Our small team of the Exchange project – Godelieve Spaas (professor Economy as a Common at Avans), Mojra Vogelnik Škerlj from dance company The100Hands and myself and our Fontys professorship Artistic Connective Practices – is excited to continue our collaboration and research on exchange: We have received funding for an additional year of practice-based research by Regieorgaan SIA, the Dutch governmental organisation for funding of practice-based research, which enables us to continue this work in the upcoming season.
How can we contribute, on a small scale, to something as vast and abstract as an economy focused on broad prosperity?
Achieving broad prosperity requires fundamental changes in our economy. Organizations and individuals are looking for ways to contribute to this system change themselves. But how can we contribute on a small scale to something as vast and abstract as the economy? In the Exchange project, we explore how to make people and organizations aware of the possibilities and limitations of current and new economic exchanges and provide them with tools to contribute to an economy focused on Broad Prosperity.
We premiered with the Exchange project during the festival “Who owns the economy?” in October 2023. This project, consisting of a physical performance, lecture performance, and exhibition, demonstrated that it is possible to contribute to system change on a small scale. Dialogues during and after the lecture performances revealed its potential as a methodology for systemic change. Participants indicated becoming aware of prevailing economic exchange patterns and possible alternatives. The combination of thinking, doing, and imagining provides an embodied, performative experience of what can be different.
On the basis of this feedback, we will develop the lecture performance further in the coming year, towards a methodology for changemakers. The mix of lecture, presentation, stories, debate, workshop, movement and reflection aims to help individuals and organisations to understand and make the transition towards an economy of broad prosperity. The continuation of this project also extends our collaboration partners: In the coming year we will be working with and in the contexts of Zuid. Boijmans van Beuningen, Buitenplaats Brienenoord – a rehearsal space for the future, en MVO Nederland.
For now, sunny greetings from Godelieve, Mojra and myself – see you next academic year!
Falk Hübner 