7Hills for Social Development and Goethe-Institut Jordan jointly launch a new residency program focused on public urban space in Amman. The program is open for artists, architects, designers, urbanists, researchers, and creative practitioners interested in questions on urban revival. Its aim is to investigate and encourage the recreation, redefinition, reimagination, and interrogation of public urban space in Amman; as both a physical and a social space. The program utilizes research, artistic experimentation, and participatory design for the creation of pocket interventions in designated locations in the city.
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS: 05.05.2022
Parks, squares, and sidewalks are usually understood to be spatially open and accessible to everyone, yet, the usership of such spaces and its purpose is not only determined by their physical characteristics, but also defined by social expectations and regulations, which impacts the perception of the physical space.
In Amman, public space is often regarded by its residents as being scarce, difficult to access, and not inclusive of its diverse communities. This has an impact on the sense of community, and belonging to the city. The question of public space has become even more pressing in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, neglected urban public spaces are all around Amman; unbuilt areas such as empty lots, leftover spaces, deserted parks, or physical elements that are left unfinished, such spaces provide an opportunity for designers, architects, urbanists, and artists to breathe life into the city; they offer an opportunity for interventions that are capable of creating immense change within the community, however small they are in scale.
Known as urban acupuncture, such small-scale interventions that involve the city’s residents can contribute to creating more inclusive spaces through localized actions. Relying on methods that include mapping, surveying, site analysis, observation, exploration, and experimentation; ideas will be imagined and implemented on a micro-scale using participatory and interactive creative approaches. These urban pocket interventions within the cityscape can have a great impact on the urban fabric, improve the quality of public life, and in turn cultivate the sense of an empowered community.
The output of this residency serves to feed into the broader framework of the 7Hills for Social Development’s Research and Development arm, in which they experiment with multi-disciplinary methods of listening, observing, participating, experimenting, and developing public spaces, and public space policy in Jordan. With this program, the Goethe-Institut also intends to highlight cultural work in public space and engage a wider audience.
This program consists of a one-month on-site residency in Amman, preceded by a preparatory hybrid phase, that serves as an introduction and input to the participating residents. In the form of online talks, these input sessions will be open to engage the wider public in Amman.
Based on research and direct investigation of the socio-spatial networks and the urban stories and histories therein, the participants will develop a concept addressing the issues they have identified as interesting and then, work to design a cultural intervention based on these hypothesis and questions.
Phase 1 – Introduction, online public talks, and group discussions
22 May – 12 June 2 days per week
Speakers from Jordan and Germany will be invited to provide insights and inputs related to Amman as well as practices and case studies from Germany and different aspects of urbanity in general.
Exact input sessions dates and names of experts will be communicated at a later stage.
Phase 2 – on-site mapping, research and production
12 June – 7 July 35 hours per week
4 Jordan-based and 2 Germany-based participants will be selected. They will work in two groups out of 3. Each group will focus on a particular area in Amman.
- Week 01: Introduction, City walks, mapping, identification, exploration and site analysis
- Week 02: Brainstorming, proposing impactful interventions
- Week 03: Implementation of project interventions
- Week 04: Observing and documenting process and final presentation of outputs
This is a full-time residency program of 7 weeks. Selected participants are expected to take part in the entire program, contribute to the groupwork, and present the final outputs.
- Each participant will receive a stipend of JD700
- A stipend for production costs will be provided by the Goethe-Institut
- Travel costs, including economy return flights, accommodation and visa will be covered for participants based in Germany.
The residency is open to creatives with a background in:
- Design
- Architecture
- Urban design
- Art in public space
- Research related to the urban
- Other relevant field with an interest in the urban context
A jury of the cooperation partners will evaluate the applications and make the selection. The selected candidates will be notified by email. Incomplete applications will not be considered. No individual feedback can be given.
The selection criteria are as follows:
- How relevant the candidate's portfolio and professional background to the topic of the residency is
- Quality, creativity and innovativeness of initial project idea
- Contribution to the group
Language of the program is English.
During the first four weeks: participation during the introduction session and all four input and discussion sessions is required.
Weekly commitment during phase 2 of the program is 35 hours/week. The program relies on group work; full commitment throughout the program is expected.
Covid-19 vaccination proof is required for participation. Hygiene regulations must be adhered to.
HOW TO APPLY
Required information to be provided in the application are:
- Recent CV
- Portfolio or career references: qualifications and previous activities/ projects related to the public urban space
- Motivation letter
- Description of an initial idea of a project to focus on as well as a creative intervention to conduct in the program
- Contribution to the group
In order to apply, please complete the application form under the following link
7Hillsfor Social Developement is a community based skateboarding-driven non-for-profit that works to create safe inclusive public spaces, and activate them through our Urban Education Program, which includes skateboarding, arts, and vocational training components to empower local, refugee, and migrant youth in Jordan.