Cooperation Offer

Digging deep – New Perspectives

Offer name: 
Digging deep – New Perspectives
Expiry date: 
01/12/2017
Offering LAG: 
Steirische Eisenstraße
Country:
  • Austria
Spoken languages:
  • German - English

Looking to cooperate with

Type of partner: 

German-Speaking region, preferably nearby East-Germany and Austria

Country(ies):
  • Austria, Germany
Type of area:
  • Peri-Urban, Rural, Isolated / Remote
Assets of the area:
  • Industry, Mineral extraction

Project idea

Project type:
    • Transnational cooperation
    • With other MSs (no shared border)
Project topic:
    • Culture & Cultural heritage
    • Economic diversification
    • Target groups
    • Youth
Additional keywords:
  • Regional identity
Context: 

The mining industry, the exploitation and/or processing of different minerals, has exerted a formative influence on regions for many decades, sometimes even centuries. Due to technological innovations as well as global economy, the industrial tradition of many regions has undergone dramatic conversions in the last decades. Downsizing or even terminating the industrial activities has effected significant changes on both economical and social levels.
Today, unemployment, emigration – especially of the younger generation –, abandoned areas and industrial ruins constitute serious challenges. But in many regions there are highly interesting processes of conversion and innovation on their way. Beside new businesses setting up, many individual concepts of changing the regional identity can be observed. Especially the cultural sector provides a big potential when it comes to building up new landmarks in a region.

Project idea summary: 

Digging deep – New Perspectives is conceived as a cluster of workshops taking place in the participating regions. At the outset as well as in the final stages of the project, all participating groups come together in transregional events.
STEP 1: GETTING TOGETHER. In one of the participating regions the youth groups meet for a joint workshop. Items: Getting together; getting to know each other; digging deep into the native cultures (e.g. by means of pictures or items of everyday culture that have been brought along); presenting initiatives in the context of the conversion processes; reflecting the images and notions of „homeland“.
STEP 2: SHOOTING. The groups produce films in their regions under the guidance of professional directors: brainstorming and clustering within the topic of „Heimatfilm“ (homelandfilm); introduction in the basics of cinematic narration; technical training; shooting with professional equipment; postproduction. (Probably, the focus of the workshops will lie more on documentary issues. But fictional projects are possible as well.)
STEP 3: SCREENING.The films from the different regions are to be presented together in regional festivals. This offers the opportunity of cross-linking with other related regional activities. The project is to be carried out by the BÜRO FÜR SOZIOKULTUR (D). Informations about the basic layout of the workshops are provided on the website: http://www.bfsk.org

Objectives: 

How do these transformations affect daily life in the regions? How do young people see their living environment? Where do they perceive perspectives for staying in the region? How do they express their relation to their homelands?