[spectre] Training Programme ORGANIZED NETWORKS in Riga this week!

[Rasa Smite]

Dear Spectre!

Please find below the info about the strategical 
network meeting ORGANIZED NETWORKS, which RIXC 
with partners is organising in Riga this weekend, 
December 3-5
Also, some important parts will take place 
online, so who is interested can join too - i 
will send more detailed programme later this week,
more updated info also will be available in Training Programme's blog:
http://orgnet.rixc.lv/
(currently under construction)

best regards,
Rasa
http://rixc.lv
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ORGANIZED NETWORKS
Training Programme for Cultural Network Management
Riga, December 3 - 5, 2009

By addressing issues of cultural sustainability 
with focus on networking, the Training Programme 
for cultural network management entitled 
"Organized Networks" will take place in Riga, 
December 3 - 5, 2009, gathering together 
representatives from more then 20 cultural 
organisations, new media centers and networks 
from Baltic, Nordic and other European regions, 
as well as Caucasus countries.

The Training Programme is co-organised by the 
RIXC, the Center for new media culture (Latvia) 
and partners from Finland (Pixelache festival, 
MARIN Association), Norway (Piksel, iolab, 
Atelier Nord), Iceland (Lorna), Sweden 
(Kultivator, C-Studio/Interactive Institute, New 
Media Meeting), Denmark (FieldWork, 
WindFestiva/Energy Academy), Lithuania (KCCC), 
Latvia (Association for Cultural NGOs), the 
Netherlands (Baltan Laboratories), Armenia 
(ACCEA/NPAK) and Georgia (Center for Contemporary 
Art - Tbilisi, GeoAir).


. . . Conceptual background

The current global crisis motivates us to think 
again of "how to remake the world" as many of 
methods used previously have turned out finite 
and unsustainable. Today, new approach in terms 
of both - design and production is urged nearly 
in all fields, including culture.

The idea of "networks" is not new, but it 
contains potential that hasn't been exploited to 
a great extent yet. New media networks have 
already had more than ten years of history. 
Translocal as well as local networking has played 
an important role in supporting operation of 
small-scale cultural organisations.

However, networks as such are not only virtual 
structures, there are real people and real 
technical infrastructures behind them. Our 
network culture today is also faced by 
sustainability issues. We are asking now: how to 
work out new strategies and methodologies for 
improving and developing more sustainable 
translocal cooperation practice ("organized 
networks")? And how to develop new 
(network-based) models for facilitating 
individual / local cultural organisations 
("network nodes")?

The idea of "organized networks" (as proposed by 
Ned Rossiter, Geert Lovink) poses a question, can 
network be seen as a new form of institution, and 
considers that it is relevant not only to work 
out new methodologies for networking practice - 
i.e. tools and protocols (agreed ways to support 
activity in the network), but also to discuss 
'collaborative value system' (dealing with issues 
such as funding, internal power plays, and the 
demand of "accountability" and "transparency", 
etc.).

The Training Programme will investigate what 
strategies "organized networks" can offer for 
sustainable development in cultural sector, and, 
in particular, in translocal cooperation. The 
Training Programme will specifically focus on 
evaluating the cultural network practice of 
Baltic-Nordic-EU region. This will include NICE 
and Pixelache festival networks, Baltic-Nordic 
artists residency programmes, Nordic funding 
structure, future development of new media art 
centers, their local and translocal cooperation 
strategies, etc. Ways how networks can create and 
sustain their own infrastructure will also be 
discussed.

Geographically, the Programme also aims to 
enhance European cultural area by drawing out new 
cultural cooperation axis connecting Nordic, 
Baltic and Caucasus regions on the Northern and 
Eastern border of Europe.

With regard to the content, the Training 
Programme will explore the potential of emerging 
interdisciplinary cooperation among the fields of 
arts, science and sustainable (information and 
energy) technologies, in order to set up a common 
ground for developing Art and Renewable Energy 
Network and to discuss possible future 
co-projects.
Seminar will also discuss how artists, new media 
activists, renewable technology researchers, 
social software developers, open source 
activists, designers of autonomous and 
alternative infrastructures who already work 
together, deal with sustainability issues, 
discussing how may cultural organizations and 
their networks benefit from these artistic 
innovations for building their future 
sustainability.

