, created in 2002, to represent, promote and support existing and emerging “project/spaces”. A ‘project/space’ is defined as a place of creativity, artistic production and elaboration, cross pollination, experimentation, invention, social encounters and conviviality. The intention of such spaces is to offer a step towards new possibilities, offering a vision of contemporary creation linked to community development.

The Artfactories resource platform grew from previous experiences: from creating, developing and co-ordinating similar cultural centres within France and from the experience of coordinating the European cultural network called TransEuropeHalles (www.teh.net) from 1995 to 2000. Given the obvious and marked development of such project /spaces in Europe and across the world, Artfactories has determined to create a global resource available to all. The purpose is to give all emerging and existing organisations the means to share and exchange their knowledge and experience. Therefore this platform enables organisations to mutually support each other in daily activities.

Participants

Cultural centres and foundations from the following countries participate in Artfactories:

Armenia;
Austria;
Belgium;
Bulgaria;
Croatia;
Czech Republic;
Denmark;
Estonia;
Finland;
France;
Georgia;
Germany;
Great Britain;
Greece;
Hungary;
Ireland;
Italy;
Latvia;
Lithuania;
Luxemburg;
Macedonia;
the Netherlands;
Norway;
Poland;
Portugal;
Romania;
Russia;
Serbia and Montenegro;
Slovakia;
Slovenia;
Spain;
Sweden;
Switzerland.

Objectives

The Arfactories association aims to develop an environment that supports the growth of artistic ‘Project /Spaces’ by providing a set of tools that contribute to their development. By identifying and mapping the development of ‘projet /spaces’ and explaining their role in contemporary culture and society - locally, regionally, nationally and internationally - Artfactories aims to generate awareness at all levels through the arts and highlight the best practices. One of the underlining goals in this process is discovering possibilities for effective collaboration.

Products

A platform offering support, solidarity, advice, and reflection for existing or projected structures:

a tool that aims to encourage mobility, solidarity, exchanges and multiple cooperation - both formal and informal - between project space centres;
an information and resource database on the conversion of industrial and military legacy into multidisciplinary spaces to suit emerging artistic and social practices.

Contact info

Artfactories
Mrs Fazette Bordage (Coordinator), tel. +33 1 40 11 64 14

Links

Artfactories

Document type

network

Themes

Urban Policy > Urban environment > Urban renewal

Keywords

Brownfield development