Open Call for Fee Free Artist Residency/Workshop/Exhibition. Helen's Dress

Disciplines: Textile Art, Jewellery Art, Embroidery, Story Telling, Mythology, Fiction and Non-Fiction, Performance, Soft sculpture.
Concept/Workshops/Curating by Loukia Richards and Christoph Ziegler. Traditional Greek Embroidery is taught by Metaxia Hantelis.

Introduction: According to a myth version, Helen of Troy - Greek mythology's most famous adulteress - never left Sparta and her king husband to follow her lover Paris, prince of Troy; instead, she fooled Paris by giving him a speaking effigy which looked like her, talked like her, made love like her and dressed like her.
Thus, moon goddess Helen - her name derives from Selene/moon - fooled everybody and remained faithful only to herself. This version of the myth allows participants to work on Helen's imaginary effigy and adorn her dress with their own stories translated into the visual language of the embroidery motifs.
During the workshop, participants experiment with traditional Greek textile techniques, develop a narrative and a concept of their new work, test the power of traditional textile practice to support women's social role, design with threads, words and movement the perfect outfit for a 2020s female role model and learn fascinating Greek embroidery techniques.


Deadline:
26.01.2020: Last day to apply. (11.59 pm CET).
By 31.01.2020: Selected participants will be notified per e-mail. The names of the selected participants will be posted on the website and social media of "Vamvakou Revival" as well.
22.06.2020 - 27.06.2020: Programme holds at Vamvakou.


When: 22.06.2020, Monday morning - 27.06.2020, Saturday afternoon.
The number of participants: 8.
Language: English and Greek.
Cost: Free.


Helen's Dress: The A.i.R/Workshops/Exhibition Program at Vamvakou Revival 2020: The Artist Residency/Workshops/Exhibition programme Helen's Dress is part of the Vamvakou Revival program for Summer 2020. Helen's Dress focuses on and is inspired by the Greek myth of Helen, queen of Sparta, its versions and updated interpretations. Helen's Dress offers eight (8) visual artists/designers/performers/writers/art theorists the opportunity to broaden their practice, to enrich their knowledge on the compatibility of Greek mythology, to give valuable answers to contemporary dilemmas, discover the beauty of symbols and visual language of Greece’s embroidery motifs, deal with the concept of faith, love, betrayal and improvise on their version of Helen's myth. Helen's Dress focuses on the trinity: Embroidery - Narrative - Participatory Performance. It offers workshops on traditional and contemporary embroidery, on narrative and mythology, on textile art theory and practice, on performance; as well as, creative walks through Sparta and the region and interaction with the visitors and locals. The program is followed by the exhibition or presentation of the works or performances or narratives created during the Artist Residency.
Participation in the workshops program is obligatory for all team members regardless of their competence in the subject taught, for the workshops effectiveness is based on the interaction of and creative interventions by all team members and not on hierarchical teaching. Participants are obliged to give a short lecture on the topics and concepts the program focuses on or present their practice and techniques on the last day of Helen's Dress.


Who can apply? Helen's Dress Open Call addresses international, mid-career visual artists or designers or performers/writers or storytellers/ art historians or critics working in one of the following disciplines:
Textile Art / Embroidery / Jewellery Art / Mythology / Performance / Soft Sculpture/ Fashion / Design / Story Telling or Fiction or Non-fiction.
Crafting, storytelling and social bonding were not separated at the very beginning of art. The Helen's Dress workshops' holistic approach to performance, textile art, feminism, storytelling and ritual aims at reuniting the fragmented reality of contemporary art by linking embroidery to a strong narrative, to symbols and allegories, to the very physical experience of team bonding through participatory performances.
Participation in "Helen's Dress" programme is fee-free. No application fee is charged either.

How to apply?
Candidates wishing to participate in the program should submit a portfolio including the following:
1. A short bio (150 words maximum) written in the first or the third person singular and highlighting the major events or achievements in the applicant's professional career and/or life.
2. A bullet point CV (one Α4 page maximum) including one or more sections such as; Education, Exhibitions/Presentations/Lectures, Awards or Distinctions or Grants, Catalogues or Publications, previous Artist In Residence experience, Teaching experience or Academic career or whatever the applicant considers being of importance.
3. A short proposal (150 words maximum) on what the applicant wishes to achieve during/through the program.
4. An answer to the question (100 words maximum): What is the applicant's positive impact on the program, if selected?  
5. Visual artists or Performers or Story Tellers should submit Six (6) sharp and on focus photos of applicant's work or three (3) videos (3 minutes maximal duration each) or thee (3) sharp and focus pictures and one (1) videos (3 minutes maximal duration). Writers or art theorists should submit Three (3) copies of text or text fragments (350 words maximum/each).
6. A Cover Letter mentioning that the candidate submits a portfolio application for the "Helen's Dress" program.
7. The applicant should also include in his/her Cover Letter the following information: Name, Age, Address, Country of Origin, Profession.
8. The application language is English and Greek. The candidate may also include in his/her application portfolio (non-obligatory):
1. A weblink/website/blog with pictures/text/documentation of previous events or projects.
2. Weblinks or PDFs with articles on his/her work or relevant interviews.
3. Whatever he/she thinks it is of importance for the best presentation of his/her application.\


What does Helen's Dress offer to selected participants?
1. Six days/five nights free accommodation in shared, double rooms (breakfast included) for the period Monday 22 June (check-in) to Saturday 27 June (check out) in Vamvakou, Laconia/Peloponnese.  
2. Free workshop participation (see schedule below).
3. Individualized curatorial and consulting services to develop new work and present it in the best possible way.
4. Exhibition/presentation curation.
5. Promotion of Helen's Dress program and participants' new work through the local, national and international Press.
6. Promotion of Helen's Dress program and participants' work through the websites and social media pages of Vamvakou Revival and its partners.
7. Photographic and video documentation of Helen's Dress program.
8. Participants' fee-free transport from Sparta to Vamvakou (in the morning of Monday 22 June 2020) or from Athens (Sunday 21 June 2020). Participants' fee-free transport from Vamvakou to Sparta (in the afternoon of Saturday 27 June 2020) or to Athens (Sunday 28 June 2020). Please, note that additional accommodation cost outside the dates (check-in) Monday 22 June a (check out) Saturday 27 June or transport fees for different dates than the ones explicitly mentioned above or to other destinations will be covered by the participant.
9. Available material free of charge for workshop purposes and for making new work.
10. The available material is free of charge for the making of the exhibition/presentation.
11. Participants own and keep the works they created during the program.
12. Participants receive a certificate for participating in Helen's Dress program.


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