ZMINA: Rebuilding. The projects of international subgrants second wave

IZOLYATSIA Foundation, together with Trans Europe Halles (SE) and Malý Berlín (SK), are starting the second wave of ZMINA: Rebuilding international subgrants projects implementation.

The second wave of ZMINA: Rebuilding international subgrants aims to support cultural organisations working with peers from Creative Europe countries, including Ukraine, to present high-visibility cooperation projects. Projects must increase the showcasing of Ukrainian culture abroad and share perspectives internationally, particularly in reimagining, reinventing, and reconstructing communities. 

Summing up the results of the second call for international projects, 110 applications were submitted by applicants. Among these 110 applications, 12 projects were supported by ZMINA: Rebuilding program with a total budget of 635 303 euros. 

Crafts as a Form of Resilience by Culture Hub Croatia, Materahub, and Centre for Social Innovations

This project is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian creatives, particularly those who have been displaced or forced to abandon their artistic practices due to the war. It targets individuals working with various crafts across Europe, as well as those who have had to rebuild their lives from scratch. The project aims to make these artists and collectives more visible, helping them reconnect with their craft, build their small businesses, and regain recognition at the European level. By providing opportunities for networking, trust-building, and collaboration, the project empowers creatives to adapt to new realities and develop sustainable practices. Through this initiative, the goal is to amplify the voices of Ukrainian creatives and support their ongoing contributions to the cultural landscape despite the challenges of war.

Discover more about the project (the additional informational will be added soon). 

Sunlight Over Borders by Artmedia Cultural Foundation and Faina UA Association

Sunlight Over Borders is a collaborative project rooted in principles of European and international cooperation, focusing on enrichment and development of young talent in the theatrical arts. Project centers around the intersection of theatrical practices from Romania and Ukraine, fostering dialogue and collaboration to create a co-production that explores pressing societal issues, particularly the impact of ongoing war on communities. The project offers a safe space for industry professionals from both countries to delve deeply into the topic of war and its implications on society. Through the staging of the play “Blockpost”, based on a contemporary Ukrainian text, the project engages student actors, spectators, and members of the Romanian and Ukrainian community to collectively address the themes of war and its enduring effects on our shared future.

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Heart of Earth Comes to Denmark by Ukraine House in Denmark and Mystetskyi Arsenal 

Mystetskyi Arsenal (MA), Ukraine's flagship cultural organization and Ukraine House in Denmark (UHD), one of the few Ukrainian organizations in Europe with a large exhibition space at its disposal, are joining forces to present one of the key Ukrainian wartime exhibitions, Heart of Earth, to the Danish and international public.
Heart of Earth was curated by the MA team in 2022 following the Russian invasion, showcasing 16 Ukrainian artists' reflections on the nation's archetypical fundamental relationship with its land and the food it produces. The exhibition highlighted Ukraine's role in global food security, addressing issues such as colonial exploitation, food weaponization and environmental damage. Due to the project's growing relevance amidst attacks on grain export infrastructure, dams destruction and increasing ecological damage, UHD plans to host an updated version of the exhibition in Copenhagen.

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Forests of Our Hearts by Atmosfera and ArtPole agency

The forests of our hearts is a co-operation between Atmosfera festival (SK) and ArtPole agency (UA) with the purpose to creative multi-disciplinary installation Forest presented in August 2024 during the festival's 3-days in Hontianske Nemce. The artistic concept will be developed mutually by tandem of two curators from both countries and both UA and SK artists, architects and designers. The project includes expert talks about natural heritage at risk at Discussion forest and a community-focused performative lunch ForRest held around a big table under an old oak – the heart of the festival. The performative picnic will be done in co-operation with Peace for Ukraine, a Slovak not-for-profit organisation. The project will be well documented and shared on the subpage of the Atmosfera festival and ArtPole for further dissemination.

Discover more about the project (the additional informational will be added soon). 

Becoming After Ruin by Suprainfinit Gallery, Odesa Fine Arts Museum, French Institute in Romania, and Museum of Recent Art

Becoming After Ruin approaches the topic of ruins, rebirth, and conservation from a multi-disciplinary perspective, bringing forth the importance of topics such as: re-emergence and becoming in the context of war in and through the arts, war-time damage to heritage and the environment, rebuilding urban imaginaries as a method of resilience in Europe’s peripheral cities. The project centers around two exhibitions showing newly commissioned works by 2 Ukrainian artists, Daria Koltsova and Vitaly Yankovy that will take place at Suprainfinit Gallery in Bucharest. Daria Koltsova’s exhibition will be co-commissioned together with the main partner Odessa National Fine Art Museum. The purpose of the project is to engage the public in a dialogue on the role of socially- and environmentally-sensitive imagination in processes of reconstruction and to increase the visibility of Ukrainian arts and culture locally in Bucharest.

