Frequently asked questions: Youth Art for Sustainability Call for Proposals‘.’

We share with you the main questions and answers from last year's call, which we will be expanding on over the coming weeks.

At Concomitentes we are launching the second edition of the Call ‘Youth Art for Sustainability’.’, which will launch a new participatory art project in Spain, and which will be open until 6 September.

Based on the lessons learned from the last edition and the information session on Monday 17 July, we share some of the key questions and answers that arose in the conversation:

PROJECTS

What kind of projects are you looking for?

The call seeks to set up a new concomitance for a mediator together with a citizens' collective made up of young people to respond to an environmental and sustainable problem, connected to the climatic urgencies of our time, pressing in their environment, following the methodology of Concomitentes. Thus, the aim is to activate a new participatory process to commission a work of art connected to the local context in which it is situated.

Even if a new project has to be presented, can it be a continuation of a previously identified cause that has been worked on in the past?

Yes, it is possible, taking into account the deadlines of the call and the fact that we are looking for very local projects, it is understood that a mediator may have already collaborated with the collective or have already worked on the same cause. But it is requested that the project is not already underway, the call is not to obtain funding for a previous or active project, but it must start from scratch and be governed by the working methods of the protocol followed by Concomitentes.

Will proposals in rural settings be favoured?

It will be taken into account positively, since the last few years Concomitentes has been trying to locate its practice outside the big cities and towns, also for a question of redistribution of cultural resources. 

ON THE PROCESS

Should the candidature include an artistic proposal?

No, when the project starts, it is not possible to know what kind of artistic intervention will emerge. Insofar as this intervention is the result of consensus with a group of citizens, the decision has to be taken a posteriori, when all the people involved in the project have spoken and reached an agreement.

Can the work be produced by a collective of artists or does it have to be an individual artist?

Just as the format of the works is open, so is the format of the creative figure. Therefore, it can be an individual figure or an artistic collective. 

Can the artist be chosen through a citizens' vote?

The choice of artist is made by the group of commissioners in collaboration with the mediator. The initial proposal of artists from which the artist will be chosen will be made by the mediator according to the conclusions detected in the mediation process.

Is there a specific time requirement for convening the artist?

No, but in order for the project to be effective, a coherent and feasible timetable must be established for the good development of the concomitance. This timetable should include a period for mediation, another for the selection of the artist and, finally, another for the presentation of the pre-project and the production process of the work.

How is the project justified?

The Concomitentes team will monitor and provide continuous support to the selected project. The mediator will be responsible for the financial monitoring of the expenses which, at the end of the project, Concomitentes and the mediator will have to justify to the FDNC. The mediator is also the person responsible for the success of the project and the achievement of its objectives.

What kind of projects are considered “socially relevant”?

The subject matter is broad, the key is that it is aligned with the lines of work of Concomitentes. This means any type of initiative that serves to improve the local environment, taking into account the SDGs, including citizenship-nature or citizenship-landscapes.

Can people who will be 36 years old at the end of this year apply for the citizens' group?

Yes, there must be a majority of young people, but there is flexibility in this regard and this will be discussed in detail on a proposal-by-proposal basis.

How does the financial justification by the mediator work out?

The mediation fees are divided into different work phases, which will be reflected in the collaboration agreement that Concomitentes will sign with the mediator. Payments and justification will always be by invoice.

Does the budget cover the purchase of materials?

Yes, it is included, the only thing that is not included in the budget is the communication and documentation work (video and photos), which is covered by the general budget of Concomitentes.

ON THE MEDIATION PROFILE

Can the mediator be part of the citizens' collective?

The ideal format, in order to avoid possible conflicts of interest or tensions, is for the mediator not to be part of the collective. In this case, there are two alternatives: 

a. The collective can apply as a citizens' collective and, if successful, Concomitentes will find a mediator to activate and develop the partnership with them. 

b. If the collective has experience in the field of cultural mediation, it can present itself as a figure of mediation by proposing a collaboration with a citizen group in its environment. 

Does the mediator have to be under 35 years old?

No, but it will be taken into account. If, apart from having a track record and experience, you are under 35 years of age, it will be positively valued for the idea of handing over leadership in the challenges of society to the new generations.

Are there formal requirements for the mediator profile?

No, the track record and projects in which they have participated must be specified in the application form and proposal, but there are no specific requirements that make some mediators more suitable to be selected than others. It will depend on the type of project with which they present themselves, their experience in leading citizen participation initiatives such as Concomitentes and, of course, their roots in the local context where the concomitance will take place.

What are the main skills that a mediator should have?

We understand that the profile of mediator is new, and that it is currently used to refer to different functions within the cultural field, but basically it should be a professional who knows how to manage relatively high project budgets, has had experience in mediation processes and knows how to lead the process of an artistic production. They should also know how to facilitate listening and negotiating environments in social settings, and know how to seek funding and generate networks and collaboration in the local contexts where they work.  

Can the mediator be part of an association?

