IZOLYATSIA’s Program for 2022

For IZOLYATSIA, 2021 was an important stage of pivotal institutional changes, which enabled an organic transformation in the direction of the Foundation’s development. Provincialisation (decentralisation), orientation towards social and educational projects, the strengthening of our human rights advocacy, hybridity and a redesigning of the Foundation’s internal structure – these are some of the fundamental elements of the renewed IZOLYATSIA.

Starting in 2020, the conceptual framework of the Grounding project ultimately led IZOLYATSIA to ‘take root’ in 2021 in Soledar through the series of short-term residencies of the same name for Ukrainian artists, a residency for urbanists and an educational programme, which covers a wide range of themes. Actively drawing the local community into the work became a key element of the programming in Soledar, as well as consultation with local residents and creating opportunities for self-realisation specifically for them. Gurtobus continued its activity, transforming into a Docudays UA film club in the summer and travelling around the Soledar Amalgamated Hromada. Grounding will last until 2023.

In accordance with the principles of participation and the exchange of professional knowledge and skills, the manual The Laboratory of Contemporary Art was created for teachers, educational and people working in cultural institutions who want to integrate contemporary art into the educational process.

At the same time, the Foundation continues to accept international residents in Kyiv and acts as a partner in the consortium which founds and realises the i-Portunus international mobility project. A series of infrastructure projects, consisting of democracy development and empowerment programs, is supported by the New Democracy Fund. Educational programs are also planned with partners from Germany (Kultur Aktiv) and Azerbaijan (Tardino6) with the support of the Culture of Solidarity Fund.

An annual international conference of the largest network of art residence Res Artis is scheduled in Kyiv in September. The project is implemented in cooperation with the Ukrainian Institute, House of Europe and Goethe-Institut.

The Foundation’s artistic work in 2022 will be realised in a series of online and offline projects in collaborations with international partners, as in the case of Once Upon a Queer, realised alongside Galeria Labyrint in Lublin, or in the format of exhibition projects abroad.

A series of infrastructure projects, consisting of democracy development and empowerment programs, is supported by the New Democracy Fund. Educational programs are also planned with partners from Germany (Kultur Aktiv) and Azerbaijan (Tardino6) with the support of the Culture of Solidarity Fund.

From January 2022 starts a two-year project ZMINA 2.0, which is design to increase the ability and recognition of the Soledar Amalgamated Hromada as an engine of local economic, social, and civic development through cultural transformation and partnership both within the community and beyond.

For the Soledar Amalgamated Hromada, the following planned: renovation of the House of Culture, a general cultural program from IZOLYATSIA and the House of Culture, sub-grants for creating cultural projects from the community.

At the national level and for long-distance partnerships, we plan a new season of Gurtobus tours, a series of training Learn! and sub-grants to create partner cultural projects.

This project will gradually improve citizens' daily lives in local communities through greater civic participation, more prosperous social life, and related economic development, leading to greater social participation, strengthening civil society, and strengthening democracy and the rule of law.

The project is implemented with the support of the European Union and implemented by the IZOLYATSIA Foundation in partnership with the Soledar City Council, the Department of Culture, the House of Culture of the Soledar City Council, the Ukrainian Forum of Philanthropists.

An important area of the Foundation’s work was and is leading the information campaign Izolyatsia: must speak, and also advocacy of human rights in Donbas and opposition to the existence of illegal prisons in the regions of Ukraine in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts temporarily occupied by Russia.

These continue to be among the Foundation’s key goals:

a focus on research and other activities which enable the formation of lasting knowledge;
the furthering and exchange of the institution’s professional skills and resources;
the provision of support in developing the potential of smaller organisations in Ukraine;
supporting a network for creative and cultural pioneers in Ukraine;
aiding international professionals in accessing the Ukrainian creative sector;
giving priority for projects aimed at pan-Ukrainian decentralisation;
advocacy with the goal of strengthening the Ukrainian cultural landscape;
promotion of Ukrainian art abroad.

As is tradition, we would like to thank our friends, colleagues, partners and donors who have made the Foundation’s work possible, and specifically: European Union and Creative Europe, Embassy of the Netherlands in Ukraine, Embassy of the United States in Kyiv, Goethe-Institut, British Council, French Institute, Ukrainian Institute, Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, Danish Institute of Culture in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the flemish minister for foreign affairs, culture, digitalisation and facility management, Austrian Cultural Forum, House of Europe, I-Portunus, Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Danish Art Council and the Danish Embassy in Ukraine, International Fund for Assistance to the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, People in Need, Center for Civil Liberties, VOSTOK-SOS, TRANS EUROPE HALLES, REZ ARTIS, The Blank Contemporary art, Italian Council, Villa Arson Nice, Fondazione la Quadriennale di Roma, Embassy of Italy in Ukraine and Italian Institute of Culture in Kyiv, Fotohof, Publikum.sk, CRSCEES (University St. Andrews), Center for Urban History of Central and Eastern Europe, Yermilov Center, BigMedia, Faurschou Foundation, Adam Mickiewicz Institute. And also, we would like to thank the residents of Soledar, whom we are indebted to for their inspiration, new approaches and discoveries, enthusiasm and thirst to change the place where they live for the better together.

Photo by Anton Sharov on Unsplash