Pre-Texts News

Pre-Texts with the Global CoCreation Lab

Doris Sommer is currently facilitating a bi-weekly Pre-Texts workshop for approximately 15 members of the MIT Global CoCreation Lab. Ari Mazzeo and Emilia Pfannl are also facilitating a Pre-Texts workshop over 6 sessions for 25 members of the Girls Global CoCreation Lab.

Digital Pre-Texts in China

Nord Anglia Chinese International School Shanghai (NACIS), Shanghai Minghang Zhu Di School, and WF Joseph Lee Primary School in Hong Kong are integrating Pre-Texts in their school-based curriculum. The picture featured above shows reflections from NACIS students on their artwork. Read more about Pre-Texts in these schools here.

Pre-Texts in Paraguay

After organizing a wonderful mini Pre-Texts workshop with Paraguay Educa last month, we are currently exploring new collaborations with the Paraguay Educa team. Stay tuned for more updates.

Check our Digital Pre-Texts page for regular updates.

Cultural Agents News

Engine for Art, Democracy, and Justice 2020

Vanderbilt University is partnering with Fisk University, The Frist Art Museum and Millions of conversations to host “Engine for Art, Democracy and Justice,” a trans-institutional series of virtual conversations and artistic collaborations that address four themes over eight episodes with the objective of exploring creative approaches to living together in the South(s). Initiated by Dr. María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Cornelius Vanderbilt Endowed Chair and Professor of Fine Art and this years’ 2020 program curated by Marina Fokidis, Head of the Artistic Office in Athens and curatorial advisor for documenta 14.

This initiative brings Carrie Mae Weems’ RESIST COVID TAKE 6! public art campaign to Nashville, with banners being unveiled at The Frist Art Museum, Vanderbilt’s Fine Arts Gallery, and Fisk University’s Carl Van Vechten Gallery. Weems’ series draws attention to the racial inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more here: https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2020/09/11/vanderbilt-university-launches-series-on-justice-healing-with-renowned-artists-and-scholars/

Futebol Viral Challenge

Futebol Viral Mundial launched a new challenge! We want to hear about soccer stories. Stories lived on the field, off the field, in the stands, or watched from the living room. Come and see the stories posted by participants on the Cultural Agents website.

Concurso de Dibujo y Pintura 2020 “El dibujo como interpretación”

Fundación Quiera organiza anualmente un concurso de dibujo para niños, con todos los institutos de la República Mexicana afiliados a su sistema. En años anteriores, la temática de la convocatoria se basaba en un tema dictaminado por el jurado. Este año 2020, Inés Benítez y Doris Sommer encaminaron la convocatoria a desarrollarse a través de la metodología de Pre-Textos, en donde los niños pudieran abrir y canalizar su imaginación hacia la comprensión de un texto, en este caso un capítulo de “El Principito”, de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Los resultados fueron maravillosos, así como el poder visualizar la extensa y rica variedad de forma y color que se abrió a partir de sólo unas cuantas páginas.

Highlighted News and Events

Integrating Heritage into the SDGs – Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Cities

We are witnessing a historic time of transition in the global community of policy-makers, governments and activists, since the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, and the associated New Urban Agenda in 2016. The 2030 Agenda is an action plan of people, planet, prosperity and partnerships, to address the most pressing problems our world is facing today.

ICOMOS has also responded to this call. As a global non-governmental organization advising UNESCO and working to promote the conservation of cultural heritage sites, ICOMOS is closely engaged with the topic of sustainable development in recent years, having held major scientific events and issued policy documents to highlight the vital role of cultural heritage within the sustainable development process.

This first webinar will provide information on what is the role of cultural heritage in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It will also showcase the critical work of the ICOMOS SDGs Working Group in strengthening efforts to “protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage”, Target 11.4 under SDG11, to “make our cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. The webinar will also provide examples of key partnerships that ICOMOS builds with urban actors, as well as challenges and opportunities in localizing the SDGs from the perspective of culture and cities.

Date: 24 September 2020, Thursday; Time: 12:00 – 13:30 CET
Registration: https://forms.gle/fhkcq7Mi2XmUrKdy6. Zoom links are provided at the completion of registration forms. Members of the SDGWG are encouraged to be part of the zoom calls.

Transformation 2020

The American Repertory Theater (ART) has been working with the Center for Popular Democracy as a part of their upcoming Transformation 2020 virtual event September 24-26. It’s a national event open to all, but aimed toward building up civic engagement and changemaking capacity for youth (ages 16-23). The ART will be contributing some sessions around their upcoming production of the musical 1776, which re-examines the pivotal moment of our nation’s founding, with a cast that more proudly reflects today’s America. The event will include a number of other workshops, teach-ins, keynotes, and performances. Some of the confirmed speakers include Senator Elizabeth Warren, Activist/Scholar Angela Davis, Fair Fight Action Founder Stacey Abrams, NYT Bestselling Author Ibram X. Kendi, and more.

The ART is putting together a Massachusetts Delegation of local youth, leaders, and educators to participate together in Transformation 2020, including 1,000+ free registrations for Massachusetts Youth. To join the delegation or to receive more information on how to amplify this opportunity, please fill out a short interest survey here.