A Closer Look at the Successful S+T+ARTS Prize Event
On behalf of the START Prize project, T6 Ecosystems has organized on October 16th, 2023, on the premises of Fondazione Giorgio Cini, in Venice, a full day dedicated to local and European policies to support the intersection of art, science and technology. The event was entitled “Fostering regional innovation through art, science and technology. Connecting Dots” reaching more than 100 people, both on-site and online, belonging to the S+T+ARTS family, as well as people experiencing research and artistic practices.
The day started with an introduction from Renata Codello, Secretary General of Fondazione Giorgio Cini, who welcomed the audience highlighting the importance of fostering conversations about the contamination of arts, science and technology. Then, Simona De Rosa, from T6 Ecosystems, addressed the value of the S+T+ARTS as an example of a framework that can support the response to the multiple and complex crises affecting our societies, by providing integrated and interdisciplinary solutions.
Keynote speaker Pau Alsina, HACTE Pau Alsina, Co-Director of HACTE, set the ground for discussion with a keynote focusing on the epistemological issues that need to be considered while we talk of Art, Science, Technology and Society (ASTS). In particular, he presented the case of the HACTE Hub, a public-private partnership in Barcelona, constituted as a legal entity in 2021 with the aim of building the local ASTS ecosystem based on the integration among European policies and 11 local institutions supporting the local ecosystem.
S+T+ARTS Ecosystem: challenges and opportunities for the creation of new regional centres
Four S+T+ARTS regional centres have been invited to share their projects and experiences. The discussion moderated by Frédéric Musewee, Bozar, focused on the main results achieved by the S+T+ARTS regional centres, but also on the issues and barriers that local policy makers should try to remove to facilitate the flourishing of local ecosystems.
- Airan Berg presented the GRIN project experience focused on the art driven innovation for digital green transition, hosting 12 residencies driven by high participatory processes.
- Christoph De Jaeger, from GLUON, showed the case of the STARTS in the City project. The goal of this consortium is to work with the innovation synergies in the city investigating the role of digital technologies through residencies.
- Borut Jerman introduced the AIR project, which aims at having an impact on environment, culture and wellbeing. The project is based on 4 AIR regional hubs: Koper, Barcelona, Rome, Stuttgart.
- Christian Rauch from Repairing the Present described the mission of the project to address regional, social, economic and environmental challenges by exploring the potential of artists to act as catalysts for change, and investigating the possibility of digital and art driven transformation at a regional level.
Supporting arts and culture as a political aim. How S+T+ARTS laid the ground for future uptakes
The panel opened the floor to a broader and wider discussion with the participants, who have been invited to share their valuable inputs and reflections in a dedicated open dialogue. All the results from the first panel and from the open discussion, gave inputs and insights for the second panel where scholars, policy makers and sectoral experts took part in the conversation moderated by Simona De Rosa, from T6 Ecosystems. The session focused on different layers of policies, starting from the once implemented by the EC, to then address the local implementation from the experience of the Wallonie Bruxelles region. In addition, it was discussed the opportunity opened by the EIT CC. The case of Linz was considered as an example of how a good local ecosystem can be a driver of economic growth. A S+T+ARTS honorary mention was also invited to deliver a presentation about the project: the artist Halsey Burgund showed the “In event of Moon Disaster”, STARTS Prize nomination 2021. This aimed to be a demonstration of a project supported by S+T+ARTS that has integrated art, science and technology to promote the increasing of awareness in relation to the topic of disinformation, also influencing policy development.
Key Takeaways and Highlights from the Event
- There is a need to better integrate citizens in the processes implemented, to guarantee that the funded initiatives and projects can take care of people’ needs, as well as encourage a major engagement of different stakeholders’ groups to take part in the network.
- The second element, addressed several times, was the need for additional funding to guarantee spaceS of interdisciplinary collaboration and experimentation. Those funds are expected to be put in place by the European Commission, but also matched with national and regional funding opportunities allowing local ecosystems to benefit from the convergence of multiple funding.
- Finally, the need to make local policy makers aware of the importance to structure dedicated funds to bring art, science, technology and society together, to enable impacts in the regions and local environments, was put forward.
Watch the replay!
Morning sessions
Afternoon sessions
