Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Cooperative for Visual Artists in Europe

Radionica #5: (This is not an) Open Call

Tekst na srpskom je u nastavku.

## what if an open call could be a collaborative act itself?

Traditional open calls extract labour: artists spend unpaid time crafting proposals, most receiving nothing but rejection. Radionica #5 experiments with a different model: mutual investment, shared risk, and collective benefit.

Shared Visions invites artists, cultural workers, and practitioners to co-create initiatives that explore collaborative futures in the arts. Rather than competing for scarce resources, we’re cultivating an ecosystem where every proposal contributes to collective knowledge. We welcome ideas that are just beginning to form. You don’t need a complete initiative ready to execute within this open call’s timeframe. Instead, we’re looking for seeds that the cooperative can incubate, nurture, and help grow over time.

We particularly encourage applications from artists in the Balkans region and welcome early-stage artists alongside established practitioners. Individual artists, collectives, and cultural organisations are all invited to participate; however, priority will be given to team projects.

## what we’re looking for?

Examples of initiatives we’re excited about:

## how it works?

After an initial pre-selection process by the organising team of the workshop, five shortlisted proposers will be invited to Novi Sad for a collective decision-making session on September 19th-22nd. Here’s where it gets interesting: instead of a traditional jury deciding your fate behind closed doors, workshop participants will use quadratic voting. This means each participant gets a budget of voice credits to distribute across all proposals. You can spread your credits evenly or concentrate them on initiatives you’re most passionate about. This system ensures that intense preferences are heard while preventing any single person from dominating the outcome.

Through this transparent participatory budgeting process, the workshop participants decide which ideas receive initial funding to begin development. This open call is itself research into collaborative processes: we’re experimenting with whether competitive models can be transformed into mutual support systems.

## what we offer?

Selected initiatives will receive micro-grants up to €1000 to further develop their idea into a workable proposal, which will be considered for implementation by the cooperative, plus ongoing access to the platform, mentorship, and skill-sharing networks.

Covered travelling and accommodation expenses for selected participants of the session in Novi Sad in September.

Ongoing support in the development, conceptualisation, and realisation of ideas for the coop, drawing on the shared knowledge and experience of everyone involved in the Shared Visions project.

## what is the timeframe?

Publication of the open call: 12/08/2025

Closing date: 29/08/2025

Announcement of shortlist: 02/09/2025

Workshop: 19-22/09/2025

Finalisation of the proposal: 30/10/2025

## how to apply?

Submit your application via the application form* by 29/08/2025. Include your idea, how it relates to collaborative practices, and what support you’d need to begin development.

*Applications should be in English, the workshop’s official language.

*Let’s stop competing for crumbs and start baking a bigger loaf.*

Radionica #5: (Ovo nije) otvoreni poziv

## šta ako bi otvoreni poziv mogao da bude čin saradnje?

Uobičajeni otvoreni pozivi podrazumevaju eksploataciju rada: umetnici ulažu neplaćeno vreme u pisanje predloga, a većina zauzvrat dobije samo odbijenicu. Radionica #5 zato eksperimentiše s drugačijim pristupom: uzajamno ulaganje, deljeni rizik i kolektivna korist.

Shared Visions poziva umetnike, radnike u kulturi i druge aktere da zajednički osmisle inicijative koje istražuju moguće oblike saradnje u umetničkom polju. Umesto takmičenja za ograničene resurse, želimo da gradimo ekosistem u kojem svaki predlog doprinosi kolektivnom znanju. Dobrodošle su i ideje koje su tek u začetku – ne očekujemo gotovu inicijativu spremnu za realizaciju u okviru ovog poziva. Zanimaju nas zametci koje zadruga može da inkubira, neguje i razvija kroz vreme.

Posebno ohrabrujemo prijave umetnika/ca iz regiona Balkana, a otvoreni smo kako za one koji su tek na početku, tako i za iskusnije. Prijave mogu biti pojedinačne, kolektivne ili kao organizacija, ali će prednost imati timski projekti.

## šta tražimo?

Primeri inicijativa koje nas inspirišu:

## kako funkcioniše?

Nakon početnog procesa predselekcije od strane organizacionog tima radionice, pet odabranih predlagača biće pozvano u Novi Sad na zajedničku radionicu donošenja odluka, od 19. do 22. septembra. A sad ono što je drugačije: umesto da o vašoj sudbini odlučuje žiri iza zatvorenih vrata, učesnici radionice će koristiti kvadratno glasanje. Svaki učesnik dobija budžet glasova koje raspoređuje po svim predlozima – ravnomerno ili fokusirano, u zavisnosti od toga šta mu je najvažnije. Ovaj sistem omogućava da se snažnije preferencije čuju, ali sprečava da jedna osoba dominira ishodom.

Kroz transparentni proces participativnog budžetiranja, sami učesnici odlučuju koje ideje će dobiti inicijalna sredstva za razvoj. Otvoreni poziv je tako istraživanje o saradničkim procesima: ispitujemo da li se takmičarski modeli mogu transformisati u sisteme uzajamne podrške.

## šta nudimo?

Odabrane inicijative dobijaju mikro-grant do 1000 evra za dalje razvijanje ideje u izvodljiv predlog koji će zadruga razmatrati za implementaciju, kao i trajni pristup platformi, mentorstvo i mrežama za razmenu znanja i veština.

Troškovi puta i smeštaja u Novom Sadu za izabrane učesnike su pokriveni.

Dugoročna podrška u razvoju, konceptualizaciji i realizaciji ideja za zadrugu, uz oslanjanje na kolektivno znanje i iskustvo svih uključenih u projekat Shared Visions.

## koji je vremenski okvir?

Objava poziva: 12/08/2025.
Rok za prijavu: 29/08/2025.
Objava užeg izbora: 02/09/2025.
Radionica: 19-22/09/2025.
Finalizacija predloga: 30/10/2025.

## kako da se prijaviš?

Pošalji prijavu putem formulara* do 29. avgusta. Uključi opis ideje, način na koji se odnosi prema zajedničkim praksama i podršku koja ti je potrebna da bi započeo/la njen razvoj.

*Prijave treba da budu na engleskom jeziku, koji je radni jezik radionice.

*Hajde da prestanemo da se takmičimo za mrvice – i počnemo da mesimo hleb zajedno.*