Project information
| Status | Finalist |
| URL | Go to website |
| Category | Culture |
| Country | United States |
| Operational areas | Urban |
| Target groups | Youth, Women, Men, Seniors |
| Fixed connection | Dialup, DSL, IDSN, Cable |
| Wireless connection | WiFi, WiMax, Satellite, GSM |
| Access points | Business, Home, School, Library, Telecenter, Cafe |
| Interact | Landline Phone, Desktop Computer, Cellphone, Laptop, PDA |
| Software License Types | Open Source, Proprietary |
Project location
Random images Challenge 2008
freeDimensional - Linking Artistic Communities to International Social Justice
- Brief description
- In order to keep up with the increasing complexity and evolution of its international network, freeDimensional has begun to structure, design, and implement a web-based community platform with public and private space for each network member. This will provide program information and events to the public and present a showcase of on-line artworks for sale as well as an anonymous function that allows safe and secure nominations from human rights organizations to member centers. Online sales will help us to create an Artist Mobility Fund, the missing link in helping the artist-in-residence. With a portion of its online sales, freeDimensional will provide a stipend to artists without means, in addition to their residency.
- Vision, Objectives and Goals
- The global vision of freeDimensional is to create community space for free expression. To this end, our mission is to organize community arts space and local resources for the support and protection of individuals who create dialogue on global issues and inequalities through their art and media. In operation since 2005, freeDimensional has initiated a global network that partners socially progressive artist residency programs with human rights and freedom of expression organizations in order to facilitate rapid response placement in individual situations of distress. freeDimensional fulfills its organizational mission through the implementation of the following three steps: 1. Providing short-term studio and residential space for artists, activists and citizen journalists experiencing censorship, xenophobia and/or economic hardship; 2. Building partnerships between our network community members and local youth for the production of public art and independent media that expresses their individual concerns as well as those of the communities they represent; and 3. Distributing these media products using mainstream and alternative venues and targeted advocacy platforms to reach diverse audiences and decision-makers. The network provides administrative and organizing support to 30 centers worldwide. These 30 centers constitute a web of flexible, short-term safe havens for exiled human rights defenders who were working at the intersection of arts and journalism before fleeing their countries of origin. We especially seek to accommodate: 1. Young communicators working in any media who lack support and the protective recognition of the international community for their creative work expressing oppressive social issues; 2. Artists working with new media whose works are not fully understood in their local area and for which there is government backlash and sanction; 3. Artists and communicators expressing themselves on environmental issues, particularly those elucidating the politics surrounding natural resources and migration.
- How does ICT contribute to the organisational objectives
- (a) On-line Community Platform Development: In order to keep up with the increasing complexity and evolution of the international network, freeDimensional has begun to structure, design, and implement a web-based community platform with public and private space for each network member. This will provide program information and events to the public and present a showcase of on-line artworks for sale as well as an anonymous function that allows safe and secure nominations from human rights organizations to member centers. freeDimensional is expanding and clarifying its management information system in the following ways: 1. Create a system for streamlined and, at times, anonymous nomination and residency placement communications and logistics. This will allow distress and artist mobility funds to be best paired with placement opportunities by nominating organizations; 2. Develop an on-line community platform, so that each creative safe haven site has virtual space for public information and is linked to other network members, allowing a transfer of skills and knowledge among international partner centers and the communities where they are hosted. (b) Establishment of Artist Mobility Fund: Traditionally, human rights organizations provide distress funding, legal aid, vocational and language training, and arts-based and other post-trauma counseling. Placements can last from three to six months while the individual awaits further support and/or the improvement of conditions necessary for returning home. Though network members provide space, accommodation, and use of facilities, there is a lack of funding for materials, travel, and basic needs. In escaping conflict the nominee may have nothing. In order to provide some peace of mind, while dealing with a new country, language, customs, having lost everything, additional funds will secure a bit of financial freedom. With the creation of an Artist Mobility Fund, the missing link in helping the artist-in-residence, freeDimensional will provide a stipend to artists without means, in addition to their residency. (c) Sales of Stakeholders’ Work and Implementation of an On-line Art Auction: Currently, freeDimensional helps to provide a small level of monetary relief and network sustainability through sales of residential artists’ works at member centers where they are exhibited. The artists keep a majority of the earnings generated from the sale of their work with 20-50% being retained for the AMF. Through our resources and showcasing ability we work to get the artists higher sale prices so that the percentage contributed to the AMF does not detract from the income that can be utilized by the artist. Although we have engaged in a limited number of sales in the past, these sales must be brought up to scale and expanded to create an Artist Mobility Fund that will be able to help fulfill the global mission of freeDimensional. By engaging the entire network in an on-line art auction, we can offer member centers year-round income-generating activities that allow them to sell inherited or donated artworks from past artists-in-residence and freeDimensional placements. This system allows the network to receive a percentage for its overhead costs; freeDimensional network community members to sell their work during periods when their normal livelihood activities are interrupted; and the center from which the sale item originates to capitalize its assets.
- Transferability
- We have always been inspired by the feasibility of instigating a social movement within the artist residency sector, whereby interested centers could simply use our model without going through a bureaucratic affiliation process. These organizations have already joined in the movement with 20 more in a familiarization process:
Africa
- Atelier Moustapha Dime
- Gorée Institute
- Doual'Art
- The Townhouse Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
- Durban Lab w/ the support of Agenda: A quarterly South African feminist journal about women and gender, South Africa
Asia
- NICA, Burma
- Necessary Stage, Singapore
- International Forum for InterMedia Art, Singapore
Eurasia
- Arevagal
Europe
- Ufa Fabrik, Germany
- Helsinki International Artist-in-Residence Programme
- Nordic Artists' Centre
- Milkwood Artist Residency
North America
- Center for International Art in Community (CIAC), New York City
- Montalvo Arts Center, California
- Sante Fe Art Institute, New Mexico
- Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Nebraska
- Guapamacataro, Mexico
- Art Omi, New York
- International Center for Tolerance Education (ICTE), New York City
- Flux Factory, New York City
- Edenfred, Madison
South America
- Instituto Sacatar, Brazil
- Exo, Brazil
- Casa das Caldeiras, Brazil
- Project summary
- Shifting to an automated community portal for ease of network administration and growth. freeDimensional is a bridge between the human rights sector and independent artist residency initiatives so that the accommodation dilemma experienced by the former can be resolved by the accommodation capacity of the latter. We call this service Creative Safe Haven. freeDimensional has initiated a global network to facilitate rapid-response placement into socially progressive artist residency initiatives for human rights defenders in need of assistance while in exile. Traditionally human rights organizations provide distress funding, legal aid, vocational and language training, arts-based and other post-trauma counseling. These resources can be bundled and tailored to the individual needs of a human rights defender during the course of his/her stay at a partner center. Placements can last from three to six months while the individual awaits further support and/or conditions necessary for returning home. Selection is based upon (1) Urgency of each individual situation; (2) Access points for overland and air travel; (3) Travel papers / visas available to stakeholder; (4) Whether stakeholder is traveling with family members; and (5) Member center constraints and matching available equipment / amenities to stakeholder needs. The network provides administrative and organizing support to artist residency initiatives and neighborhood associations around the world that use their physical space as creative safe haven at crucial times for individual artists, activists and citizen journalists. Network membership is based on each partner center gifting three months of space, accommodation and equipment use for human rights defenders in need of assistance. There are currently 20 placements underway and a total of 90 months - or 7.5 years - of Creative Safe Haven space available throughout the network.
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