Culture Collective’s International Perspectives event series explores what experiences from community-rooted work around the world might teach us about creative projects here in Scotland.

The International Perspectives series is an opportunity to meet organisations and practitioners working in community-led creative projects across the world. Featuring performance, discussion and open Q&As, these events aim to widen our perspectives and introduce new approaches to community, creativity and social change.

International Perspectives (1): Arte Moris, East Timor

For Culture Collective’s first International Perspectives event in April 2022, we were joined by Arte Moris, a Fine Art School, Cultural Centre and Art Community based in Dili, East Timor. Chaired by Asha Trivedy from Culture Collective project Art27, we spoke with Iliwatu Danabere and other Arte Moris artists about topics ranging from the impacts of conflict to how to build a creative community.

International Perspectives (2): MATERNAL FANTASIES, Berlin

For the second in our Culture Collective ‘International Perspectives’ series, we were joined by MATERNAL FANTASIES, an interdisciplinary group of international artists and cultural producers based in Berlin, Germany. Chaired by Rebecca Livesey-Wright from Culture Collective project EVOLVE Seedhill, the event explored MATERNAL FANTASIES’ work to shape the discourse on motherhood through collective artistic processes while enhancing the visibility of contemporary feminist positions addressing motherhood(s) in the arts.

International Perspectives (3): Heba el-Cheikh

For the third in our Culture Collective ‘International Perspectives’ series, we were joined by Egyptian arts producer and community activist Heba el-Cheikh. Chaired by François Matarasso, the event explored Heba’s experiences of working ‘in the margins’, mobilising informal communities of interest, and making projects work against the odds.

Due to the sensitive nature of Heba’s work, we won’t be sharing a recording of this event. Instead, we’re delighted that host François Matarasso has written a blog capturing his reflections on the event, which you can read here.