THE FESTIVAL OF REGIONS

couts and conquers a region or town in Upper Austria every two years. Away from urban concentrations and cultural centres, a program with contemporary art and culture as an attractive option for the residents and a broad, curious public is shaped and commu­ nicated. Apart from regional, supraregional and international participation by art­makers, collaboration is sought with local associations, institutions and good individual forces to anchor the festival on location and to leave behind traces that are as distinct as possible. Apart from reinforcing and furthering regional initiatives in the field of cultural work, sensitizing people to current artistic trends is one of the festival‘s aims, with the aspects of communication, open dialogue and com­ bining everyday culture with art. Above all, however, a great festival of arts is to be celebrated at which the components of focus on content, artistic substance, humour and cultural community enter into a liaison.

THE FESTIVAL VENUE, EBENSEE

If you ask locals about the region‘s identity, you soon get to hear that customs here are a bit rougher than elsewhere. In fact, ‚red‘ Ebensee has a long tradition of resistance and a reputation of non­conformity and contrariness, but also of solidarity. The town was founded around 1607 as a workers‘ settlement when salt production began; to the present day, the salt­works are the region‘s major employer.

The location on the southern shores of Traunsee is really idyllic, but it is impaired by the very busy road that cuts the town off from the lake’s shores. The existence of 99 associations indicates that com­ munal cultural life is an important factor.

As usual with the Festival of Regions, public space serves as room for artistic action and a meeting­place for hospitality and conviviality. For performances and installations, diverse interior spaces and industrial buildings in the town and environs are available. A few examples can be viewed through a photo­tour on our website.

SHIFT-CHANGE AND SLOGGING AWAY

are the mottos for the Festival of Regions in Ebensee. In the vernacular, the term ‚Hackeln‘ means working hard, slogging away. The theme thus circles around all possible facets of working in their meaningful as well as absurd reflections and variations. Does the legendary workers’ culture still exist? Does the working class still exist as an hermetic stratum? Are there still such things as solidarity and sticking­together? — The Festival of Regions wants to immerse itself in the region, taking up social, urban, cultural themes and dealing with them in the form of artistic interventions. The festival temporarily takes on the cultural shift­work in the region and is looking forward to stimulating artistic work in an intensive, well­salted show of works.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Project proposals from all artistic areas and genres are welcome. Projects for site­specific works will be given preference, or plans that generally engage with the theme of ‚work‘ or the social and cultural situation in Ebensee. Finished productions without any closer connection with the town or the given theme do not have good prospects.

COMPONENTS OF PROJECT PROPOSALS

Short summary of the project proposal (max. 500 characters) — description of the project with a maximally powerful visualization in the form of sketches, photos, plans, ideas about communication — spatial­situational, organizational and technical requirements — self­presentation of the project’s author and/or the active participants — timetable for development and implementation — financial calculation and plan — address, telephone numbers, e­mail address, web­site — submissions in German or English (max. seven pages)

SUBMISSIONS BY 16 MAY 2014

at the latest (postmark) by post or e­mail as a Word or PDF file to: Festival of Regions, Marktplatz 12, A­4100 Ottensheim/Austria • [email protected] • Telefon +43 (0)7234 85 2 85

SELECTION METHOD

The board and management of the Festival of Regions make a pre­selection with the support of an independent, supraregional program advisory board. The artistic director compiles a festival program from the selected projects. All programmatic decisions are made excluding recourse to legal action.

For detailed information please click on PDF

> via fdr.at