Borderline Offensive: Laughing in the Face of Fear
The consortium formed by TILLT (SE), CZKD (SR), Keunstwurk (NL) CIKE + Kair (SK), House of Humour and Satire (BG), Plovdiv 2019 Foundation (BG), Centre for Peace Studies (HR) and Symbiosis (GR) aims to implement a transnational artistic programme (2017-2020) for artistic research and art-based societal development, engaging artists to explore questions of migration, immigration and community cohesion in contemporary Europe, through the medium of dark humour as an aesthetic/poetic endeavour and laughter as a mechanism for intercultural socialization and collective identity-building.
The artistic programme will include artistic residencies, transnational tour, participatory workshops, research processes and one international conference.
In the frame of the transitional tour of Borderline Offensive project which is funded by Creative Europe programme, Plovdiv 2019 Foundation will host two artistic projects: 'Paper Puppet Poetry' by ŠKART, Dragan Protica and 'Migration Road Fanzine' by Svebor Midzic and Darinka Pop-Mitić.
Paper Puppet Poetry by ŠKART collective from Serbia is a DIY concept for children and young audiences, where the participants make paper puppets, write the script and the stories and perform for each other (6 – 10.08, 10am – 4pm, age 7+). Migration Road Fanzine by Darinka Pop-Mitić from Serbia and Svebor Midzic will use collages, drawings, jokes and images from comics and magazines to narrate the different experiences and stories from the immigrant communities (6 – 10.08, 10am – 4pm, the workshops are for people with an interest in the field of illustration, design, and the creative writing, age 18+, pre-registration required). On 9 and 10 August at 6pm will be held the public presentation of the workshops’ results and a talk with the artists.
Paper Puppet Poetry by ŠKART collective, from Serbia
A DIY concept for children and young audiences, where the participants make paper puppets, write the script and the stories and perform for each other.
Artistic discipline: Poetry, Puppetry, Theatre.
A DIY concept for children & young audiences, which can be done whenever and however. Documentary material – experiences of the audience/participants – are shaped into short literary forms (poems, micro-scenes, stage-situations), after which simple drawings are glued on sticks, becoming puppets and paper-dolls, animated by the voices and movements of the authors/audience themselves to address the ignorant-and-prejudice-based “safe society” and take small steps toward solidarity-necessity.
Serious subjects become playful stage-game puppet performances, free from self-criticism, compatible with classrooms, streets, slams, camps, hospitals, rooms… but also official public spaces… As a form of alternative education and direct action in schools, where collective production (of images/stories) creates and encourages collective distribution (authors themselves are becoming performers).
Performances are documented in on film and distributed globally online. Performed texts, shaped into poems or other drama formats, are published in booklets and distributed in schools or various alternative places.
Migration Road Fanzine by Darinka Pop-Mitić from Serbia and Svebor Midzic
A fanzine made by migrants for migrants, containing collage, literature, images, comic strips to give them their own voice, and share adventures.
Literature and creative/collaborative writing.
DIY fanzines narrating the different, mostly humorous events that happened to immigrants on their way to Europe, done by/with/for immigrants. Collages, drawings, jokes and appropriated images from popular comics and magazines are used to narrate the different experiences and stories from the immigrant communities.
Artists provide know-how in designing and editing the magazines in 2-day workshops organized in collaboration with local partner-organizations working with immigrant populations.
The fanzine is distributed as a physical publication and through the Borderline Offensive website as a downloadable digital content. Issue 0 from Belgrade in final production, next issue 1 in Istanbul, Issue 2 in your own city.
A short description of TILLT’s project Borderline Offensive with English subtitles.
Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, Västra Götaland Region, Slovak Arts Council, Republic of Serbia's Ministry of Culture and Information. Leading Organization TILLT AB. More about the project here. Facebook page here.