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PROGRAM

Thursday, December 3
Location: Spikeri, kim? Building, 3rd floor
19.30 - 21.00 Public Lecture: Erik Kluitenberg 
(the Netherlands) “Design for Sustainable 
Immobility"

Friday, December 4 (Day 1)
Location: RIXC Media Space, 11. Novembra 
krastmala 35 (entrance from Minstereja street)
10.00 - 14.00 [Work Session 1]: Networks (/ Organized Networks)
15.00 - 18.00 [Work Session 2]: Sustainability (/ Design for Resilience)
Location: Spikeri, kim? Building, 3rd floor
20.00 - [Open Programme] Screenings / Public Presentations
(Kultivator / Sweden, Baltan Laboratories / the 
Netherlands, One Minute Video Festival / Armenia, 
Survival Kit / LMC, Latvia, Serde / Latvia, 
Arctic Perspectives Project / Lorna, Iceland, 
etc.)

Saturday, December 5. (Day 2)
Location: RIXC Media Space, 11. Novembra 
krastmala 35 (entrance from Minstereja street)
11.00 - 12.00 Michael Psallidas (Greece) Lecture "Intelligent Energy Networks"
12.00 - 14.00 [Work Session 3]: p2p Infrastructures (/ Energy Issues)
15.00 - 18.00 [Work Session 4]: Open Code Infrastructures (/ Social Media)
Location: Spikeri, kim? Building, 3rd floor
20.00: [Open Programme] Presentations
(MoTA / Slovenia; MARIN mobile residency project 
/ Finland; GeoAir / Georgia; Homo Novous / JTI, 
Latvia; Nordic-Baltic Videoarchive Project / 
Noass / Latvia, Pixelache festival network / 
Finland, etc)

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. . . Thursday, December 3:

The Training Programme will begin with public 
lecture “Design for Sustainable Immobility" by 
Eric Kluitenberg on Thursday, December 3 at 19.30 
in Spikeri. The lecture will explore a rather 
contradictory topic - mobility continues to 
spread all around the planet regardless of the 
current financial crisis. On one hand, everyone 
has rights to travel without restrictions. But on 
the other, it is clear that our planet can no 
longer sustain such hypermobility as today. New 
design ideas must deal with how to develop 
interconnections between people and how to 
organize an alternative lifestyle that would be 
less determined by constant speed and mobility. 
Designers, architects and artists in particular 
are invited to discuss ideas and possible models 
for solving this issue.

. . . Friday, December 4:

Day 1 of the Training programme will focus mainly 
on discussing theoretical questions in relation 
to "network" and studying previous networking 
experience.
The working session will start off with a general 
discussion on terms “network" and 
“sustainability" and the relations between them:

Do we all know what is the 'network'?
Do we understand what makes something sustainable?
Can network be considered as a new type of 
institution that is translocal, distributed, 
mobile and decentralized?
How can we maintain our networks to be 
sustainable, if they are in principle unstable?
What are the most relevant organizational issues regarding networks?
What approach of "organized networks" offer that 
would contribute towards network sustainability?
What does creative labour mean in the context of organized network?

First working session will feature also an 
on-line presentation (live from Shanghai) by Ned 
Rossiter (author of the book "Organized 
Networks") introducing ideas behind the 
"organized networks" concept, which will be 
followed by work in discussion-groups of on-site 
(and remote) participants.

Whilst an on-line interview on "design for 
resilience" with John Thackara (founder of design 
forum "Doors of Perception" and expert on design 
and sustainability issues) will introduce the 
second working sessiong that will address issues 
of "sustainability" in relation to "mobility".

Mobility issues will be discussed from two 
different perspectives. The "mobile 
sustainability" working group (faciliated by 
Tapio Makela) will discuss physical 
infrastructures for mobility and communication - 
from e-cars to green wifi, M.A.R.I.N. (residency 
project on a sailing boat) and other projects and 
current topics.

