The aim of Art in Practice was to create a learning platform for all those who want to initiate and carry out projects related in various ways to culture. The sessions organized by the Art Stations Foundation were meant to supplement the theoretical knowledge acquired during one’s higher education, especially in disciplines in the humanities, with practical resources required by curators or cultural managers in their work.
The sessions held as part of the Art in Practice were based on a combination of selected case studies and workshops during which moderators were presented with the task of putting together the resources necessary to complete a project similar to one described during the session.
The workshops took place in accordance with the methodology of Design Thinking, in which the participants’ knowledge is used as both a form of capital and a basis – combined with the skills of the moderator – for the interactive component of the session. The synergy resulting from the participants’ combined skills and experience, derived from different disciplines, leads to improvements in efficiency and innovation while carrying out the activities. During the workshops, emphasis was placed on developing team skills – which are essential in our careers, and rarely practiced during the course of a Polish university education.
The workshops were conducted by some of the most interesting Polish and foreign curators and cultural animators. The issues analyzed during the sessions included: creating an exhibition scenario, putting together a project budget, finding partners, running a gallery, the functioning of the art market, and organizing biennales, art fairs, and international projects. The speakers in the Art in Practice program (which included employees of state institutions and private foundations, as well as freelancers) were selected with an eye toward achieving a maximum level of diversity in terms of perspective.
