MINI ICAF 2024

We are delighted to announce that MINI ICAF will be taking place across the afternoon and evening of Wednesday 20 March, 2024, completely free of charge. For this 2024 edition we are proud to be presenting a rich and diverse programme that includes an opening ritual, book, documentary and library launches, curated workshops, and a celebratory evening programme including a dinner and after party.

MINI ICAF takes place every four years and is the counter-part to our larger festival. Though smaller in scale, it is just as much a celebration, placed at the cutting edge of global community arts discourse, practice and methodologies.

The 2024 Edition of MINI ICAF will act as the closing ritual to our dedicated theme of “the sound of change”, offering participants a space for reflecting, connecting, exchanging and mobilising together.

Important Information: If reserving a full programme ticket (which includes access to either session 1, session 2 , or session 3) DO NOT also reserve an individual ticket for a workshop, as your entrance is already secured and accounted for. Thank you.

Programme break-down:

The programme will officially begin with a warm welcome from ICAF Director Jasmina Ibrahovimic, who will focus the power of the sound of change and the deep reverberations responses to this theme have provided for us as a festival. Jasmina will then introduce our opening ritual which will add further nuance and meaning to our connections to sound.

For the second part of the afternoon programme, will be proudly launching our ICAF Documentary and Publication, both entitled “The Sound of Change”. Launches will include an introduce from the publication editor, alongside performative readings from publication contributors. The publication and documentary will be by no means by the only new ICAF outputs as we will also be revealing are brand new ICAF digital library and archive. Together the collective launches will act as a celebration and a closing of our 2023 ICAF Festival Theme “The Sound of Change”, before we introduce our new dedicated theme for 2025-2028.

Following from the launch programme, participants can join one of three workshop offerings that make up the late afternoon programme. Each workshop will have a different audience focus: local, national and international, as well as topics of focus, which each tie into the new ICAF thematic trajectory.

Session 1: Open session with the Dutch Community Arts field: Facilitated by Jasmina Ibrahimovic (ICAF)

Community arts in the Netherlands has existed for many years and in some cases even decades. But in recent years, interest in social-artistic practice has grown and there are more and more artists and arts organisations that carry out art projects in a participatory manner with, for and by people who experience a distance from the cultural sector. Important projects are created from personal stories and social urgency that contribute to mutual understanding, a more inclusive cultural landscape and a truer narrative of the nation. At the same time, the Netherlands, like most countries in Europe, is in a state of polarization and we face enormous challenges in the near future. Especially during times such as these, we must seek each other out as a sector, as creators, and as a social-artistic discipline.

With this breakout session of MINI-ICAF, we want to create space for the Dutch community arts field to meet each other, breathe in and out together, support and inspire each other and who knows, draw up a joint agenda for the future… We therefore invite all experienced and less experienced community arts makers, socially engaged artists and other interested parties to participate.

Facilitator: Jasmina Ibrahimovic, ICAF

For whom: Experienced and less experienced community arts creators

Duration: 2 hours

Capacity: 20

Language: Dutch

Important information about this session: The conversation will be focused on the Dutch national contexts. A good understanding of this is required to participate. All are welcome to join.

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Session 2: Open Session met de International Consortium: Neo-parades and neo carnivals and (new) forms of rituals in urban hybrid societies

Neo-parades, neo carnivals and (new) forms of rituals in urban hybrid societies

Public space is a vibrant, interesting place in metropolitan contexts. Especially in big cities where a lot of change is taking place and where people sometimes have to fight for their space and place. Space to come together, to play, to meet and see each other. In Europe there are a number of very interesting artistic practices that claim space for new rituals through parades and participatory art events with various communities in the city.

During this open session, the International Parade Consortium, made up of international partners: Zinneke Parade (Brussels, Belgium), MetX (Brussels, Belgium) Oi Musica (Edinburgh, UK), Partôt Parata/Oltro (Bologna, Italy), Fabrique des Impossibles (Paris, France), Kinneke Parade (Roztoky, Czech Republic), Velvet Parade (Prague, Czech Republic) and Eelts (Tilburg, the Netherlands), will present the vision and mission of the consortium, the urgent needs and requirements that brought them together, and the future aims and wishes of the consortium: as a network, within their communities, and as part of wider society.

The session will then open into a wider participatory discussion with the audience to look at the importance of new rituals within our own contexts and urban societies, and the need for more visibility, action and urgency in our public spaces.

Facilitator: Amy Gowen

For whom: (experienced) artists and facilitators interested in Neo-parades

Duration: 2 hours

Capacity: 20-50

Language: English

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Session 3: Workshop "A friendly greeting”: Do you have a moment? Without words, you discover how to connect with each other. Facilitated by Rotterdams Wijktheater, Joost Roskam.

In its most recent project called Weerzien (Re-union), ICAF’s parentorganisation Rotterdam Community Theatregroup examines our relationship to others in a polarized society.

How do we live together in these times? Do we need the other and who is that other? Are we able and willing to care for someone we don't know? This year, Rotterdam Wijktheater is creating a space for a series of theatrical encounters with which we interactively explore our relationship to each other. This workshop during the MINI ICAF is one of these series of meetings.

How does an encounter come about? Is it easy to get to know someone who you otherwise might not meet? Without words you discover how you can get in touch with each other. We take the time for a friendly greeting.

Facilitator: Joost Roskam, Rotterdams Wijktheater

For whom: For everyone, no experience required.

Duration: 2 hours

Capacity: 30

Language: Dutch/ English

The evening programme will begin with a delicious network dinner, after which we will dance the night away with live music.

For tickets, please access the dedicated EventBrite ticket page.