A contrary session on "sustainable immobility" 
will focus on online tools and tactics, 
introducing ideas of the forthcoming Electrosmog 
festival (March 2010 in Amsterdam). This session 
will be faciliated by Eric Kluitenberg, and it 
will focus on how to imagine closer co-operation 
using real-time connections over the internet and 
how that might work both in tightening 
collaboration and networking between cultural 
organizations as well as contribute ecologically 
to breaking down the cycle of continuous travel 
to sustain cultural networks.

. . . Saturday, December 5:

Day 2 of the seminar will discuss more practical 
questions - how to organize the practice of 
cooperation network and how to design network 
infrastructure.

Day 2 will start with lecture "Intelligent Energy 
Networks" by Michael Psallidas, introducing 
general infrastructures of p2p-networking and 
energy issues. The working group afterwards will 
focus more on a particular issues around newly 
founded Art and Renewable Network - discussing 
tools, finances, resources, events, exchanges, as 
well protocols: ways how to support activity in 
the network.

The second part of the day will be focusing on 
issues of open source infrastructures and social 
media that will start off with another on-line 
lecture “Social Media: Re-introducing 
centralization trough back door" by Armin Medosch.

This working session will include evaluation of 
situation in Baltic-Nordic-EU region and previous 
networking experience (NICE, Pixelache, Nordic 
funds, participating organizations, etc.), 
introduction to case studies (current cultural 
situation in Latvia, case of Caucasus region) and 
will discuss how to enhance regional and European 
cooperation, by involving Caucasus region. Also 
other practical and theoretical issues brought up 
by participants, will be discussed during this 
day.

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PARTICIPANTS

Eric Kluitenberg (De Balie / The Netherlands)
Andrew Paterson (Pixelache / Finland)
Angela Plohman (Baltan Laboratories / The Netherlands)
Margrét Elísabet Ólafsdóttir (Lorna / Iceland)
Edward Balassanian (NPAK / Armenia)
Gagik Ghazareh (NPAK / Armenia)
Malin Lindmark Vrijman (Kultivator / Sweden)
Mathieu Vrijman (Kultivator / Sweden)
Nino Palavandishvili (GeoAir / Georgia)
Kristin Bergaust (Norway)
Ignas Kazakevicius (KCCC / Lithuania)
Skaiste Kazarauskaite (KCCC / Lithuania)
Paulius Klisevicius (KCCC / Lithuania)
Martin Bricelj (MoTA / Ljubljana)
Linda Våge (Atelier Nord / Norway)
Tapio Makela (MARIN / Finland)
Juha Huuskonen (Pixelache / Finland)
Michael Psallidas (p2p network / Greece)
Lars Nordqvist (New Media Meeting / Sweden)
Rasa Smite (RIXC / Latvia)

. . . Online speakers:

Ned Rossiter (author of "Organized Networks" books)
John Thackara (design and sustainability expert, 
founder of Doors of perception)
Armin Medosch (writer, artist, curator of "WAVES" exhibition project)

. . . Online participants:

Björn Norberg (Mejan Labs / Sweden)
Daniela Ariado (iolab / Norway)
Gisle Frøysland (Piksel / Norway)
Thomas Rydell (Interactive Institute / Sweden)
Nis Rømer (Fieldwork / Denmark)
Per Platou (PNEK / Norway)
uc.

. . . Participants from Latvia:

Members of Association of Contemporary Culture 
NGOs of Latvia: RIXC, NOASS, LLMC, SERDE, JTI, 
DIC, and others.

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. . . Locations:

Public lectures: Spikeri, kim? building, 3rd 
floor, Maskavas iela 12/1, Riga (near Central 
Market).
Training programme: RIXC Media Space, 11. 
Novembra krastmala 35, entrance from Minsterejas 
iela (in Old Town).

. . . Organisers:

RIXC, the Center for New Media Culture in 
cooperation with Association for Contemporary 
Culture NGOs (Latvia) and international partners.

. . . Contact:

rixc at rixc.lv
tel. +371-26546776 (Rasa Smite)
tel. +371-67228478 (RIXC office)

. . . Support:

European Culture Foundation, Nordic Culture 
Point, State Culture Capital Foundation, Hotel 
Elizabete.

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