A Colaboradora, a new project by Laboratório Santista, is holding an open call to select artists and/or cultural producers interested in being part of a physical space of collective intelligence and creation, where they can develop their projects and exchange ideas, services, and knowledge.

A Colaboradora is a project inspired by La Colaboradora, a social innovation ecosystem by Zaragoza Activa (Zaragoza, Spain) which is also a citizen lab and a partner of Laboratório Santista. Get to know more about Zaragoza Activa.

BUT WHAT IS A COLABORADORA?

A Colaboradora can be described in many ways. But it is above all an environment where artists, producers and the community can learn together to solve complex contemporary problems through arts and culture. Several other definitions are possible and all correct:

• A collective, physical space for work and creation;
• A platform for artistic expression to transform lives;
• A collaborative network of artists and citizens;
• An environment of care to reinvent life;
• A catalyzer of cultural-artistic initiatives with a community purpose;
• An ethical and aesthetical experiment of an art that is rooted in the commons;
• A cultural and educational initiative at Bacia do Mercado (the Market Wharf) in Santos.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Artists and cultural producers interested in being part of a collaborative process of learning, unlearning, and creation.

WHAT WILL A COLABORADORA OFFER TO SELECTED APPLICANTS?

• Connections to an international, national, and local network of people and initiatives working with citizen innovation, free culture, community development, arts, and creativity, aimed at strengthening and protecting the commons.
• Mentoring from Instituto Procomum’s team, which comprises professionals of different backgrounds as well as guest collaborators (some of which will develop residencies in our lab);
• A space of work and creation with an exclusive office room fully equipped with power, internet, tables, and chairs;
• Access to Laboratório Santista’s (LABxS) entire infrastructure: locker rooms, an urban permaculture lab, a kitchen, a multipurpose room, a classroom, housing, storage, a recreational area, and everything else still to be invented;
• Access to a self-education fund collectively managed by the artists and producers selected by A Colaboradora;
• Support in the development of projects and a sustainability plan;
• Possibility to develop a social-artistic project at Bacia do Mercado (the Market Wharf), in Santos.

WHAT SHOULD SELECTED APPLICANTS OFFER IN RETURN?

• Participate in A Colaboradora’s community, meetings and gatherings, which entails openness to exchanges with the residents of Bacia do Mercado;
• Develop an artistic project in the area surrounding Laboratório Santista;
• Conceive an artistic-cultural intervention to be carried out at Bacia do Mercado during the closing festival;
• Develop, along with other participants, a dynamic of shared upkeep of the space, ensuring that its maintenance is everyone’s responsibility;
• Exchanging services with other participants through a time-based social currency.

NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

4 Participants Selected by the IP Team
9 Participants Selected via Public Call

FOR HOW LONG?

The project will last for 10 months and can be renewed for an additional period in case we secure more funding or develop a solution collaboratively.

HOW WILL THE SELECTION PROCESS HAPPEN?

The selection process will be carried out by Instituto Procomum (IP), external jurors, and artists who participated in A Colaboradora’s previous inaugural edition.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Here’s what we will take into account:

• Aesthetical relevance and creative capacity;
• Priority for artists and producers who show networking and collaboration capacities;
• Thematic diversity (search for different languages and formats);
• Valuing popular culture, traditional knowledge and marginal pathways of creation;
• Ability to share knowledge and educational experience.

Each of Instituto Procomum’s projects are founded on the premise of strengthening the actions and creations of women (plural form), people of African descent and other people belonging to what are conventionally referred to as underrepresented groups.

ABOUT A COLABORADORA’S FINANCIAL RESOURCES

The financial resources of A Colaboradora LABxS will be managed through collaboration and openness. The methods and routines will be defined by the group.

The funds will be invested in:

• Continued Education Fund: courses in which the topics and teachers will be chosen by the participants themselves;
• Care Fund: upkeep of the space and care for the group;
• Material Fund: the projects will be entitled to money to purchase the materials required for their activities;
• Audiovisual production: A Colaboradora will have funds to document the projects, seeing that communication and sharing of information are fundamental to Instituto Procomum;
• Support and infrastructure: the projects will be entitled to funds to rent and repair equipment.

CALENDAR

2018

April 04-24: Online applications at http://labsantista.procomum.org/register-colaboradora-2018/

May 02: Announcement of the results

May 11-13: Inaugural immersion meeting with the Colaboradora’s selected artists and producers

November: Arts and Communities Circuit in Downtown Santos

2019

March 04: Closing of the projects

ON COPYWRIGHT OWNERSHIP

All projects selected in this open call must commit to licensing their productions under Creative Commons licenses (the category of the license can be discussed with our team). This is a requirement of Instituto Procomum.

CONTRACTS WITH SELECTED APPLICANTS

All selected applicants will sign a term of consent with Instituto Procomum to act in accordance with the information presented in this open call.