WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF THE PROJECT AND WHO IS THE TARGET GROUP?

"Deschooling Classroom" is a project that promotes open, innovative, collaborative, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary formats of cultural production through critical reflection on the educational system in the region (Serbia and Macedonia). The project addresses the region's contemporary independent cultural scenes by researching and offering an alternative to the existing hierarchical models of art and culture education. It aims to enable democratic models of knowledge production and distribution by advocating open collective educational structures of self-organised communities, horizontal productions and exchange.

Academic institutions in the region still implement outdated models of public education. The imposed division between experts and students or lecturing as a traditional method of conveying knowledge is rarely questioned. The importance of personal initiative, collaboration between students and colleagues, or the use of digital technologies as educational means are not emphasised. Therefore the urgency of developing a new model of cultural knowledge production and distribution corresponds to the needs of fast-changing societies that require new abilities and skills.

WHAT DOES THE PROJECT INCLUDE?

The project programme runs through two “vectors”: through its content and through its methodology.

In terms of content, the programme is orientated towards critical, interdisciplinary, hybrid knowledge in the field of contemporary art and culture. The offered topics include curatorial practices in visual and non-visual arts, interdisciplinary dramaturgy; free software and digital technology; and inter-medial artistic production.

In terms of methodology, various forms of research and learning about skills and principles of self-organisation and self-education will be applied including workshops about facilitation, practical advice for running an NGO, decision-making processes and non-hierarchical group work, etc.

The project is organised in two cycles so that each “generation” will go through a process of collective self-education via several types of activities. Induction includes articulating the basic principles of self-education and self-organisation.

Open Weeks are 3-day events, consisting of workshops, lectures and presentations that aim to attract attention and raise awareness about self-education in local contexts.

Incubators are long-term distance-learning collaborative workshops of working groups gathered around common themes. Their curricula will be designed by the participants and include a continual self-educational process and programmes facilitated by invited lecturers.

Summer Schools are intense one-week educational events, created by and for the participants of all groups and for the other interested participants from the region. Timeshare Campuses are accommodation/work structures (in Skopje and Belgrade) that facilitate collaboration between the participants during collective cultural productions (video, fanzine, installation, website, etc).

The project will end with the production of a Toolbox including a Handbook on self-education, written by the participants, organisers and guests, and a documentary film that will present the project and its potential for application in other contexts.

WHAT ARE THE OUTPUTS?

The results of the project will include: examples of democratic education in the arts and culture in the region; open, innovative, collaborative, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary formats of creative work in local cultural contexts; and enhanced regional knowledge production and sharing, and cultural collaboration in the independent scenes.

HOW IS THE PROJECT FINANCED?

It is supported by the Swiss Cultural Programme in the Western Balkans.