Samovar Circles: Reimagining the arts with Petr Dlouhý, online workshop May 16

The ”Reimagining the arts” workshop is an opportunity to reflect together on the possible transformations of the practices of our sector. For this, we will use an experimental tool: a set of cards inspired by a tarot deck and created by artists from Europe and the Mediterranean. This particular deck of tarot cards does not predict the future (although the session might indeed enhance some magic… (✿◠‿◠), but helps reflect on the present situation and provides a more holistic vision of it. We will use the cards as a basis for discussion, to forge conversation and action in a way that is playful and that encourages responses from various perspectives.

The workshop will be introduced by Petr Dlouhý, who will unveil how the cards contribute to bringing poetics into the daily agenda and present the viewpoints and strategies developed within his work as a curator for Prague based venue Studio ALTA.
In the second part, Dlouhy together with Heba elCheikh, one of the co-reshaper and co-designer of the deck will facilitate the collective reading.

Time: May 16, 2022 at 14.00–16.00 EEST

Webinar is free and can be joined here: 
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82987981171?pwd=blYzRG53N1hGMlBrK1dEbFNnSlIxQT09
Meeting ID: 829 8798 1171
Passcode: 903469

Petr Dlouhy could be perceived as a curator, researcher, producer and culture organizer. Yet, he would rather call himself a host, an attentive listener or a mycelium that creates connections and facilitates the cross-pollination of knowledge and practices. Or one could see him even as a smuggler, who subverts the institutionalized order with an informal approach while trying to support those who are not recognized by the official structures 

Heba elCheikh is a strategist, consultant and trainer in the field of art management and creative entrepreneurship. Believing in the importance of the learning and knowledge sharing, she supports creative entrepreneurs and emerging artists through different programs that she organizes. Believing in the force of creativity on the individual and social well- being, Heba El-Cheikh uses all her skills and knowledge to give accessibility to the arts and culture by curating and organizing arts in public spaces and community arts projects all over Egypt 

The tarot deck was developed in the framework of RESHAPE, a research and development, experimental project that is seeking to imagine alternative organisational models and practices for our sector in a bottom-up process. In the course of 2 years, 40 artists and art workers from all over Europe and southern Mediterranean worked together to develop prototypes of tools and instruments to inspire and support a positive transition for our sector. This workshop will present the results and experiment with one of the prototypes that were developed in this process, created by the group which, in the framework of RESHAPE, concentrated on Transnational/Postnational artistic practices. For more information on the work of this group, you can read the full text here. For more information on RESHAPE: http://reshape.network

Samovar Circles is a collective catalyst and boiler of ideas on how to tackle new challenges and opportunities for the performing arts in the post covid era. Samovar Circles is initiated with the aim to support stakeholders across the field to keep going, strengthen their relations and find out together how to build new support structures for the future. Samovar Circles is a short term network initiated and organised by Subtopia (Sweden), CircusInfo Finland (Finland), Performing Arts Hub (Norway), Teatronas (Lithuania), New Theatre Institute of Latvia (Latvia) and Wildtopia (Denmark). With the support of Nordic Culture Point, Swedish Arts Council and The Nordic Culture Fund.