A brand new edition of Spark Narration
Our 6 month talent program together with VersPers, where designers, artists and journalists collaborate on experimental media productions and new narrative forms.
In times of media innovation, we see a challenge to ensure that society is fully represented in the media in all its aspects; both in sexual orientation, cultural, religious, political and other forms of diversity. How can we implement diversity and inclusion in relevant media projects? How can diversity inspire media innovation in a broader public debate?
About Spark Narration
Spark Narration is our 6 month talent program in collaboration with VersPers, where designers, artists and journalists collaborate on experimental media productions and new narrative forms.
Chetana Pai, Tirzah Baank, Connor McMullen, Eva van der Zand, Giulia Pompilj, Polina Slavova, Sarah Saleh and Zippora Martosoewando were selected to participate in the current edition of Spark Narration.
The participants are united into 4 teams from November 1, 2022 — April 30, 2023 at the location of A Lab in Amsterdam. Each team has received a working budget of 6500 euros (incl. VAT) to realise a production.
The experts Juhee Hahm, Luke Rideout, Lucas Hendricks (A Lab), Alice Wong, Jaasir Linger, Serginho Stekkel, Isabelle Britto (The Black Archives), Sophie Almanza (De Waag) and Thieu Custers (De Waag) have lectured, workshops and advice.
The guidance is provided by Isaura Sanwirjatmo, Geesje van Haren and Noortje van Eekelen. Yifan Yaing and Emma van de Hof are responsible for the communication and production of the programme.
Theme
The theme of Spark Narration is Suriname in Amsterdam Noord:
Amsterdam-Noord is raw, industrial, village, multicultural, established and at the same time on the rise. “My parents were not allowed to live in the Van der Pekstraat in Amsterdam-Noord in the 1970s,” wrote Miguel Heilbron, founder of The Black Archives in De Correspondent in the month of hidden history in 2017. The generation Heilbron writes about grew up in the Bijlmer, or what is now called Zuidoost. That is also the first association in the city, the connection between Southeast and Suriname is well known. But what about North? Who are the people who did it differently back then? Who eventually settled in Noord? How was life for them?
It has turned out to be a theme about which relevant and new stories can be told from a variety of perspectives that enrich the historiography of the Netherlands from a local-international perspective.
Public event
To proudly announce the results of Spark Narration, on May 24 (evening) a public event, will be organised at Eye, Amsterdam. Followed by a pop-up exhibition on May 25.
Spark Narration is an initiative of ACED and VersPers in collaboration with A Lab. The program is supported by a grant from Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst and sponsored by Stimuleringsfonds voor de Journalistiek.
