PEATS Croatia – Arts and Sculptures – ‘SOCIAL SCULPTORS’ (20 April – 10 May 2024)

Accommodation: Accommodation in hostel in Zagreb city centre in shared same-sex rooms with other participant.

Meals: Self catering.

Communication: internet is available, mobile networks readily available (you will need to check with your provider)

Transport: public transport available

Flights: Grampus will email students with a flight option that fits within the travel grant and which arrives at a time that suits the host. Students are welcome to look for alternative flights, but the arrival times must match those of the offered flight and be within the travel grant. Students have to fund their own way to the UK airport

GHIC: Students must apply for a Global Health Insurance Card before the placement, and carry it on them at all times

PROGRAM:

Zagreb – 20 April to 11 May 2024
We will start our structured journey with a lot of workshop sessions with Sasha, focusing on technical drawing skills in her studio on Draškovićeva Ul, Zagreb. We will use studio, open air and coffee bar sessions to refine and define the social, historic and modern ‘paths’ of the ‘participants’ in this particular HUB. We will learn how to collect, collate and disseminate the researched data in the area in a site specific and supportive way. We will learn the theory behind extracting essential design elements from the collected data and translate this dialogue into a visual language. We will design and create a striking and sophisticated mural on one of the busiest passage walls in the centre of the city – NO PRESSURE! We shall take a break with some interesting experiences. Activities will include guided tours of some of Zagreb’s landmark destinations, safely guarded city secrets and outdoors
activities. The city of Zagreb and its surrounds provides such a wealth of fascinating landmarks, museums, galleries, ateliers, happenings and endless access to magnificent parks and mountain explorations. Once I get an idea of who we are dealing with and what kinds of things the participants are more inclined to enjoy, I can easily take them to their preferred destinations in the allocated times for these activities. The final phase of the ‘Social Sculptors’ project will be one of 2X activities. We will either start and complete a concrete and stone utilitarian project or learn the skills of recycling
plastic bags of varying colour and shapes to create durable material as colour inserts on a leather working project. I.e. We will either integrate the very skilled and historically rich tradition of concrete and stone work in Croatia or the equally interesting and slightly more accessible leather work
traditions from the Balkan regions with a more modern consciousness as the detail. Final participant demographics will determine the choice between these last two possibilities.

Basic schedule:
Airport runs to collect and drop participants will be accompanied on public transport and or private transport systems.
Accommodation will be well appointed, cool and funky city central hostels and outside of the city Ateliers with self catering facilities (options need to be priced and confirmed). There are numerous affordable restaurants and bakeries all over the city as an alternative to self catering facilities.
All destinations are a bus or a tram away.

HOST INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND
Sasha is an acclaimed Artist with wide recognition. She works in almost every medium, specializing in stone, wood and cement sculpture. She runs a very successful working Studio in Zagreb where she teaches the academic skill sets in drawing, painting and relief sculpture. She specializes in finding the individuals’ visual language and honing the personalized expression required to ‘MAKE MAGIC’. Sasha has also founded and worked a highly successful Cultural Institution (Carfax) in South Africa over the last 30x years. Her experience in all creative disciplines and mediums are
sophisticated and well oiled. She takes great pleasure in guiding creative beings to discover their internal strengths, voices and ‘marks’. Her experience in South Africa as an educator, facilitator and leader in the Cultural Industries, gives her a particular advantage in seeing and understanding revolution and freedom of speech through the various Arts disciplines and mediums – it’s a special something she brings as part of the dynamic here in Zagreb

FUNDING

The Turing grant will cover accommodation, food (3 meals a day), return, flights, insurance, transport to site and supervision. Participants will have to make sure they have their EHI or GHI card and budget for personal purchases and excursions.

This project has been funded with support from the Turing scheme, funded by the UK government.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and Turing cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.