The third PAIC workshop was held from 18 to 28 April 2017, in Vic, Spain. Jordi Lafon, Spanish artist, and Sonja Vuk, Croatian artist mentored the workshops that were organized by the ACVic Centre dArts Contemporànies.
This workshop was a moment of convergence between two artists, one linked to the local place and a guest artist, who worked with four groups of people connected to local organisations of a social nature: Aurora Gestió de Projectes Socials / Casal Mossèn Josep Guiteras / Centre Obert Vic / Creu Roja. Activities prior to the workshop began earlier, with the aim of exploring the possibility of generating artistic activities with their users, and of setting up an open space in order to dialogue with a citizenship which often ignores them. The previous activities were designed to build a space of trust, but also to set out the activities that each group may have interest in developing. The workshop is based in to respond questions, such as, What are our skills? What would we like to do? What could we do together as a group?
On the final evening of the project, on Friday 28th April at 6 pm in ACVic Centre d’Arts Contemporànies, a ROUND TABLE with some provoking issues took place. The discussion topic was
The participation is used for all? Realities and fictions. The institutionalisation of participation has made it possible for the exercise of direct democracy to reach closer to public policy. Its expansion and popularisation mean that participatory dynamics are now an absolute prerequisite before deploying many actions regarding policies or planning, turning citizens’ demands into a normalised practice. Also In the field of art, a series of artistic practices oriented in this direction has long been deployed, in which participation stands at the midpoint between, on the one hand, the activation and motivation of new audiences, and on the other, collaborative dynamics. As part of a project which embodies a willingness to experiment with these kinds of practices, we believe it is a good moment to ask ourselves whether participation is useful in every case and to debate about its potential or its shortcomings.
Invited experts Anna Dot, artist. Fabiola Mora, technical of the participation and environment education of the Ajuntament de Vic, Judit Font, a specialist in issues of participation and coordinator of the Ateneu Popular Nou Barris de Barcelona touched upon some very interesting problems during the discussion.
Also included were the PAIC’S TEAM members: Irena Sertic, project manager. Josipa Bubas, project manager assistant. Peter Purg, Slovenian team leader. Ramon Parramon, Espanish team leader. Kristina Elisabeth Steinbock, Danish team leader.