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Tbilisi Architecture Biennial by METALAB and Kultura Medialna

The project Correct Mistakes_Showcase Ukraine aims at presenting the Ukrainian experience and context since the full-scale invasion of Russia at the Tbilisi Architecture Biennial 2024 (TAB), which is to take place from September 28 to October 19, 2024, in Tbilisi, Georgia. Each edition of TAB focuses on one specific urgent issue to unite several events including a symposium, series of talks, exhibitions, physical projects, publications, etc. This year TAB will dedicate its activities to exploring of relationship between people and natural resources and highlight the critical role that architects, urban planners, communities, policymakers, and environmentalists play in navigating this complex dynamic. It will study the interdependent relationship between the environment and humanity, focusing on their mutual influences. The project team plans to dedicate one of the panels to presenting of the case Ukraine and the recent developments in regard of the water. During the panel discussion Ukrainian experts, architects, urbanists and cultural practitioners will discuss the water related issues and analyze the cases like collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam, historic approach to constructing of the water infrastructures, use of new environmental materials for restoration and reconstruction of damaged and building new facilities etc. The project will be realized by TAB in partnership with the Kultura Medialna and Metalab.

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YSOU Chamber Music Lab: Rebuilding Self-Strength of Ukrainian Youth by NGO Cultural platform and YSOU Foundation e.V., CREAIO

YsOU Chamber music lab: rebuilding self-strength of Ukrainian youth created for the musicians of the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine (YsOU). Its purpose is to educate young Ukrainian musicians and encourage cross-cultural cooperation between Ukraine, Spain and Germany through music, while also fostering Ukrainian culture internationally. The project aims to raise awareness about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and promote peace through the transformative and communicative power of music as well as ease the emotional and cultural rebuilding process for those affected by war. Key results include international reflection on the Ukrainian situation, and integration of Ukrainian culture into the European creative sector, empowering young Ukrainians for recovery and ultimately empowering them for the rebuilding of Ukraine, enhanced professional skills and cultural diversity awareness among YsOU musicians, increased visibility of Ukrainian culture abroad, giving visibility to Ukrainian music and composers; raised awareness about the russian war in Ukraine; strengthened cultural ties between participating countries and the premiere of 2 significant chamber music pieces by Ukrainian composers reflecting the war, involving young Ukrainian artists and professional musicians located in Spain and Germany; promoting and using the positive effects of music to rebuild and create connections between Ukrainian displaced people and the different communities in Spain and Germany.

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Focus Ukraine by DokuFest and Docudays UA 

DokuFest joins forces with Docudays, to spotlight Ukrainian documentary cinema and photography through Focus Ukraine at DokuFest in Kosovo. This partnership creates the festival's largest country-focused showcase to date, highlighting Ukrainian culture's resilience and creativity. Focus Ukraine will feature six slots for recent Ukrainian films, including five feature and 3-4 short documentaries, curated by Docudays. These films won't just grace the festival; they'll also be screened in Prishtina, widening their audience at a high level event. These films will be incorporated to DokuFest cinema program and will be showcased as special programs after the festival, as well. Accompanying the films, a Ukrainian photography exhibition, also curated by Docudays, will offer festival-goers a visual journey into Ukraine's heart. DokuFest is also leveraging this partnership for insightful discussions. 2 panels are planned: one on the challenges of filming war crimes, drawing lessons from the Balkan conflicts, & another on how film festivals like Docudays support filmmakers during crises. This collaboration aligns DokuFest's commitment to diversity, human rights, and social justice with Docudays' dedication to human dignity and documentary filmmaking. Focus Ukraine aims towards greater cultural understanding and empathy, enriching the European creative scene with unique perspectives and shared experiences. The opening of the Focus Ukraine at DokuFest will be a high level event that brings together representatives of Kosovo government, Ukrainian journalists hosted in Kosovo, local media, as well as accredited Ambassadors of Quint in Kosovo. The opening program will be televised and broadcasted on TV with national frequencies and streamed online.

