From December 15 2014 to January 31 2015 a series of laboratories will be conducted addressing social, political and economic processes taking place in the rural area of the Apulia region.

Rural in Action aims to activate informal learning and research processes lead by artists, curators and practitioners whose practice can stimulate new approaches to the interpretation of rural contexts as well as to participatory interventions within such marginal areas. The goal of the laboratories is to promote alternative definitions of the relationship between art and territorial practices among students, artists and citizens by embracing the social, political and economic sphere and not only the artistic one.

Given the attention that the region is recently devoting to its rural identity as well as the diversity of approaches that are at stake, it is necessary to activate a dialogue between the multiplicity of viewpoints. We believe that art is the lens and the tool that should be adopted in order to create a common ground for dialogue and collaboration.

We have invited local experts from different disciplines to take part in the laboratories and to give their important contribution to the discussion. Artists, participants and local citizens will operate together as a transitory community of interest by adopting Participatory Action Research methodologies in order to investigate collectively the area and to define possible strategies of interdisciplinary cooperation.

The labs will activate intersections between international and local practitioners and will let regional knowledge meet international practices thus opening a dialogue on some of the issues that are affecting many marginal regions in Europe.

Rural in Action's format consists in six modules made of three days laboratory each in which a plurality of voices and practices will investigate and narrate the potentialities as well as the challenges of the territory.

WORKSHOPS

2 Asunciòn Molinos Gordo

After the first session led by Luigi Coppola, Rural in Action starts again on January 8 with a three days workshop led by Asunciòn Molinos Gordo whose work focuses on the social and cultural implications of the agricultural and rural sphere through a transnational approach.
The workshop will specifically investigate the concept of cultural, social and economic sovereignty: stemming from the idea of food sovereignty the artist will activate a discussion on the possible applications of this concept in the cultural and in the social field. During the workshop the practice and the methodologies that the artist has developed within different contexts (especially Spain and Egypt) will meet the ones that are already existing on the territory of Capitanata in order to create a common ground to rethink possible approaches to the area.

3 Fernando García Dory

Can artists create new living systems? Post-capitalist, alternative economies and new environmentalism, between theory and practice
After the first two sessions led by Luigi Coppola and Asunciòn Molinos Gordo, Rural in Action continues on January 26 with a three days workshop led by Fernando García Dory whose work engages specifically with issues affecting the relation between culture-nature now, embodied within the contexts of landscape, the rural, desires and expectations related with identity aspects, crisis, utopia and social change.
Looking at some of his major projects on agriculture and herding the teacher will focus his lessons around the idea that art can be able to create alternative systems of life and social dimension . From an analysis of the post-capitalist society, some case studies will be shared with the aim of considering art as a vehicle for alternative forms of economy, starting from a condition of marginality. Finally Fernando García Dory will meet the specific context of the rural areas around Foggia (Capitanata) in order to create a common ground and rethink possible visions for the area.

4 Curandi Katz

The artists duo Curandi Katz will focus on the question of sustainability by addressing two concepts: “tempo morto” (dead times) and “do nothing” (non fare). These two concepts consider unproductivity as a method for re-evaluating issues of sustainability by separating the term from the forces of development with which it is usually associated. Believing that inventive forms of negation allow for new perspectives on the question and new directions, ideas and spaces for collaboration to open up.
During the laboratory, we will explore, as tactics for intervention, various action methods and role-play strategies referring to and inspired by nonviolent training, psycho-drama therapy and other forms of spontaneous dramatization.