Posts Tagged project

Call for authors, artists, journalists, photographers from Belarus, Germany, Czech Republic and other CEE countries

Deadline: June 11. 2009

For more information contact: belarusATplotki.net

PLOTKI magazine, youth portal Generation.by, and citizen journalism platform iBelarus.net are looking for authors, artists, photographers and journalists with an interest in exploring Belarusian life from the inside.

Aim of the international project “Belarus Inside-Out” is to investigate, critically approach and creatively disclose the various aspects of Belarusian reality through the exchange of ideas between Belarusian and non-Belarusian counterparts.

Young authors, artists, photographers and journalists from Belarus, Germany, Czech Republic and other Central and Eastern European countries are invited to contribute creatively to an attempt of making Belarus more understandable to the international public.

*Project description*

Until recently Belarus has been often seen as a country stuck in the Soviet past. Today the EU officials consider the possibility of establishing a dialog with “the last European dictatorship”, which in its turn is studiously hiding the Belarusian realities behind the facades and proclamations very much reminding those of the Soviet era. Behind them one can find a unique culture, unique problems and unique people who are still in search of their own unique identity.

Together the participants will analyse the variety of socio-cultural dimensions of Belarusian everyday life; turn inside out the old stereotypes and create the new ones; they will look for a unique image of Belarus and spread it around.

*Project realisation*

The core of the project is a 10 days seminar which will take place in Belarus from the 14th to the 23rd of August 2009. It will consist of two parts: the workshop and the research trip. The gathered material will later be compiled in a bilingual publication, which will be distributed in the CEE countries. In January 2010 all project outcomes will be presented at release event in Berlin where the participants will meet once more.

*Topics*

There are various aspects of a socio-cultural life and countless topics connected to each of it: from the phenomenon of the generation “Y” to the immigration of youth, from the tragic consequences of Chernobyl disaster to the unique natural wonders, from the co-existence of the various religious confessions to the life of sexual minorities. The project plans to explore the interesting, little-known, controversial, provocative and exciting sides of the Belarusian day-to-day life. All ideas are welcomed.