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Let the Body Speak: Rebuilding the Community by UA Contemporary Dance Platform and Soltumatu Tantsu Uhendus MTU, Bendryba PARTY, Regional Center for contemporary arts TOPLOCENTRALA

The Let the body speak project was launched in May 2022 with the aim of supporting the development of the Ukrainian dance community during the war. Its representatives demonstrated in 2022-23 the ability to survive, adapt to working in war conditions, and continue artistic activities, scaling them to European countries. The project has shown significant results in developing and professionalizing the dance community, disseminating information about Ukrainian art abroad, and establishing new connections with foreign organizations and audiences. The project`s focus of the 2024 is to create a database of relevant Ukrainian contemporary dance performances for their effective positioning, promotion, and developing efficient culture diplomacy events abroad. This is an important component of our strategy to support and develop the sustainability of the artistic community with the strong connection with diaspora. The program's goal, in partnership with institutions from Bulgaria, Latvia, and Estonia, is to begin restoring connections within the Ukrainian dance community as an essential component of the Ukrainian artistic and cultural field. 

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Future for Ukraine – Illustrators Residency in Prague and Presentation at LUSTR Festival of Illustration and Comics 2024 by LUSTR festival ilustrace z.s. and Pictoric

The Future for Ukraine – Illustrators Residency in Prague and Presentation at LUSTR Festival of Illustration and Comics 2024 project, in collaboration with Pictoric, aims to introduce Ukrainian illustrators to the Czech audience while exploring themes of rebuilding post-war. Curated by Anna Sarvira, it selects five artists, with four participating in a residency in Prague. Guided by Sarvira, they create works on the theme "Future," showcased at LUSTR. The accompanying program includes presentations, artist talks, a masterclass workshop, and discussions on cultural wars and rebuilding of the culture after war. The outcome is an exhibition with presentations and a curator talk on rebuilding Ukrainian culture. It provides a platform for artists, fostering creative development, networking, and sharing perspectives on rebuilding and cultural restoration. Through their works, the artists contribute to the dialogue on resilience and renewal in artistic expression. The project's outcomes include heightened visibility for Ukrainian artists, cross-cultural dialogue, and enrichment of the international illustration community.

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Pavilion of the Future: Rebuilding and Resilience by La Manufacture and NGO Cultural Diplomacy Foundation 

The Pavilion of the Future: Rebuilding and Resilience project, running from mid-June to mid-January 2024, starts as part of the larger Pavillon du Futur Ukraine – 2024 at Avignon Off Festival initiative, aiming to showcase Ukrainian projects internationally and facilitate future tours in France and worldwide in 2025 and 2026. La Manufacture leads the project, collaborating with Ukrainian Institute, The Cultural Diplomacy Foundation, Institute Français, ONDA (French National Office for Arts Dissemination), Odesa Photo Days Fest, Petit Paradis Gallery (Avignon), Urban Coalition for Ukraine, French architects and urban planners. The purpose is to increase the visibility of Ukrainian art scene in France; develop the expertise of Ukrainian producers (public and private) for effective promotion of projects in the EU countries; to share best practices for urban renewal developed in Avignon; present Ukrainian cultural products to the wide audience, initiate sharing experiences and knowledge about post-war reconstruction and recovery, develop cooperation between French and Ukrainian photographers and architects, artists, urban planners.

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Ukrainian Drama Week Festival by Charitable Foundation The Depths of Arts (DOFA FUND) and l'Institut Ukrainien et l'Association de Préfiguration de l'Institut Ukrainien en France

The Ukrainian Drama Week Festival showcases contemporary and classic Ukrainian plays through theatrical readings performed by French actors. The initiative fosters cultural exchange between Ukrainian and French theater communities, promotes Ukrainian playwrights on French-speaking stages, and contributes to the creation of a library of translated Ukrainian plays. The festival includes multiple performances, networking opportunities for playwrights, and the production of video recordings and a short film to extend its impact.

Discover more about the project (the additional informational will be added soon). 

ZMINA: Rebuilding is a project the EU's Creative Europe program co-funded as part of a special call for proposals to support Ukrainian IDPs and the Ukrainian cultural and creative sectors. The project is the result of cooperation between the IZOLYATSIA Foundation (Ukraine), the Trans Europe Halles network (Sweden) and the Malý Berlín organization (Slovakia).