Call for proposals for Kolibrí 2021

Kulttuurikeskus Ninho invites artists, researchers and other professionals in the fields of education, arts and culture, of different orígins and experiences, residing in Finland, to send their proposals for activities to be part of the program of Kolibrí Festivaali 2021. Kolibrí will take place on 20.-26.09.2021 in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa.

The theme for Kolibrí 21 is: “Us”. We were inspired by the book “Us”, written by Paloma Valdivia, our guest artist in 2021. “Us” refers to our first universe, the simplest and most important connection we build as humans. “Us” represents the lifelong relationship connecting ourselves to our ancestral origins, to Mother Earth and to the communities we belong to. In ourselves, we celebrate the small universe that is enlarged to include a broader and more diverse community. Our focus is on cherishing and nourishing ourselves (“Us”) in order to be able to nurture the humanity of the future, in all their seedling universes.

The application period ends on March 1st, 2021, at midnight. Even though the form is in English, it may be filled out in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Proposals

We are looking for proposals in line with the objectives and methodology of our festival that respond to the 2021 theme. We will select proposals destined to plurilingual and diverse children.

The Kolibrí program combines a number of activities, ranging from ancestral, artistic and cultural expressions to the most recent advances in technology and sciences. 

Therefore, we accept proposals from the following disciplines and combinations thereof: literature, graphic art, visual arts, design, architecture, music, dance, theater, circus, science, culinary culture, among others.

The format can be:

  • short (45 min) and long (180 min) duration workshops.
  • performances (45 min): storytelling, spectacles, theater pieces, concerts, etc.
  • installations (depending on the possibilities offered by the cultural centres and libraries who will accommodate us).

Compensation

Kulttuurikeskus Ninho covers the compensation of those selected as follows:

  • An hour of workshop: 65€ per artist (including social security costs )
  • Performance: 170€ per artist (including social security costs)

Moreover, we offer financial support for the cost of materials (within reason) and we’ll cover the space as well as both equipment and technicians of sound and light. Unfortunately, we don’t have the necessary means to cover travel costs to Helsinki, nor the rental of any kind of equipment.

Important

Kolibrí Festivaali is a new way to experience and to create children’s culture with the diversity in Finland as the starting point. The purpose of the Festivaali is to offer a safe and positive space for enjoying quality time with family, for learning about the arts, science and culture, and where dialog, mutual respect and understanding exist from the earliest childhood.

Methodological pillars of the Kolibrí program.

  • Intergenerationality: children together with adults and seniors
  • Plurilingualism: heritage languages are not a secret, they are a cultural asset for learning.
  • Diversity: the children, together with their families and the facilitators, participate in a program of activities that values the very characteristics that make them unique and special.
  • Accessibility: all and sundry are welcome and respected as they are; all can participate in, and enjoy the activities without fear of discrimination.

What do we mean by diversity?

Diversity means that differences relating to people’s identities are respected in a safe and positive atmosphere. In a society, diversity requires consideration and acknowledgement of all groups, as well as respect for, and learning from our differences. The differences can be based on, for example, gender, sexuality, social and economic status, age, physical appearance, disability, appearance, religion, language, cultural distinctions, ethnicity, political views or different ideologies and beliefs. (Kulttuuria Kaikille 2019).

Audience

  • Families, in all their variants of love, coming from different realities and using different heritage languages.
  • Diverse children from 3 months to 10 years of age.
  • Since 2018, members of the Kolibrí audience have identified over 10 different heritage languages being spoken in the public in addition to Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish and English.

Criteria

The proposals will be selected in accordance with availability of funds and depending on how well they meet the following criteria:

  • Wakening the capacity for wonder, creation, enjoyment, experimentation and teamwork in children.
  • Promoting values such as mutual respect, dialog and the richness of diversity.
  • Linked with the 2021 theme.
  • Favoring the active participation of family twosomes at the following ages:
    • Babies from 3 to 12 months or non-walking ones.
    • from 1 to 3 years, toddlers.
    • from 3 to 6 years, preschoolers.
    • over 7 years, school-goers.
  • Promoting an atmosphere of plurilingual participation: in Spanish and/or Portuguese, English, and/or Finnish and/or Swedish or combinations thereof. Other languages are also welcome.
  • In areas of literature and music, our focus will be on these languages.
  • Favoring sustainability, when it comes to the budget reasonable and realistic costs, usage of either recycled or low ecological impact and low cost materials.

We’ll grant special consideration to proposals promoting:

  • the active participation of differently-abled children, of fathers as facilitators of program activities, of seniors together with toddlers as well as with children over 10 years.
  • the participation of talent from the Kulttuurikeskus Ninho ry or other similar associations that can propose a plan of mutual cooperation.
  • the capacity to recruit volunteers for the activity (NB: multilingual persons who assist in the activities as volunteers can receive a certificate of participation in areas such as art, sciences and translation).

Very important: even if Kolibrí is a festival with Iberoamerican roots, proposals of artists and artistic expressions from other parts of the world are equally welcome.

Submission

Complete the Application Form (link). The form is in English but can be filled out in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

The application period ends on the 1st of March, 2021, at midnight.

Results

On March 30, 2021, a preliminary list of the selected proposals will be published in www.kolibrifestivaali.org

As soon as the financing has been confirmed, the final list of the selected proposals will be published.

The results of the selection are definitive and indisputable.

All the information compiled is confidential and for the exclusive use of this selection. The audiovisual material, as well as opinions regarding Kolibrí will be used in social media for the promotion of the Festival.

More information: [email protected]