Agents of Change 2016
EN
Agents of Change is a project by The Umbrella Network in collaboration with the Van Abbemuseum focusing on giving center stage to social design, Arte Util and community projects in Eindhoven by organising interactive tours, workshops and various activities to create a social map of the city.
It means researching “the commons” and connecting local initiatives, individuals and active communities with a critical and analytical position within society. They all believe that change is always possible and that real social transformation begins on a small scale. They are the real Agents of Change.
These dynamic communities, artists, social designers and hands-on citizens are working parallel in different neighbourhoods. They are facing similar challenges and local problems. We invite them to exchange their knowledge, challenges and experiences. It is a starting point for a negotiation process with the art institution to re-think its position within the city and open up different possibilities of support and interaction with these communities. We encourage them to discover how to use the Van Abbemuseum and its resources differently: as a platform to reflect their position, as an agency for action.
Project Report
The tours
Five guided tours were organised with small groups of participants through different neighborhoods of Eindhoven (Woensel-West, Stratum, Doornakkers, Woensel-Noord, Strijp). In each tour four projects were visited in one district where the initiators and volunteers introduced us to their activities and organisations. In total, twenty projects were involved in these tours.
Exhibition
The results of our research into local initiatives were exhibited in the context of the Room 6 at the Van Abbemuseum as part of the exhibition The 80s: today’s beginnings? We designed an interactive map that was still open to adding new locations for the public. After closing the show, there are 73 projects from five areas on the map of Agents of Change.
Activities
In July, we proposed three initiatives to develop their activities with the general public of the Museum. In August three workshops were held at the Van Abbemuseum inviting ten of the initiatives to use the museum as a platform and present their project to the public, the municipality, the museum and other initiatives with the aim to discuss their challenges and together develop solutions for the future. Furthermore, to give them visibility and establish the growing network of Agents of Change.
