Битеф

the Swiss philosopher Denis de Rougemont and a group of like minds in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1954. Its establishment was a straightforward response to the necessity of including the human and cultural dimension in the rebuilding of Europe after the war. From 1960 onwards the Foundation has been operating from Amsterdam. But its main goal remains the same - to finance and promote European cultural cooperation and to initiate and support cultural programmes that will enhance a sense of belonging to the Europe as an integral geographic, historical and social space, simultaneously encouraging cultural diversity across the continent. In 1996 the European Cultural Foundation initiated Art for Social Change. The programme started as a response to the specific activities of a number of cultural institutions and individual artists. Although these artists were still doing the one thing In which they felt competent - making art the uniqueness of their work was that they were doing it TOGETHER with young people. They were not making art FOR young people or simply using them for their own artistic ends. Nor were they take on the role of the social worker, using art as a therapeutic or educational tool. They were genuinely collaborating with young people, going through a process of discovery where everyone was treated as an equal partner in the artistic creation. They were often succeeding where other methods had failed. Through making art they were empowering often disadvantaged young people to take a more active, social role. The role of the Art for Social Change programme is to support this kind of work, investigate its methodology, evaluate its effects and establish training schemes for all those artists who want to become involved. It was a deliberate decision of the AFSC team to prioritize the programme in those regions of Europe where social and political turmoil was producing situations In which the meaningful inclusion of young people in society was threatened, if not made completely impossible. Theatre was identified as a common ground for artists and young people to come together and start this collaboration.

It became the meeting place, a protected space and a learning method, all at the same time. In building the programme from this premise the approach has always been practical rather than theoretical. Close organizational and financial collaboration was established with what was the network of SOROS institutions in Central and Eastern Europe. Partners were sought among theatre practitioners in different European countries. Between 1997 and 2000, two sub-programs emerged. The first - Play Against Violence - evolved through a network of professionals established in the countries of South-Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Yugoslavia), and under its umbrella 27 pilot projects have been initiated. The issue of violence, the dilemma of how to protect and enable young people to cope with and overcome it, has been the main focus of this activity. The second programme - Art in Action! - is a continuation of AFSC activities in the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) and Poland, There, the lack of inter-ethnic tolerance and thus the necessity for collaboration has become a starting point for theatrical exploration. "I try to look at all the kids as much I could to find out something that they had, something that they could do instantly, what they can do so they'll be comfortable... I did the piece at the George School... the kids, they were afraid of it; ... I did not give them the concept... (I told them) maybe you'll understand it more if we can just go through the performance, after you get the experience of it... But, they are so used to having the idea first, the concept first. They are afraid... to trust. I said "you'll best understand what I am trying to do if we can just get through the performance, one performance when you got that experience..." These kids were afraid of so many things, they were afraid of me, they were afraid of the material, they were afraid that no one was going to like it so I said, “okay, maybe no one will like it, maybe you wont even like it, only lets still do 1t..." Robert Wilson

The European Cultural Foundation strongly believes that making art with young people represents a promising model for positive social and artistic experimentation. However, any strong belief should be open to investigation. With that in mind, in March 1999, the ECF brought together a group of theatre makers and social workers from different parts of Europe to Amsterdam. The aim was to formulate a shared vocabulary that could both facilitate communication in the Art for Social Change programme, and enhance understanding of the work itself. During two days of intense discussion at this first evaluation meeting in Amsterdam, a list of key issues emerged as material for future debate. This second evaluation meeting in Belgrade, within the stimulating context of the Belgrade International Theatre Festival, will focus on the role of the artist: both in relation to the group of young people with whom they work and to the broader social environment. Questions about the skills of the artist, the nature and functioning of the theatrical space as a place of safety and sharing will be the starting point for the three-day discussion with contributions from participants from Bulgaria, BosniaHerzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, United Kingdom, Macedonia, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia. This meeting would not be possible without the strong partnership between the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), the Fund for an Open Society, Yugoslavia, the Center for New Theatre and Dance (CENPI) and Cultural Centre Stari Grad. The mutual understanding and close collaboration between these four institutions is the best indicator of their shared interests and concerns and their strong commitment to taking the Art for Social Change programme forward.