First Joint Annual Engaged Artivist Award on Atrocity Prevention and Human Rights

As a component of the MoU on Cooperation on Genocide and other Mass Atrocities Prevention and Democracy Promotion signed between the Global Campus of Human Rights (GC) and the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities (AIPG) on 7 November 2019, both institutions, in collaboration with the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP) at Binghamton University, are thrilled to announce the call for applications for the first edition of their Joint Annual Engaged Artivist Award on Atrocity Prevention and Human Rights. Eligible Artivists may submit applications from 22 March until 23 May 2023.

The purpose of the Joint Annual Engaged Artivist Award is to recognize the work of Artivists (artist-activists), highlighting the original ways in which they respond creatively to large-scale identity-based violence and mass atrocity in varying conflict contexts and geographic regions across the globe. The concept of “Art as Atrocity Prevention” is related to the role of the arts in mitigating risk factors associated with genocide, other mass atrocities, and identity-based violence, as well as the use of the arts as a powerful tool to contribute to the transformation of post-atrocity societies. The sponsoring institutions understand atrocity prevention broadly. Among other things, artistic interventions can be seen as preventive when they:

• Contribute to improving the human rights of groups of people who have been marginalized;
• Call attention to violence or discrimination against groups of people;
• Demand justice for past human rights violations; or
• Depict visions for a different future where identity-based violence is less likely to occur.

This Joint Annual Engaged Artivist Award emphasizes the ways in which Artivists around the world are working directly to mitigate atrocity risk factors, as well as the importance of art as an effective tool in processes of healing, reconciliation, and reparations. It encourages engaged artists to reflect on their role in the prevention of identity-based violence and the promotion of human rights by taking action, choosing a human rights issue and using art as a tool for effective communication.

The aim of this Joint Annual Engaged Artivist Award is to strengthen the quintessential role of the arts in the prevention of systematic violence, demonstrating how art may be used as a grassroots tool for addressing political violence and human rights abuses — and for advancing peacebuilding, transitional justice, and prevention efforts. The award will be given to one selected Artivist to support their work related to the topic of genocide and mass atrocities prevention, broadly understood. The selected Artivist will benefit from a year-long residency during which the sponsoring institutions will provide the following resources:

• A residency from mid-August 2023 to mid-December 2023 at the Global Campus of Human Rights headquarters in Venice, Italy, with the ability to participate actively in the educational activities of the Global Campus during this period and audit relevant classes and with a stipend of EUR 12,000 to support room and board, workspace, and any other needs;

• A residency from January 2024 to May 2024 at Binghamton University’s Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention in Binghamton, New York, with the ability to audit relevant classes and with a stipend of USD 22,000 to support housing and other needs, workspace;

• The costs associated with one travel to and from Venice, one travel to and from Binghamton and one travel to and from to an Auschwitz Institute office and visas (as necessary and separately); and

• A week-long visit to one of the offices of the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities in either New York (USA), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Kampala (Uganda), Bucharest (Romania), or Oświęcim (Poland).

The selected Artivist will be honored during the Global Campus EMA ceremony in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, Italy, at the end of September 2023, where the artist’s selected past work will be displayed and photographed. Following the two residencies, the three institutions will offer a joint certificate to the Artivist acknowledging the completion of the unique artistic visiting research period.

Applications

The call for applications is open to Artivists from 22 March 2023 until 23 May 2023 by clicking here.

Interested Artivists are asked to submit the following materials:

• A resume or CV;
• A written proposal of no more than 2 pages describing what the Artivist would like to accomplish over the award period. This can include the development or creation of a new art piece, or a justification for how the artist plans to benefit from the professional development resources of the three institutions;
• Photographs of a past artistic intervention that engages with the themes of the award; and
• A short biographical statement of the Artivist.

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For more information, contact the selection committee at: award.GC.AIPG@gmail.com

Organizers:

Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities: kerry.whigham@auschwitzinstitute.org
Global Campus of Human Rights in Venice, IT: communications@gchumanrights.org
Binghamton University’s Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention in NY, USA: ssnyder5@binghamton.edu

More info here.

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