Yes, it is possible. The mediator can be part of an association, a cooperative or a group of people working together, and can be a natural person or a legal entity.

Can the mediator live outside the context where the project will work?

No, they must be professionals who operate in the context and place where the initiative is going to be developed and where the group of clients lives. Firstly, in order to have an in-depth knowledge of the problems to be addressed; secondly, to facilitate the creation of a link with the citizen group; thirdly, to be able to develop networks with local partners, which may already exist or have been generated if the mediator operates in that territory.

Does the mediator have to be self-employed?

It must be a professional with capacity to work in Spain, either through an association or being self-employed, in order to be able to execute the budget and collect the fees. Concomitentes will sign a collaboration agreement with this person establishing all the issues to be taken into account.

Can two people present themselves as mediators?

In principle it should be a single person. Exceptions could be made, but in no case a collective of people because of the complexity of the process and decision-making, and of communication.

ON THE PROFILE OF THE CITIZENS' GROUP

Why are we targeting a group of young people as clients?

Young people are great leaders in the fight against climate change, which is why it has been decided to focus the call on this sector of the population.

Does the citizens' group (principals) have to be already constituted or created as a result of the project?

The project should start with a citizen's driving group that is interested in participating in such a project, which will then be strengthened through mediation work. This can be reconfigured depending on what happens during the course of the concomitance.

Does the group have to be registered?

No, it can be a group of any nature and informal. It does not need to be legally registered or constituted as an association or registered in the civil registry as a group.

Should the citizens' collective be local or international?

The project should focus on a local and national context, with a deep-rooted social cause connected to this territory.

If we present ourselves only as a citizens' group and without a mediator, will we be considered worse?

No, if you are selected for a project that does not propose a mediation profile, Concomitentes will take care of finding a person who meets your needs and who can accompany you in your process.

If you are a women's or other collective without a mediator or artist, can you still apply?

Yes, they can, if they have an identified social cause and a commitment that they want to address through mediation and respond through an artistic proposal. 

Is it possible for two collectives united by a common cause to present themselves, one constituted as an association and the other not?

Yes, it is possible. One example is the Legado Cuidado partnership, which counts three different neighbourhood associations among its members. Citizen collectives can also be informal groups; they do not need to be part of a “legally established” association.

Once the group is formed, can more interested parties join?

Yes, there is what we call a ‘driving group’ with the members of the citizens' group who will be there throughout the process, and others, collaborators, inhabitants of the village where the initiative is being developed, among others, who can expand the group of participants at different times.

The group of principals receive some financial compensation for their participation in the project.

No, the value of their legacy will be in the network of links resulting from the project and, in addition, they will be the owners of the resulting artistic work.

APPLICATION FORM AND APPLICATION

What is the weight limit for uploading documentation to the platform?

The limit is 1 GB.

Can only one proposal be submitted?

Yes, only one per association, collective or mediator.

If we are an association, should we include in the form the background of the association, of each member or of both?

The number of characters is limited, we recommend that you indicate the biography of the association and expand on the dossier to be attached.

What should the proposal not include?

A budget, an artistic proposal and specific partnerships for the co-financing of the project.

CONCOMMITTEES

How will Concomitentes support the dissemination and communication of the project?

Concomitentes accompanies and supports all the partners in the communication and documentation of the entire project, both at a discursive and audiovisual level, in order to make the results and experience transparent and share them. The channels are our website, social networks (Twitter and Instagram), and the possible publication of a book at the end of the project, which covers the general budget of the association.

What will the relationship with Concomitentes be like throughout the project?

We will maintain a constant, day-to-day accompaniment and exchange with the mediator. We will integrate them into our team to exchange good practices, improve and nurture the process by resolving doubts or unravelling problems that arise along the way so that the project is successful. This will be done through informal meetings or conversations, or by inviting them to take part in our events.

What will be the relationship with the Concomitant team after the concomitance has ended?

The call for proposals is conceived as a one-off project. However, the mediator's relationship with Concomitentes remains open and to be defined when the time comes.

Can Concomitentes help us in our search for funding?

Yes, depending on the artistic proposal and the specific needs of the project, it is possible that the budget may need to be increased. In this case, both the mediator and the people working in the Coordination Office will look for possible partnerships.

The aim is that public institutions or municipalities operating in these local contexts get involved with the projects and support them in some way.

Are the Concomitentes projects still open and can you still collaborate with them?

The result of the project or artistic work is the legacy of the group of commissioners, what they want to do with this created network and with this work is a decision of their desires and energies to continue expanding their learning to other environments.

Once the project is completed with the inauguration of the work, the institutional work of publicising it in related environments begins, and in which we will always try to link citizen groups.

Is there a network of artists to which one can subscribe in order to be considered for artistic projects?

No, all artists can be selected, the selection is in the hands of the mediator, who makes the initial proposal, and the group of commissioners who end up defining the artist who will develop the artistic work.

Watch the full briefing in the video below.