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Comforting the community – Art as solace during the lockdown (Schiedam, the Netherlands)
As the lockdown started in The Netherlands, Stedelijk Museum Schiedam wanted to offer comfort to the inhabitants of the city Schiedam. By commissioning local artists to make their interpretation of comfort into a work of art and making their work into posters and postcards they spread the message of consolation throughout the city. Advertisement space was bought or donated and posters were offered to shops and other businesses to display. Volunteers delivered posters to the inhabitants who wanted them, and soon the city was full of expressions of solace from Schiedam, to Schiedam. Background Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (SMS) was founded in 1899 and is a museum for modern art, history,…
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Helping children with Surprise reading service (Gouda, the Netherlands)
When the Public Library in Gouda was closed during the lockdown, they wanted to keep children reading so they wouldn’t fall behind with school. Therefore, the library called the Surprise reading service to life. It set an example of an organization where the employees were knowledgeable, involved, moved quickly, and came up with a very personalized solution. Together with their network they made sure the service was online and advertised in no time. In the end 600 bright orange bags with 4000 personalized books were being prepared for the kids of Gouda. The library will expand the surprise reading service to adults if they need to close down again. Background…
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Rijksmuseum from Home / #RijksmuseumFromHome (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
As an alternative for visiting the museum during the pandemic, employees of the Dutch Rijksmuseum for art and Dutch history created a series of short videos at home, highlighting a cherished object from the museum collection through a personal story. In a total of 24 videos (January 2022) in the ‘Rijksmuseum from Home’ series, museum specialists shared their personal fascinations for one object, while incidentally also referring to the pandemic and its impact on society. The movies were posted on the website of the museum, as well as social media, such as YouTube and Instagram. Background The Rijksmuseum is a well-known Dutch national museum for art and Dutch history. It…
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From TV Show to Contemporary Art Gallery: Through the People’s Lens (Valletta, Malta)
Fondazzjoni Kreattività is an institution born with the task of managing the premises of the St James Cavalier fort, in Valletta (Malta), after this was allocated as a space for the Malta’s National Centre for Creativity. Therefore, the link between the activities carried out from the organisation and its own premises is really strong. When the global pandemic hit, these boundaries had to be broken and overcome, due to the forced closure. The exhibition Through the People’s Lens: A Quarantine Diary is an example of how Spazju Kreattiv (the name of the programme managed and curated by Fondazzjoni Kreattività) reacted to this new reality and how the institution reacted to…
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Forma Mentis: A Windmill of Art and Community (Birkirkara, Malta)
Following more than one year of pandemic, through different forms of restrictions to private and public art spaces, plans of cultural centers still need to adapt. Rather than focussing on virtually re-creating the exhibition’s experience, the Gabriel Caruana Foundation, with the Forma Mentis initiative, tackles the role of Art Therapy in relieving what’s been named “pandemic fatigue” or any other mental issues arising in connection to the pandemic. Initially designed for persons at higher risk of marginalisation and exclusion, the initiative broadened its scope to the whole community. Background The Mill – Art, Culture and Crafts Centre is located in Birkirkara, in Malta, at one of the busiest crossroads of…
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Gilgamesh: bringing spectacle to the big screen (Galway, Ireland)
The Gilgamesh project consisted of a creative program with a series of public performances during the celebration of Galway 2020, but due to COVID-19 this program had to be adapted. A new plan was devised and Macnas made a short film about Gilgamesh. The film premiered at several theatres. This new medium gave Macnas the opportunity to redevelop their art form and set up a new infrastructure that will remain after the project. Besides that, Macnas’s work is now accessible for a whole new audience. In conclusion, this project by Macnas can be seen as an example of adaptability and inventiveness for other theatre makers and the next generation of…
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Local focus boosting local pride (Rijeka, Croatia)
When the audience and the points of interest both turned from international to local in The Legacy of Rijeka tour, the Kvarner tourist guide association has experienced positive effects. First of all, the local audience, with their additional knowledge of local, personal, and hidden stories has had a very positive impact on the formal knowledge base of the tour guides which has improved the quality and liveliness of their tours. Furthermore, because most art projects in the tour had become projects in which locals and local artists had participated, the tour has boosted a feeling of local pride. Background The Kvarner Tourist Guide Association was founded in 1998. The association…
