Solidarity and Scene-Shifting: TestArt Takes Inspiration from GIBCA in Gothenburg 🇸🇪
The TestArt European Project partners recently convened in Gothenburg, Sweden, for another pivotal partnership meeting around September 19, 2025. What could have been a standard series of administrative discussions was transformed into an enriching, creatively charged experience, thanks to the city's vibrant art scene—especially the spectacular presence of the Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art (GIBCA).
This visit wasn't just about moving co-productions forward; it became a crucial opportunity to infuse our collective work with the spirit of international solidarity and artistic freedom, echoing the very core of GIBCA's message.
Co-Productions and Critical Next Steps
The primary goal of our gathering was, of course, practical and strategic. European projects thrive on consistent communication and alignment, and the Gothenburg meeting provided the necessary dedicated space.
Partners shared the latest developments of their respective co-productions, reviewing everything from conceptual breakthroughs in performance design to logistical challenges in scheduling and resource allocation. The atmosphere was one of productive intensity, as we fine-tuned the collaborative elements that will bring these European works to life. We dedicated significant time to discussing the next steps for the coming months, mapping out production timelines, dissemination strategies, and possible future funding applications. These sessions are the backbone of TestArt, ensuring all partners move forward with a unified vision and shared accountability.
Networking Across Borders: A European Tapestry
Beyond the core project work, the visit was invaluable for its networking opportunities. We were thrilled to welcome and meet several new artists and cultural operators from across Europe.
In a sector that relies on human connection and trust, these face-to-face encounters are vital. They allow for genuine exchanges of ideas, the forging of new alliances, and the cross-pollination of creative practices. It was inspiring to see TestArt's established partners engaging with fresh perspectives, discussing how new voices can be integrated into future iterations of our European network. The energy generated by this diverse assembly—artists, curators, producers—reaffirmed our belief in the power of an open, transnational cultural sphere.
Hosts with the Most: Teater Nu and Boy konsthall
A heartfelt thank you goes to our fantastic Gothenburg hosts, Teater Nu and Boy konsthall. Their flawless organization ensured the partnership meeting itself ran smoothly, but their generosity went far beyond logistics.
Teater Nu, a dynamic performing arts and art company, and Boy konsthall, their space for contemporary art in Bollebygd (which also contributes actively to the Gothenburg artistic scene), were the perfect cultural anchors for our visit. Not only did they provide stimulating venues for our meetings, but they also acted as essential conduits, connecting us directly with the pulse of the local scene and the larger Biennial. Their dedication to fostering contemporary art, even outside the major city centre, mirrors the very inclusive, border-crossing mission of TestArt.
GIBCA: A Hand That Is All Our Hands Combined
The ultimate highlight and source of profound inspiration was the integration of our meeting with the 13th edition of the Göteborg International Biennial for Contemporary Art (GIBCA), titled a hand that is all our hands combined.
Curated by Christina Lehnert, the Biennial’s theme focuses on art rooted in an attitude of care and collective responsibility, exploring how artistic expressions can facilitate dialogue and resistance in a polarized world. This theme resonated deeply with TestArt's core mission of using co-production to build cultural bridges and uphold democratic values in Europe.
Our partners had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the Biennial’s exhibitions and public programmes across venues like Röda Sten Konsthall and the Gothenburg Museum of Art. Viewing works that directly address contemporary social and political urgencies—from the need for solidarity to the threat against artistic freedom—did more than just offer cultural enrichment. It provided a powerful, real-world context for our work. The art sparked intense conversations among the partners about the role of our co-productions: How can our theatrical and visual art projects reflect this call for collective resistance? How do we practice "care that extends beyond the personal" within our collaborations?
The synergy between TestArt’s logistical meeting and the intellectual framework of GIBCA was profound. It reinforced the idea that our administrative and artistic efforts are not isolated; they are part of a larger, ongoing movement of European artists working towards a more open, shared future. We left Gothenburg not just with updated work plans, but with a renewed, Biennial-charged sense of purpose.
Article created with the help of Gemini.
Kickin’ off Artistic Residencies: The Purple, Red, Yellow, Blue and Green Team
The artistic teams started working together in periods of residencies: first off were the Purple Team in Dresden (Germany), the Red Team in Jesi (Italy) and the Yellow Team in Pesaro (Italy). Then at the end of July came the Blue Team in Ljubljana (Slovenia), and the Green Team is planning their first residency in Novi Sad (Serbia) in December.
