itac6-7 project

The hosts of ITAC6 and ITAC7, in partnership with the ITAC Collaborative, recently wrapped up an open call for the ITAC6 – 7 Project Fund. The Fund supports a project that connects ITAC's current and future conferences between 2022 and 2024 and which 'advances the global field of teaching artistry' in effective and innovative ways. During the open call, individuals and organizations were invited to submit a project proposal that was inspired by connections made at ITAC6 and which would involve a partner from Norway.

We are thrilled to announce that Adrián Nájera-Coto (Costa Rica), Sudebi Thakurata (India), Probal Banerjee (India), and Stein Helge Solstad (Norway) have been selected for the ITAC6 – 7 Project Fund!

Described as “100% experimental,” this project will explore the intersectionality between four disciplines intrinsically related to creative processes and artistry, namely literature in the form of poetry-music and writings by Indian Nobel-laureate poet, musician, philosopher, artist, Rabindranath Tagore, along with sound/music, visual arts, and design. Tagore’s work will be used as a conceptual framework for triggering trans-disciplinary immersion and experimentation

The curation of Tagore’s works will be carefully done by referencing the five dimensions (Being, Thinking, Relating, Collaborating and Acting) addressed by the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), a non-profit, open-source initiative that explores how inner development, personal growth and well-being can propel the efforts towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals proposed within the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

Within the 23 transformational skills specified in the five IDGs’ dimensions, an important number of them are constantly approached and nurtured by teaching artists around the world. This project aims to contribute to the future of teaching artistry by creating awareness about systemic global sustainability issues through trans-disciplinary creative/artistic processes that are respectful of sociocultural diversity and otherness.

This project was inspired by the ITAC6 session Sudebi (a 2021 ITAC Innovator) and Probal led—entitled "What If"—which Adrián attended, as well as another ITAC6 workshop Stein participated in. As part of the ITAC6 – 7 Project Fund, all collaborators will present the project at ITAC7, demonstrating the power of international cooperation.

We look forward to sharing more about this dynamic collaboration soon!