CTM at TEH Conference 99
Cultural Transformation Movement (CTM) was present in Sofia during TEH99. This four-year collaboration, led by Trans Europe Halles, brought together cultural organisations, artists, and researchers to create a meaningful dialogue and transformative impact on the cultural sector. The CTM project is a context-based initiative that brings together Artists/Agents of Change and underrepresented communities to diversify artistic production and its broader impact, starting from within the organisation itself.
So, what happened in Sofia?
Artistic Statement – Under Construction …
In 2024, CTM Artists/Agents of Change (AoCs) came together to collaboratively formulate an Artistic Statement centred on the art of asking questions. Curated by Fariba Mosleh, a site-specific poster installation was exhibited at Toplocentrala for TEH 99. Displayed in a multilingual poster installation, the exhibition invited visitors to reflect on the questions that shape our cultural world. It was not a finished process, but rather a living, evolving conversation where new questions could be added, and old ones could be challenged.
The invitation was clear: What questions do you have? And what remains unasked?
Under construction: thoughts, questions, DEMANDS, internal conflicts, wounds, contradictions, frustrations, worries, concerns and broken, breaking dreams. On the necessity for cultural transformation (in the belly of the beast aka the fortress of Europe). Cultural Transformation Movement project.
Johnston-Arthur, Araba Evelyn, Mahammed Dounia, Bryssinck Mira, Laucher Elie, Miceli Emanuele Arturo, Ulianova Kseniia and Camacho Salgado, Laura (2024).
Curation, concept, and production: Fariba Mosleh
Visual Identity CTM: Reishabh Kailey
Cultural Transformation Movement – A workshop that isn’t one
On 6th June, Laura Camacho Salgado and six Artists/Agents of Change (AoCs) facilitated a collaborative lab-style session, A Workshop That Isn’t One. Moving away from traditional formats, the session focused on shared reflection, collaboration, and community-driven practices within a flexible structure. Inspired by the Manifesto of Change and the work of organisations like Brunnenpassage (AT), VIERNULVIER (BE), IZOLYATSIA (UA), and Zō (IT), it aimed to make cultural spaces more inclusive, sustainable, and accessible.
Participants rotated through three thematic stations, each facilitated by two AoCs:
- Embodied Connection, Storytelling & Cultural Rituals (Mira Bryssinck & Farila Neshat)
- Dynamics of Care, Safety & Trauma-Informed Dialogue (Kseniya Ulianova & Elie Laucher)
- Inclusion, Accessibility & Tools for Equity (Dounia Mahammed & Emanuele Miceli).
These discussions allowed participants to share ideas and strategies for putting inclusive and sustainable practices into action.
Cultural Transformation Movement Project: Partners transnational conference
In addition, the CTM team gathered for an internal reflection session, reviewing key insights from the past two years of the project. Facilitated by Ceyda Berk-Söderblom and CTM researcher Israel Aloni, with a focus on mutual learning and self-reflection, this session served as a space for them to ensure that transformation process remains focused in dialogue, growth, and continuous learning as the project is now running for already 2 years (from 2023).
What is the common point of all these sessions? It’s the way CTM brings people together to discuss key topics that are central to creating better cultural spaces for all. These discussions are guided by facilitators who have been working and researching these themes for over two years, helping participants explore and deepen their understanding.