The Purple Team
The Red Team
The Yellow Team
The Blue Team
The Italian companies Collettivo Collegamenti and Asini Bardasci have launched their new transnational production at the Stara Mestna Elektrarna cultural space, hosted by Bunker.
The Team explored the themes of doubt, paralysis, performance and social pressure through their bodies, sounds, and voices.
Their contemporary Hamlet is an archetype that draws on philosophical reflections on Kierkegaard's drama of choice, Bauman's liquid modernity and Colamedici Gancitano's performance society, in which "to be or not to be" is no longer a question but a daily imperative that seems to engulf our existence.
The Green Team
Having this clear, the Team chose to focus on the current political state in Serbia, trying to understand what they can tell us, all Europe and the world.
Dresden: a study visit focused on team-working
From 12th to 14th February, partners are gathering once again to continue their capacity building process and to connect with local and other international artists and cultural operators.
This upcoming study visit will be held in Dresden, Germany, and organized by the partner Zentralwerk.
This event comes after the formation of creative groups, meaning the 5 teams that will be working together in artistic residencies to co-create a new transnational production each. You can see the teams on the Creative Profile Map published on this website.
The teams already started planning and brainstorming, but the Dresden visit will be a useful time to improve their team working as part of the capacity building.
Besides the Team-working activities, the three days include a steering committee meeting, networking opportunities and events and visits of the city and Zentralwerk's space, all happening in close relation to the FORUM 13 event, with which TestArt will intersecate its initiatives.
The historical context of Remembrance
The study visit takes place during a crucial date for the city: on 13th February, Dresden remembers the Anniversary of its destruction in 1945.
The destruction of Dresden became a worldwide symbol for military action against civilian populations. Even today, the fate of Dresden is named as an example for many comparable attacks during this and the various wars which have followed. At the same time, memories of the destruction have shaped the image of the city throughout the world.
Since 1945, a strong and multi-faceted culture of remembrance has developed in Dresden, preserving above all the desire for peace of the post-war generations, and creating a framework for reconciliation with former wartime enemies.
The date 13th February 1945 thus stands in the controversy-laden context of a debate with significance far beyond local boundaries. More than simply a critical assessment of the history of Dresden and its citizens, it addresses also fundamental questions of peace, humanity and our own responsibilities.
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TestArt in Ljubljana: Discovering Slovenian and European performing art scene and international productions
The first study visit to Ljubljana of the European TestArt project has ended, an opportunity to meet and exchange good practices with local artists and cultural operators for the 15 partners of the European project coordinated by Consorzio Marche Spettacolo.
The program, developed by the Slovenian partner Bunker, was held during the Mladi Levi Festival 2024, one of the most important events for the performing arts in Slovenia, which has been operating in the capital for 20 years and hosts numerous events and international premieres in different locations in the center of the capital, including the redeveloped space Stara Elektrarna – Elektro Ljubljana (Old Power Station), an old power station now transformed into a cultural center and managed by Bunker.
From 29th to 31st August 2024, the participants had the opportunity to get to know numerous realities in the Slovenian territory, involved in different areas of the Slovenian and international cultural scene, including:
Association that promotes and supports the inclusion of women in culture. The Association for the Promotion of “Women in Culture – City of Women” was founded in 1996, one year after the first edition of the City of Women festival, with the aim of preparing and managing the festival annually. Today, the association is a multifaceted organization that focuses on artistic, activist and theoretical presentations and productions by women* throughout the year, while expanding its activities to arts education, managing projects for youth and teachers; to community building, initiating temporary communities that engage in the co-creation of art; and the connection of art and culture with other sectors, such as social, educational and entrepreneurial.
*The term women and other words written in the feminine grammatical gender are used inclusively and address anyone who identifies with the feminine gender, as well as non-binary, trans- and intergender people.
Glej Theater is the oldest non-institutional theater in Slovenia (and one of the first theaters of this kind in the former Yugoslavia), boasting bold performances, (re)thinking interesting production models, non-hierarchical forms of work in theater and is based on collective and socially engaged work. Active in the area for 50 years, they explore the possibilities of contemporary theater in relation to collective theatrical creation, community and the various forms that the concepts of collective and community can encompass.
Krušče Creative Center is a small cultural center run by Tomi Janežič, theater director and psychodrama psychotherapist, and Katja Legin, dancer/performer and choreographer. It offers an intimate and peaceful space for inspiration and creation, a place where art has its value, purpose and meaning. It creates conditions in which avant-garde art meets other contents, from live entertainment to psychodrama, from education to group work.
