
REGIONAL CULTURAL ACTION LABORATORY (REG LAB) 2018 – CALL FOR COOPERATION!
24. 08. 2018.What is the Regional Cultural Action Laboratory (REG Lab)?
Reg Lab is a programme of the Kooperativa Platform, envisioned to help and support organizations and initiatives of independent culture in the Southeast Europe area. This support is aimed at helping organizations and initiatives in crisis and emergency situations supporting urgent reactions, campaigns and activist actions. Support also aims to empower advocacy activities by independent cultural actors.
Although this is a modest resource, the Reg Lab programme represents an effort to provide solidary support to organizations and initiatives in their advocacy and activist efforts that are being realized in the field of advocacy for strengthening the position of the independent cultural scene, within the public policy framework of regional countries. Next to financial support, programme offers support and expertise of the Managing Board and transfer of knowledge from different actors in the platform.
How can Reg Lab help and support actors of independent culture in the Region?
The Reg Lab programme aims to support independent cultural actors in the Region in:
~ emergency reactions to crisis situations that endanger the position of independent culture
~ planning, organizing and implementing advocacy activities (public appearances, meetings with decision makers, visibility actions, campaigns etc.)
~ building and developing coalitions of cultural and other actors at the local and national level
~ the development and implementation of different partnership and networking models of independent cultural actors with the aim to strengthen advocacy activities
~ implementation of smaller-scale research works aimed at the development of advocacy activities
~ knowledge and experience exchange
Priority will be given to the actors who work in the landscapes of underdeveloped independent cultural scenes, emergency and ad hoc campaigns and activities directed towards strengthening local, regional, national and international networks.
Activities that will be implemented through the Laboratory must be directed towards positive change in the position of the independent cultural scene, within the public policy framework of regional countries.
Activities will relate to strengthening independent cultural actors for advocacy, cooperation development with actors from complementary areas of work with the purpose to advocate, implementation of shorter research works relating to the development of advocacy activities, as well as for planning, organizing and implementing public advocacy activities in the countries of the Region.
Having in mind the context and concrete circumstances, organizations can apply for support in one or more stated directions of work. If an emergency response is needed, that fact should be emphasised.
Which activities Reg Lab will not support?
Reg Lab doesn’t support regular activities of the organisations nor is it designed as a matching fund for the existing and ongoing programmes and project activities. The programme does not support individual organisations in their work, but rather open and inclusive practices involving numerous actors and advocating efforts for the improvement of the position of the whole scene.
The main purpose of this collaboration is to support organisations in a type of activities that are usually not supported by donors (networking, advocacy, ad hoc campaigns) and to provide resources for the emergency situations appearing in the field.
How is cooperation being established within the Reg Lab programme?
Since this is a limited resource, we kindly ask organizations in need of our help or support to fill out a short questionnaire form available HERE so that we can determine whether or not we can provide help or support.
Information from the questionnaire form will be reviewed by the Kooperativa Managing Board who will then determine with which organizations implementation of activities within the programme is possible. Each questionnaire will be reviewed separately, while the Managing Board will do its best to contact the organization with their decision within a month.
Once cooperation within Reg Lab is established, what’s next?
The Regional Action Laboratory coordination team will, in close cooperation with each organization, discuss details related to goals, methods and the steps necessary for launching new or improving existing advocacy processes.
You can describe your need for support within the Regional Action Laboratory by filling out the questionnaire HERE.
Have further questions, suggestions, clarifications? E-mail us at: platforma.kooperativa@gmail.com