Call for applications 2023/24

16-month programme hosted by the Bern Academy of the Arts
Up to eight residents are invited to join the Sommerakademie Paul Klee (SPK) programme, curated by cultural worker Andrea Thal, and beginning on August 12, 2023 in Bern, Switzerland. Over the course of 2023 & 2024, the SPK features public lectures, closed-door seminars, and access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and technical support at the Bern Academy of the Arts (HKB)—but also teaching opportunities at the HKB.

Travel, accommodation, visa expenses and a per diem of CHF 50 are covered. Residents using production facilities are entitled to a modest production stipend of CHF 500. Each year of the cycle also has a pot of money at their disposal that can be allocated collectively.

Curatorial Framework 2023/24
The recurring fragility and crisis in the world make it more necessary than ever to form strong bonds with others, to situate oneself in and act from a sense of community. At the same time, the awareness for the complexities of care and for the highly sensitive methodologies required to create meaningful and inclusive ways of being with others has grown significantly in recent years.

The 2023/24 cycle of SPK wishes to bring together a group of residents who have experience in working with others in modes of crisis or struggle in cultural, activist or education contexts. The methodologies of the collective working practices and economies, the reflection and the awareness that grow out of groups whose practices imagine different forms of relating to each other are of interest to this cycle. Based on the awareness that such practices are always highly specific to their contexts, the programme hopes to build its field of resonance together with the residents. In light of this, the programme proposes a loose structure with room for decisions to be taken in the group and is able to accommodate shifts in its focus and direction.

Timeline
–The first meeting in Bern will take place from August 12–19, 2023.
–The second meeting in Bern is planned for mid-August 2024.
–Between summer 2023 and late 2024 the group will sporadically meet online.
–In spring or autumn 2024, for periods of up to five days, residents will have access to HKB infrastructure and technical support. During that time, they will also conduct workshops or studio visits with HKB students, remunerated at the standard local rates.

SPK
In 2006, the Sommerakademie im Zentrum Paul Klee introduced a landmark educational template—a tightly curated retreat for international artists—a format which was quickly established throughout Europe. This template was revisited by the newly restructured SPK in 2017, which combined rigorous collective inquiry with the perks of production-oriented residencies. The SPK caters to practitioners working at a postgraduate level, whether or not they have an official certificate saying so. Practical experience of being part of artistic and activist groups and an openness to engage in a process of sharing and learning from each other are necessary requirements here. This call encourages practitioners from various disciplines in culture, education or activism to apply. It is possible for more than one person from the same collective or group to apply or to send a collective application nominating one to two representatives that will alternate in taking part in the residency. The application deadline is March 15, 2023 (7am CET); successful candidates will be contacted on March 30, 2023.

Requirements
–application file (more info on the following website) to be submitted digitally by March 15, 2023, 7am CET
–availability for a short Zoom interview March 29, 2023
–a firm commitment over the entire span of the programme