TRANSEUROPA MAY 9 20 2012 + JOURNAL JUNE 2 3 THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL www.transeuropafestival.eu OF THE TRANSEUROPA FESTIVAL 2012 www.euroalter.com A FESTIVAL OF A COMMON SPACE FOR AMSTERDAM LONDON EUROPEAN EUROPEAN ALTERNATIVES BARCELONA LUBLIN BELGRADE PARIS ALTERNATIVES BERLIN PRAGUE (DEMOCRACY, THE TRANSNATIONAL BOLOGNA ROME EQUALITY, FESTIVAL OF CULTURE, BRATISLAVA SOFIA CULTURE ARTS AND POLITICS CLUJ-NAPOCA WARSAW BEYOND THE NATION STATE) BETWEEN TRANSLATION TRANSEUROPA as we move: AND ACTION FESTIVAL: HOW DO migration, A TRANSNATIONAL YOU SPELL borders NEW FORMS ‘CRISIS’? OF POLITICAL MOBILISATION REPLACING AUSTERITY and social Transeuropa Festival is an annual political WITH DEMOCRACY change MOBILISATION and cultural festival taking place in 14 cities across Europe. As every year, this The European economic crisis, most The act of migrating extends far beyond The various protests, occupations and politically engaged festival is grounded in associated with Greece in the minds the act of moving across a geographical viral internet campaigns that have seized the contemporary global and European of the population, is also expressed in space. Within the borders of Europe, the imagination of the media and many context and organised by activists from terms deriving from ancient Greek: krisis migrants are increasingly mobilising in citizens since the Arab uprisings in 2010- throughout the continent. In perhaps no literally meant “to decide, to judge”, and response to discrimination and socio- 2011 challenge the current system of previous year has the context seemed the term was used for a turning point in economical marginalisation to demand power by articulating alternative political more apposite for a festival promoting a disease, the critical moment of going their rights. These struggles are producing manifestos and practising (re)newed forms democracy, equality and culture beyond towards recovery or death; economy new forms of democratic political of politics. “Occupy!” is understood as a the nation state and an alternative idea of derives from oikonomia, meaning participation, and in some cases have political protest against certain specific Europe. These ideas and ideals of Europe “household management”. (.. p 6) succeeded in bringing about stronger policies as well as a new way of being are being threatened at a political level anti-discrimination legislation, workers’ political, of doing politics that does not fit in several dimensions. Yet, where there rights and political recognition of cultural with the current political institutions. is crisis, there is also opportunity and diversity. (.. p 8) (.. p 10) responsibility. (.. p 3) 2 TRANSEUROPA JOURNAL TRANSEUROPA FESTIVAL 2012 forms of engagement. Transeuropa Festival has always been a (.. from the front page) transnational discourse as result of these ABOUT European Alternatives does not believe ABOUT bottom-up initiative but also able to build CRISES AND mobilisations TRANSEUROPA FESTIVAL: translations, is the ongoing challenge that that Europe can be defined in geographical bridges with renowned art institutions, The political response to the economic fuels and ultimately moves all European EUROPEAN or ethnic terms, neither by borders nor TRANSEUROPA artists, thinkers and academics. From the crisis has revealed many of Europe’s Alternatives activists. roots. Europe must be understood as a start, the initiative has been supported by weaknesses, and instead of confronting ALTERNATIVES space of exchange, of experimentation and FESTIVAL a number of key intellectuals and artists and overcoming them, many of the A TRANSNATIONAL FROM A WALK THROUGH A of dialogue. European Alternatives is not such as, among others, Zygmunt Bauman, political decisions have exacerbated them. HUNDRED transnational European Alternatives is a transnational only an NGO, it is at the same time and In 2007, a group of young intellectuals Hans Ulrich Obrist, Stefano Boeri, Saskia Democratic processes are under threat ACTIVITIES membership organisation promoting above all a movement of citizens and a and artists created a 10 days celebration Sassen, Franco BIFO Berardi, Oliver from the new paradigm of austerity, the MOBILISATION During the festival, these three themes democracy, equality and culture beyond new political subjectivity. in London of to promote an alternative Ressler, Can Altay, Tania Bruguera, acceptance and submission to the rules of will be explored through a series of linked the nation state. The nation state is no By joining you will be able to take part Europe that could live up to the following Sandro Mezzadra, Geneviève Fraisse and an economic system that created the crisis migrants from Tunisia and Egypt in stark essence of Europe and as a way to