Transfer-International

TRANSFER INTERNATIONAL is an artistic exchange programme aimed at a variety of types of artistic practice. It will thus be interdisciplinary in nature and combine on-the-ground artistic project work with exchange and networking across different artistic cultures and communities, as well as the creation of sustainable structures for discursive exchange on a variety of levels.

For the first TRANSFER INTERNATIONAL, an advisory board recommended the collaboration between the North Rhine-Westphalia region and the neighbouring countries of Belgium and the Netherlands. As the main themes "Digital Culture" and "Diversity" were chosen. It was felt that these concepts will have not just an influential but a guiding role in political, social and artistic discourse in the years to come.

Two project calls have already been launched in the scope of this project: The first in December 2015, the second in November 2016. In both cases, the funding was made available by NRW KULTUR and aimed at artists and institutions from its member cities who wanted to collaborate with artists, cultural practitioners, institutions and/or organisations in Belgium and the Netherlands. Nine artistic projects in different disciplines have been funded. The next project calls are planned for early spring and late summer 2017.

An important part of TRANSFER INTERNATIONAL is the organization of visitors’ trips. These are intended to help provide insights into the discussions around Digital Culture and Diversity taking place in the participating countries, as well as to offer exposure to individuals, institutions and organisations whose work reflect these topics in a significant way.

The third pillar of TRANSFER INTERNATIONAL is dedicated to networking between cultural practitioners and scholars active in the fields of digital culture and of diversity. Together with project partners from the Netherlands and Belgium, two conferences were held: One dedicated to "Cultural Diversity“ in Amsterdam, the second one dedicated to „Digital Culture“ took place in Brussels. Both these events brought together experts in the two fields from the Netherlands, Belgium and NRW. Theses conferences have proven to be highly effective in exchanging theoretical information across borders on the two main topics of TRANSFER INTERNATIONAL.