As we stand today. Moving Artists has projects running in three different destination, namely Iraqi Kurdistan Palestine and Mosul.
Artists, who have been selected through open competitions, participate in critical interlocution and dialogue, whilst receiving logistical, conceptual and financial support to progress in the conceptualisation and production of new artworks. To achieve this, we work to establish networks of co-operation between artists and cultural institutions. Through these networks, we facilitate collaboration between the residents of MA and members of the local community, within a framework of respectful and supportive immersion. Moreover, the artists are provided with platforms to share and disseminate their work.

The objective of this current crowdfunding campaign is to create a stable, lasting network of collaborators who can work from Iraqi Kurdistan, the destination where we have been working since 2018. Forging secure productive bonds in Kurdistan requires face to face interlocution in-situ, this can only be achieved though trips and sojourns which are too costly for our team. This financial burden limits our ability to guarantee a maximum budget to cover the artists’ expenses.

Independent artistic practice will help effectively eliminate cultural barriers, lack of communication and discrimination
In order do to so, added to our own effort, we have the support of cultural co-operation entities with whom we have collaborated such as: AECID (The Spanish Agency for International Development Co-operation), Tabakalera, The provincial Government of Bizkaia (BFA-DFB), BilbaoArte, Matadero or Tobacco Factory- along with others to be confirmed. This initiative also provides content and contexts which assist the artists in the development of their activities and projects.

Descrizione del progetto. Caratteristiche, punti di forza e peculiarità.
- To facilitate the mobility/movement of artists, both from and towards countries where there is no habitual cultural interaction, by means of exchanges and dialogue.
- To create artistic communities, where knowledge and critical thinking are garnered through shared living and immersion experiences in a context initially inaccessible. Direct contact with the contexts and people of the local community serves to eliminate prejudices and opens avenues for the creation of narratives/stories which can be personal, universal, critical, caring, educational, informative and constructive.
- To ensure that artistic creation and cultural production are sustained in periods or contexts of social and political crisis.
- To guarantee that the beneficiary enjoys free expression and independent unshackled artistic practice.
- To forge links between communities and cultural, social and academic institutions.

Why undertake this Project?
- We consider that in conflict zones, contemporary artistic practice is an intangible cultural heritage which is under threat.
- We think and work medium to long term. Therefore, we defend the repetition of exchanges and support their sustainability over time.
- We seek reciprocity; the projects have a positive impact both on the origin and destination areas.
- We defend linguistic plurality. Our language and the languages of the resident artists are an essential cultural heritage that must be present in all communication, from public exams to public relations, as well as in the information pertaining to the activities in our own programmes.
- We take a critical position in relation to family models, advocating affective, sexual and gender diversity. Respect for, and recognition of, all identities and sexual orientation has been part of our ethos from the outset and is reflected in all our projects, be they open competitions or various other programmes.
- We advocate critical independent thought and social justice as opposed to the imposition of cultural policies by authorities and institutions pertaining to coercive States.

Motivazione e a chi si dirige il progetto
During a conflict, media coverage can be intense but is usual short-lived, or sometimes inexistent. The Media, and their lens, usually move along quickly to the next conflict, and the survivors are left abandoned, forgotten or simply become invisible.
There are numerous international organisations devoted to materially protecting the artistic and cultural heritage in these situations. BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PEOPLE WHO NOT ONLY HAVE TO REBUILD A CULTURE WHICH HAS BEEN ATTACKED, BUT ALSO NEED TO CREATE THE PATRIMONY FOR THE FUTURE?
IN EFFECT, ARTISTIC PRACTICE IN CRISIS ZONES IS UNDER THREAT

This project is principally directed towards art professionals and cultural institutions, but also philanthropists, activists, collaborators and any individual interested in supporting cultural activity and a living patrimony.

Esperienza previa e team

Our team is composed of:
Tucho; A lawyer, in charge of a marketing and communications consultancy firm which advises organizations working within the legal sector. Having studied to be a Judge, Tucho went on to specialise in global conflict situations and has developed numerous projects connected with human rights in different countries. He is also director of 14 lawyers.org.
David Olmos; CEO and Co-founder of zylk.net y zylk Industry 4.0. David is active within the Open Source Software Community: as a member of Sinadura, as a board member of The Basque Open Software Association (ESLE) and also, as President of The Spanish National Open Software Association, (ASOLIF). Now, in this “other “life, he helps Moving Artists grow and reach more people and artists all over the world.
Ixone Sadaba; artist, researcher and founder of Moving Artists. Ixone holds an MFA from New York International Center of Photography. Her working practice has been divided between Spain, The USA, London and Iraq and she has exhibited in The Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, The Reina Sofía (Madrid), The Museum of Contemporáneo Art, Toronto (Moca) as well as The Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans (CAC).
Paloma Polo; artist and researcher who has recently joined the team. Paloma is currently developing collaborative art and research projects aimed at exploring the subjugated knowledge which instructs the history of knowledge production as well as the construction of political discourses which are humanistically progressive.
She has also collaborated with The National Democratic Front of the Philippines- (NDFP) and has worked as a correspondent for progressive Media outlets in The Philippines such as Bulatlat and Altermydia.
Paloma is a member of The International Coordinating Committee (ICC) and The International League of Peoples’ Struggles (ILPS).
And, of course we must mention the artists, activists, sponsors and collaborators such as yourselves, without whom this project would not be possible.
