POLITICAL SCHOOL FOR ARTISTS AND ALL INTERESTED 2020 – CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Application deadline: 16 February 2020

Do you want to address social issues through art? Does experience tell you that the reach of that sort of engagement is futile? Are you an artist, but you’re forced to work outside the sphere of art in order to survive? Does capitalism have you working your fingers to the bone and you want to see whether there’s an alternative? Do you want to find out what the concept of class really means and why we need class theory in order to understand the society in which we live? Are you interested in the history of socialism as an ideology and the history of the labour movement as a political force? Do you believe that the emancipation of women is inseparable from theoretical and practical reflections on radical social and economic changes? Are you concerned about the workers’ struggle and the possibility of organizing in contemporary circumstances? Are you looking for ways to strengthen your argumentation for future discussions with right-wingers and proponents of capitalism?

Take part in the Political School for Artists and All Interested!

The program is intended for anyone who wishes to acquire insight into the basic theoretical concepts and history of capitalism, as well as its socialist alternative. It is structured as 5 three-day sessions (over the weekends), and will be held from 5 March to 8 May 2020. The lectures and field courses will be accompanied by discussions based on pre-defined literature.
The program is free of charge. It takes place in Zagreb and the number of participants is limited. The main criteria in the selection of participants is their ability to attend the lectures regularly, prepare for the sessions and take part in group work. No previous knowledge is required.
The application should include the following information: name and surname, year of birth, education (formal and informal), institution (if employed or studying) or organization (if you are involved in an organization or a collective), and a short motivation letter (up to two standard pages) detailing how familiar you are with the subjects and context, why you are interested in the program and what you expect to gain from it. Prior knowledge and social engagement will not serve as selection criteria, but will help us tailor the lectures accordingly. Motivation and interest are the crucial criteria.

Applications should be sent to blok@blok.hr (Subject: Politicka skola 2020) by 16 February 2020.
Additional information about the program can be found at: http://blok.hr/hr/politicka-skola-za-umjetnike

THE 2020 POLITICAL SCHOOL FOR ARTISTS (AND ALL INTERESTED) PROGRAM

1st THEMATIC BLOCK: THE CRITIQUE OF CAPITALISM (6 – 8 March 2020)

BLOK: Introduction to the Political School for Artists (And Other Interested Parties)
Krešimir Zovak: The Genesis and Development of Capitalism
Stipe Ćurković: Classes and Class Theory
Lidija Radojević Krienzer: On the Concept of Civil Society and Its (Mis)use
Vesna Vuković: Politics in Art: Systemic Critique or Symbolic Gesture

2nd THEMATIC BLOCK: THE RETURN OF THE SOCIALIST VISION (20 – 22 March 2020)

Nikola Vukobratović: Where Does Democracy Come From? The Forgotten History of the Labour Movement
Andreja Gregorina: Red Feminism
Krešimir Zovak: The Socialist State and Its Contradictions
Sanja Horvatinčić: On the Backs of the Giants: The Political Function of the Narrative on the Labour Movement and People’s Liberation War (fieldwork in Drežnica)

3rd THEMATIC BLOCK: REGIMES OF OPPRESSION UNDER CAPITALISM (3 – 5 April 2020)

Nikola Vukobratović: Totalitarian East and Democratic West. How the Cold War Distorted the Memory of the 20th Century
Luka Matić: Ideological Construction and Political Normalization of Croatian Big-state Nationalism
Tamara Baković Jadžić: Romani Communities in Socialism and Post-socialism
Lina and Mia Gonan: Capitalism, Queer Oppression and the Left

4th THEMATIC BLOCK: ON ART AND LABOUR (17 – 19 April 2020)

Goran Pavlić: Author, Art and the Market
Andreja Gregorina: Organizing the Women’s Workforce: Issue of Trade Unions and/or Politics
Dunja Kučinac: Gig Economy: The Hell of Precarious Work
Domagoj Kučinić: Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture from the Perspective of a Cultural Worker (fieldwork)

5th THEMATIC BLOCK: LET’S COLLECTIVIZE! (8 – 10 May 2020)

Vasja Ris Lebarič: Drawing for the Fanzine of the Political School
workshop

THE PROGRAM IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY THE ROSA LUXEMBURG STIFTUNG SOUTHEAST EUROPE.