UrbanApa

A platform for feminist leadership for professionals in arts and cultural field 

In spring 2022 UrbanApa produces the third edition of the platform for feminist leadership. The platform is based on peer learning and it aims to support participants in their own work and attempts to practice feminist leadership. The frame for learning consists of six workshops that intend to allow broader contemplation on feminist tools, leadership and structures. The goal is to summon artists to share and discuss, to empower, to increase understanding of structures and their limitations, and to provide tools for more feminist and inclusive practices, as well as to collectively dream about potential futures. We all have know-how to share. By gathering, and bringing that know-how forth, we create the platform for feminist leadership together.

The workshops will be held once a month (April – June and August – October 2022, one weekend in August 2022). The duration of each session is five hours (incl. lunch break), which consists of a lecture, a primer or introduction of the topic, and the follow-up exercises and discussions. The lecturers are experts from the fields of art, leadership and feminism. The participants shall also reserve some time for independent work outside the workshops (reading articles and reflecting); either individually, or together with other participants.

The working language on the platform is English.

We hope that the participants commit to attending the platform.

The platform is facilitated by Sonya Lindfors and Laura Lehtinen. In addition the sessions will have guest lecturers and facilitators.

Tentative topics include:

• What is feminist leadership? How to redefine leadership?
• Frictions and fictions – How to work in more feminist ways within hierarchical structures?
• Power and responsibility – influence and wellbeing
• Sustainability – ethical, social and environmental
• Conflicts and solving them
• Taste and vision – whose vision guides collective work?
• Facilitation – how to create circumstances for learning and collaboration?
• Inclusivity and diversity – safer spaces
• Leadership and dreaming – what could the future art field be like

We are searching for a diverse group of artists, who work with directing, facilitating, curating or leadership in one way or another, and are interested in feminist ways of working. In case we receive loads of applications, we aim to choose participants who form a diverse, multivoiced group and prioritize applicants who don’t have access to similar content at the moment.

Send a CV + a short motivation letter (max. half A4), where you tell:

1. What are you working with and how?
2. Why/how are you interested in feminist ways of working?
3. What kind of tools do you need and how do you hope to make use of the platform (for example for networking, as a support in a specific process, to internalise specific knowledge…)?
4. Do the workshop dates suit you? Note! We hope that the participants can attend at least four out of five sessions.

Title you email PLATFORM FOR FEMINIST LEADERSHIP III / OPEN CALL double check that all attachments have your name and content info on them.

Send your application to sonya(at)urbanapa.fi by 27.3.2022.

You will hear from us by  2.4.2022.

Participation fee is 50€. Note! It is not possible to enroll in just one/few workshops.

(If the fee causes trouble, don’t hesitate to let us know! Let’s think of a solution together.)

The platform starts as a live meeting in Helsinki (venue TBA) after which we will continue with online meetings on Zoom.

Dates for year 2022:

Sat 9.4.2022 11:00 –16:00 (orientation) | live or zoom, depending of the corona situation

Sun 15.5.2022 11:00 –16:00 | zoom

16.-20.5.2022 #StopHatredNow – event week  | zoom → during this week there is a possibility to participate in the workshops and lecture. It is optional. 

Sun 5.6.2022 11:00 –16:00 | zoom

Sat 10.9.2022  11:00 –16:00 | zoom

Sat 1.10.22 11:00 –16:00 | live

Dates for the workshop weekend in August 2022: One weekend, TBA during the spring meetings.

The first meeting will be held live. The rest of the platform takes place on Zoom. There will be more information about the accessibility of the first meetings space once the venue have been confirmed.

UrbanApa is an anti-racist and intersectionally feminist art platform whose purpose is

to create space for multivoiced feminist and communal art making. Multivoiced feminist

working means that we do not aim at a consensus. There must be space for new

viewpoints and experiences, but the atmosphere must also remain respectful, safe and

inclusive. Read the ethical guidelines of the platform here:

https://urbanapa.fi/ethical-guidelines/