During the project and the artistic residencies partners organised co-creation workshops for the local communities in Eleusis, Mont-Dauphin, Maribor, and Yerevan. These workshops were an integral part of the art residency program that spanned from October 2023 to April 2024, aiming to foster artistic collaboration and community engagement across diverse cultural contexts.
The residency program commenced in Armenia in late October 2023. During this period, artists from all four participating countries—Greece, France, Slovenia, and Armenia—collaborated to organize a multifaceted workshop for the Armenian community. This included sessions with local artists and fellow project participants. Each team brought its unique artistic perspective to the table:
- Slovenian Team: Conducted a literary workshop focusing on creative writing and storytelling.
- Greek Team: Facilitated a theatre workshop that explored improvisation and performance techniques.
- French Team: Hosted a dance workshop emphasising contemporary dance forms and movement expression.
- Armenian Team: Led a lace-making and needlework workshop, highlighting traditional Armenian crafts.
The initial residency in Armenia set the stage for subsequent residencies that further enriched the collaborative spirit of the project. In the following months:
- Armenian Artists in Mont-Dauphin: Armenian artists travelled to Mont-Dauphin to engage with the French artistic team. This residency was marked by an exchange of artistic practices and a series of workshops designed for the local French community. The Armenian artists participated in a music & dance co-creation workshop where the Armenian musician performed while the locals danced. The Armenian visual artist led a needlework workshop for the locals in Mont-Dauphin.
- Slovenian Team in Eleusis: The Slovenian team visited Eleusis, Greece, to gather material and insights from the local community, which were crucial for their upcoming publication. During this visit, the Greek team organised a voice and improvisation workshop based on specific texts, actively involving the Slovenian artists.
In total, 10 co-creation workshops were organised throughout this task, compared to the 3 that were initially planned, and a total of 165 community members participated in the activities.
See some of the co-creation activities here:
Lace workshop in Armenia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7THCGo4Ab0&t=13s
Ayntab needlework workshop in Armenia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_PbN80Aucc
Dance workshop in Armenia with Isabelle Bazin and Lisie Philip: https://youtu.be/qYx5q74bxdM
Dance workshop in France, with Isabelle Bazin and Lisie Philip https://youtube.com/watch?v=AqiLs89uVQU&feature=shared
Theatre and Improvisation in Greece with Maria Kastani and Katerina Papageorgiou: https://youtu.be/KXmY1c3nthI
The leading thread workshop in France with Lilit Stepanyan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz6UtarqDRo
