Project Description

Caravan NEXT stemmed from the CARAVAN. Artists on the road experience, the results achieved, and the needs that emerged.  Specifically, in recent years, with the expansion of Social and Community Theatre (SCT) at a European level and the development of a strong network, the need and desire arose to organize and consolidate the work into a long-lasting reality with a strong European identity, to envision a new future for the theater, and to rethink the event and the cultural product by seeking a new relationship with the audience ("everywhere theater with everyone").  Furthermore, many communities of citizens across Europe, aware of the work done with CARAVAN. Artists on the road, requested to be involved in the new cultural and theatrical activities. Caravan NEXT was the response to these needs: the need to consolidate the methodology of SCT (enhancing and innovating what had been created earlier, in the design process), and the need and desire to truly integrate the work done, not to make of it "just" an experience, but to turn it into a reality.

Objectives

Caravan NEXT focused on bringing SCT events to cities and towns in a way that would rethink them as broad open-air venues, local art squares connected at a European level (GLOCAL level) where citizens, professionals, and artists could give life to their own community theatrical events.

Strategic Objectives

• INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM: Developing an Integrated European SCT System for the international exchange of cultural products and professionals, in a durable and sustainable way, promoting collaboration among artists and professionals of SCT in the international arena, with particular attention to all European areas.
• AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT: Consolidating the methodology of European SCT in order to achieve innovative and transferable formats of audience development, with particular attention to the involvement of new audiences in the cultural field.
• DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES: Developing the integration between Digital Technologies and SCT methodology to facilitate an audience development process, innovate the artistic events, and enhance the interaction between local and international levels.
• CREATE EUROPE: Promoting participatory and proactive cultural reflection on the theme of "being a European citizen."

Specific Objectives

• Promoting community cultural empowerment with particular attention to the involvement of new groups of the population.
• Implementing and consolidating, through dedicated paths, the skills of professionals on topics of audience development and the use of digital technologies in the cultural field.
• Implementing and consolidating, through dedicated paths, the skills of the audience on topics of the languages of the performing arts and the use of digital technologies in the cultural field.
• Developing tools in the field of new technologies relevant to the work of audience development, cultural planning, construction and consolidation of networks, and international exchange.
• Creating a European "Business" model of SCT, by "business model" meaning a system of equitable opportunities to help SCT grow in Europe and give equal opportunities to exchange to all partners of each country.

Both strategic and specific objectives appeared to be consistent with the objectives and priorities of the Culture Sub-programme.