practices, events and discourses all of high longer the appropriate political form in in Transeuropa Network: a network principles: democracy, equality and culture Kalypso Nicolaïdis. and increased inequalities and poverty. contrast with its principle of freedom of rethink citizenship. The three themes also quality, which you can discover along which to define democratic decision- of activists from throughout Europe beyond the nation state. The Fiscal Compact creates decision movement. Europe even began to refuse constitute the structure of this journal. these pages in the general calendar and the making and active citizenship, equality and beyond, working together for the Of course Transeuropa Festival would making processes parallel to those of the application of this principle to its cities programmes. between people, the respect and extension emergence of a new and genuinely Enthused by three successful London not exist without the involvement of an the European institutions, in which the own citizens, by closing borders between Thanks to its transnational and trans- A transnational walk, taking place of rights. The nation state is not the transnational European politics, culture editions, an ever growing number of EA team and activists and the support economically strongest voices dominate European countries and beginning disciplinary approach, Transeuropa simultaneously in all the cities, will open appropriate political form to promote a and society. Transeuropa Network and motivated Europeans mobilised in a of key people and organisations, such and in which there is no guarantee that the renegotiation of the conditions of Festival aims at challenging physical the festival. Then, each of the themes will responsible politics for the environment, European Alternatives work together to common effort to create Transeuropa as Allianz Kultur Stiftung, ERSTE, the common interest of Europeans is application of the Schengen treaty, thereby and conceptual borders and at creating a be explored in each city and in dialogue ensure political control over the economy make possible Transeuropa Festival in 14 Festival: A truly Transeuropean Festival Fondation Hippocrène and the Citizenship defended. In Greece and in Italy, technical beginning to undermine some of the bases collective transnational space in which to with the others through various forms - and an equitable distribution of wealth, or European cities. taking place in 4 cities in 2010, programme of the European Commission, governments whose agendas have been of European citizenship. start a genuine dialogue on the principles panel discussions, performances, video promote peace between people. European 12 cities in 2011 and in 14 cities around all those who support the festival locally reformulated under the direct supervision In this gloomy perspective, the possibility of equality, democracy and culture beyond screenings and forums, or other kind Alternatives seeks to promote alternative Europe this year. and all the partner organisations and of the European Central Bank have to rethink forms of organization and the nation state, which are the values of of activities such as ‘living libraries’. forms of political subjectivity and institutions, whose logos you will find on replaced the elected ones. The opportunity mobilization have manifested themselves European Alternatives. Importantly this During the closing forum in Rome, the collective political action. the pages of this journal. of using the economic crisis to relaunch thanks to the grassroots citizen’s led year it extends for the first time outside ways of maintaining the existence of this European Alternatives believes that social the European economy in a more just, movements, which sprung from a the current borders of the European shared transnational open space, after its and political change requires artistic and equal and ecologically sustainable different part of the world to call for Union, to a candidate country: Serbia. ephemeral momentum in the festival, will cultural engagement as much as other www.euroalter.com www.transeuropafestival.eu way and turning it into an example of more participatory forms of democracy Throughout the festival there will also be be explored. solidarity and humanity rather than a ‘risk and governance. The overthrown of the speakers, participants and content from The festival is a moment of transnational factor’ for the financial markets, is being dictatorships in Tunisia and Egypt, and the Southern Mediterranean and from exchange. Most events welcome completely missed. uprisings in the Arab world became the as far as China in solidarity and kinship international speakers and participants. example to follow for many European with activists there and in a sense of European Alternatives