PRESENTING THE PRESENTERS: MYWORLDIMAGES

This year, RAW is proud to announce a unique collaboration project with MyWorldImages - a massive festival of global culture and art that will take place in Denmark from August 26-September 12, 2010.

MyWorldImages is teaming up with MidWeekBrakes to put together the most diverse and international line-up of live artists ever to perform at RAW. They will present ARENA 4: URBAN & GLOBAL at RAW2010.

Here's some background on this truly amazing festival.

17 years of Images

Since 1991 Images has created 7 festivals, presenting the latest cultural forms of expression and contemporary art from the developing world to the Danes. Through the years several thousand artists, from more than 60 countries, have taken part in these festivals, introducing art works that most people were unaware of. The festivals have helped to break down stereotypes, challenged prejudices and revealed unknown and inaccessible parts of the world, through amazing, overwhelming and mindboggling events. The festivals have shared stories of human similarities and cultural differences, providing recognition and inspiration, vision and insight to deepen our knowledge.

“Images of Africa” was the launch of the Images concept in 1991 and was subsequently followed by two Images of Africa festivals in 1993 and 1996. These were succeeded by Images of the World (2000), Images of Asia (2003), and finally Images of the Middle East in 2006. The biggest and most controversial festival to date was Images of the Middle East that was confronted with issues regarding the ‘Mohammed Crisis’ and the outbreak of war in Lebanon.

In many ways this only seemed to underline the need for festivals like Images. Globalisation and world-wide media coverage has not reduced stereotyping, prejudice or cultural misunderstanding. Mutual respect, tolerance and insight are built through dialogue, encounters and co- operation, the exchange of ideas and discussions.

Dialogue

By using dialogue, meetings and co-operation as a starting point the coming festival places more emphasis on exchange programs, long-term collaborations and uninterrupted communication. The festival will be developed through comprehensive collaboration, where Danish and international artists create projects together across artistic genres and physical borders.

Collaboration

Collaboration is at the very core of DCCD’s strategy of integrating art and culture into development work. Many of the individual initiatives supported by DCCD are ensured sustainable development period and a longer lifespan through partnerships and collaboration. My World IMAGES intends to establish artistic alliances that will continue to create synergetic results long after the festival is over, to benefit all involved parties.

A local artist in global world

Over the years the festivals has had a regional focus but now we are focussing on the artist as a person and individual who represents him/herself. A close-up experience of the individual artist presents us with an opportunity to understand how the individual is simultaneously unique and part of a broader cultural context.

 The festival will tell personal stories, allowing the artists to reflect the world through their eyes, thus open up their world to us. This aim is based on the acceptance that globalisation has encompassed the world, thereby stating that human visions and relations are global and transnational, yet still deeply rooted in local societies. Through the artists we will witness how experiences and events impress and change people and how these influence the way he or she perceives the world.

Tear down the hierarchy

This time around the festival is being devised in a totally new way. The artistic choices and creative power has been placed directly in the hands of the artistic minds that shape My World IMAGES. This is accomplished by inviting artists, cultural operators and networks from the developing world to co-create the festival program. They will apply their local and regional expertise to identify the most interesting contemporary works within their field. By giving competent capacities from the developing world decision- making control over the festival program we ensure that the presented images will reflect their experience, tell their stories truthfully and produce a festival that reflects modern images of the world.

The city is My World

The My World IMAGES festival engages the entire city to act as host and inspiration for the many events and activities. The city-space will transform into theatres, galleries, cinemas and concert halls. In doing so the city’s space will host the arts and frame accessible and attractive events for the enjoyment of many different communities, meeting the public where they live, study and work.

Three selected zones in the city will operate as ‘artistic nucleuses’, where My World Images projects will fill public buildings and institutions and flow onto streets and squares. An example of a city ‘nucleus’ can be an area with a high concentration of historically significant institutions, a part of the city with a varied number of ethnic groups or a sector that is undergoing a functional or urban change.