The Contemporary Art Triennial for School Students Eksperimenta! (abbreviated

to simply E!) is a multi-level international art education project designed for

students between the ages of 14 and 19, artists and art teachers.

The first E! will be held in Tallinn in 2011 as one of the key events of the „Tallinn

– European Capital of Culture 2011 programme.

Vision of Eksperimenta!

Eksperimenta! is the best-known contemporary art event for school students in the world.

Mission of Eksperimenta!

The mission of E! is supporting the development of critical, socially sensitive and creative thinking in society through the unification of contemporary art and art education.

Rationale

1. Currently there is a gap between contemporary art and art education.

On one hand it obstructs the normal development and sustainability of culture and on the other hand it reduces the efficiency of education in whole and decreases the capability of education to react to the economical, social and environmental challenges of contemporary society.

The need for integrating contemporary art and art education is brought out in numerous presentations and articles.

2. The priorities of art education should be renewed.

The aim of art education (especially in general schools) should be understood on two levels: 1. educating the future culture consumers (majority of the students); 2. educating future professionals (minority of the students).

Currently the balance is out of order – in many schools art is taught following the model of anart school but in fewer lessons.

The potential of art education as a tool for integrating other subjects, is not fully used.

Strengthening art education would help to develop students' creativity and social skills, critical and analytical thinking.

3. Students and teachers are ready

In 2010 E! team conducted a questionnaire among Estonian art teachers and students.

85% of the teachers and 65% of the students found that contemporary art is not enough integrated into school lessons.

Solutions offered by students: 1. More time should be dedicated to contemporary topics and art, less to deal with old; 2. Meetings with artists, visiting exhibitions, videos, workshops; 3. Lessons are too short.

Solutions offered by teachers: 1. Teacher trainings; 2. More lessons; 3. Meetings with artists, visiting exhibitions etc. and bringing art education closer connection with student's lives.

Eksperimenta! offers solutions

The studies prove relevance of the mission of E! to bring contemporary art and art education closer.

Eksperimenta! will:

Create an international network for exchanging experiences and the best practices in art education

Initiate teacher trainings in formal and informal way

Attract as many students and art teachers as possible

Attract attention to contemporary art and art education by 1. Initiating discussions about art and art education, 2. Attractive marketing of the event

Triennial 2011

Time: 26th of April - 14th of June 2011

Place: Lauluväljak song festival grounds, Maarjamäe castle and public space

Topic: “Space”

Opening week: 26th - 30th of April. IDEAlaboratory, press days, prize ceremony

Participants: We are expecting at least 12 countries to participate

National expositions which are to be curated by a national curator, who is selected by the partner organisation(s). Each of the countries will have 130 –150 m2 exposition space. Spaces with different setting will be divided in the curator's meeting 7th - 9th of June 2010 in Tallinn.

Triennial 2011. “Space”

Based on the overall concept and central theme of the event, the national curator will select and develop a specific theme appropriate to the cultural and social background of their country.

National curators create their own concept and select participants on the basis on the overall concept of the event.

The topic allows the “space” of contemporary art to be examined in a number of ways and at a number of levels: 1. Physical Space: public versus private space / borders / territory / confined space / restricted resources; and 2. Intellectual and Virtual Space: imperceptible maps / paths / networks / memory / own space / psycho-geography.

E! welcomes all kind of artistic production: experimental film, new media, painting, installation, site-specific work etc.

Participants of Eksperimenta!

School students in the age of 14 - 19 from primary schools, secondary schools and vocational schools. The education level of participants should accord to the 2A level of ISCED or 3A and 3B level of ISCDED.

Art Teachers, tutors etc. from general schools, vocational schools and hobby schools

Professionals of art field. Artists, curators, critics

Members of international network

IDEAlaboratory

IDEAlaboratory is a platform for creating, collecting and sharing the best practices in art education. Outputs:

Training courses, workshops and seminars in partner countries

Virtual platform www.eksperimenta.net where members of the network can upload the best practices and everybody are free to download and use them.

The continuous activity of IDEAlaboratory will culminate after every three years in the opening week of the triennial, when art educators, artists, curators, critics, students can participate in the workshops and seminars.

In 2011 IDEAlaboratory will have two parallel programmes: for students and for teacher, which will partially merge. The programme focuses on 3 topics: Art of Thinking; Art of Looking, Art of Creating

International network of Eksperimenta!

The network is open to everybody who is interested in fostering art education: schools, art centres and umbrella organisations, who would like to contribute to integrating contemporary art into art education.

The network also has an important role in organising the triennial: the partners of the network act as national coordinators for the triennial, facilitate the international and national network and decide the selection of the national curator and coordinate the national exposition.

Right now there are 8 countries actively involved into the network: Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Slovenia, Germany, Portugal, Russia, Canada, Turkey.

A sub-netowork of schools is initated to develop the platform of IDEAlaboratories. It includes 7 schools from Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Portugal.

Time-table of 2010. .

7th - 9th of JuneMeeting of the curators of the partner countries in Tallinn.

November – DecemberGathering materials for the pre-catalogue.

EstoniaMarchArt critic and artist Mari Kartau was selected to be the curator of Estonian exposition

AprilCreating the concept of Estonian exposition in collaboration with students

May, SeptemberMarketing campaign in schools.

October – NovemberArt competition and workshops in schools. There will be 4 – 5 centres in Estonia, where students from surrounding areas will gather to show their portfolios. The final work(s) will be selected by the end of November.

Thank you!