Pogon is an independent house of cultures based in Zagreb (Croatia), which makes its premises and equipment available free of charge to associations, artistic organizations and informal groups. Since 2009, Pogon, under the direction of Emina Višnić and the entire team, has gradually become an important place of production and presentation of culture and art, not only for the independent cultural scene but also for the entire cultural panorama of the city .⠀
As partners of the Stronger Peripheries: A Southern Coalition project, Sonja Soldo and Anja Pletikosa illustrated to the TestArt partners the virtues and difficulties in realizing transnational artistic residencies and productions, providing important examples of collaborations and useful feedback that can be used for the carrying out TestArt activities.
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Furthermore, in the days dedicated to the studio visit, the partners - grouped according to their expressed artistic needs - began to explore ideas of transnational productions, planning future collaborations in periods of residency, as foreseen by the objectives of the project.
The next in-person event will be held in Dresden, Germany, guests of the German partner Zentralwerk e.V..
More information on TestArt is available on this website, at the ABOUT section.
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Let’s introduce TestArt!
TestArt – Testing new skills for the circulation of innovative co-creation methods in the performing Arts sector, the project co-financed by the Creative Europe community funds – medium-scale cooperation projects for the Cultural sector, aims to support the creative, economic and social dimension of performing arts at European level, stimulating innovation, mobility and transnational cooperation in cultural and creative industries. The EU co-financing amounts to more than 600,000 euros.
TestArt, counting a total of 15 partners from 5 different countries, will be coordinated by Consorzio Marche Spettacolo and will involve local and international entities, such as Welcome Aps, AMAT – Marche Association of Theatrical Activities, Pergolesi Spontini Foundation, Asini Bardasci Cultural Association, Cultural Association Centripeta, CollegaMenti APS and MALTE Cultural Association from Italy; Teater Nu and PotatoPotato from Sweden; Kulturanova, Misholovka Theater and Led Art Multimedia Center from Serbia; Bunker from Ljubljana (Slovenia) and the Dresden-based Zentralwerk (Germany).
“Starting from the success of TrainArt, TestArt pushes for artistic collaborations between different realities that are predominantly oriented at a local level, increasing their potential at a European level and defining a concrete opportunity to create international networks for the co-production of shows and cultural initiatives – states Katiuscia Cassetta, President of Consorzio Marche Spettacolo.
From January 2024 to December 2026, TestArt will develop the skills of cultural and creative micro-organizations for the activation of a network of transnational cooperation, which aims at the exponential expansion of the range of collaborations, also beyond the conclusion of the project.
“The range of TestArt partners is particularly interesting because it is active in different fields of the performing arts sector. However, they all pursue the objective of stabilizing their international network by operating transversally within the cultural and creative sector” declares Lucia Chiatti, Director of Consorzio Marche Spettacolo.
TestArt will develop in 3 phases: an initial mapping of the needs of the artists and operators involved, which will include study visits to Dresden and Ljubljana for the capacity building of cultural operators and artists; the artistic residency period where partners will collaborate and co-create new transnational artistic productions, which will then debut on a European tour touching all partner countries in the final phase.
“For Zentralwerk, TestArt is a stimulating networking and organization development experience to take home. We will be tutors and students at the same time thanks to the incredible network of entities involved in the project" concludes Barbara Lubich, Head of International Cooperation of the German partner Zentralwerk.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT
The TrainArt project
To effectively comprehend the origin of TestArt, the TrainArt project and its aims and results should be looked at. TrainArt was a 3-year small scale cooperation project, ended in September 2022 and involving 5 partners from 4 different countries (Consorzio Marche Spettacolo and Welcome Aps from Italy, Kulturanova from Serbia, Haceria Arteak from Spain and Teater Nu from Sweden), with the aim to strengthen the competitiveness of the European Performing Arts sector and to shape new skills for those cultural operators interested in developing innovative business models in the CCIs.
The project focuses on two particular fields: A) new management models for cultural spaces and B) artistic interventions in non-conventional contexts. After a transnational capacity building programme, the 24 selected beneficiaries have had the opportunity to test the skills acquired, experimenting with new business models and new artistic interventions aimed at public or private organisations.
Given this context, the project idea for TestArt stems from the necessity to give a follow-up to TrainArt, which represents a successful first step towards an actual international cooperation, focusing on capacity building for and best practices exchange between artists and cultural operators. In fact, TrainArt activities led to mutually-contaminated mindsets that allowed an upgrade to the resulting pilot actions implemented locally.
Now that the partners know each other and had the chance to influence one another transnationally, our aim is to create a favourable condition for them to actually work and co-create together.
