La Strada Graz – Playground Public Space
On its 28th birthday, the La Strada Graz festival looks back on its almost 30-year history: over the years it has developed, reinvented itself and, together with artists, given space to visions, experiments and metamorphoses. La Strada Graz has remained true to one of its goals from the very beginning - to regard the city as a stage, its inhabitants as actors and to pick up the people with art - with playful seriousness and serious play. Be it on the city's theatre stages, at special locations or in public spaces - the "playing fields" expanded visibly in joint research and field work with the artists and regional and urban initiatives. In this way, the use of urban and natural spaces, involving a wide variety of artistic disciplines, became a natural part of our artistic work.
Networking in an international context
Together with our long-standing partner institution "Lieux Publics - European and National Centre for Creations in Public Space Marseille" - and its director, close friend and companion Pierre Sauvageot, we initiated and prepared the foundation of the European network IN SITU in 2003. Currently, the project, which is continuously funded by the European Commission in seven programme phases, counts 19 partners and 13 associated partners from 20 nations. IN SITU believes in public space as a democratic place where art creates new perspectives, as a place of encounter and diversity, as an agora that can have social impact and create human value, as a stage that reveals artistic creation in direct form. Currently, with "UnCommon Spaces 2020-2024", the IN SITU network is committed not only to supporting innovative productions in public urban space, but also to providing longer-term support for selected artists - the Associated Artists - and their projects on burning issues of the future.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, IN SITU is turning the spotlight on its own platform with the launch of “PLATFORM 2025-2028,” following the successful completion of the four-year project (UN)COMMON SPACES 2020-2024.
This initiative not only builds on a well-established identity but also establishes a tangible platform for the project period starting in 2025. Its mission is to support a new generation of emerging artists who reimagine public spaces as creative venues and develop their projects in unconventional locations across Europe.
Site-specific work in the regions
Cooperation with cultural institutions and communities in Styria is an essential and fruitful building block in the history of the La Strada Graz festival, and the festival days in Stainz, Weiz and Seggauberg have already become a tradition. The far-reaching participatory project "Signal am Dachstein" now marks the beginning of a multi-year collaboration with local artists who are rooted in the region and work in a supra-regional and international context. In the coming years, La Strada will accompany such "site-related artists" on their artistic path. The thematic complexes of "climate change, cultural history and regional lifeworlds" will be the focus of closer attention and interdisciplinary exchange. In connection with this, we are making our expertise available as cooperation partners in regionally anchored residencies in cooperation with other cultural initiatives and artists.
Community Art
Projects that are designed and implemented in close exchange with their environment and with the participation of the population ensure intensity and closeness, the inclusion of very personal experiences and emotions. They touch their audience in a special way that helps to question perspectives, leave comfort zones and deal with very specific issues in a protected space. La Strada Graz has been working continuously for years with local and international artists on the development of such productions and ensures their integration into international networks. It is the examination of complex themes such as cultural identities, the dissolution of borders, urban renewal, social justice or climatic changes around the globe that occupy us together with the artists and experts from various fields of science.
La Strada thanks for the support
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all participating companies and their employees, all sponsors and partners, as well as the highly esteemed audience! And of course to the La Strada team!
MAJOR SPONSOR:
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VENUE & COOPERATION PARTNERS:
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FESTIVAL HOTELS:
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PARTNER IN THE REGION:
LA STRADA IS COORGANISER OF THE
EUROPEAN STREET ART NETWORK IN-SITU:
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION PARTNERS:
OUR PARTNERS SUPPORTING LA STRADA IN THE RURAL REGIONS:
The Network IN SITU
20 PARTNERS and 5 AMBASSADORS from more than 20 Countries.
La Strada is initiator and co-organiser of the IN SITU network for the promotion and development of artistic creations in public space, which was founded in 2003 and has been continuously supported by the European Commission ever since.
A strong story of cooperation
IN SITU is the story of a group of programmers who are passionate about new aesthetics and the challenges related to public spaces. Since 2003, they have been joining forces to collaborate on a European scale and support artists working outside conventional venues. Today, it brings together more than 20 partners in Europe and beyond from more than 20 countries : Austria, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Tunisia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Led by Lieux Publics, IN SITU implements PLATFORM, its 8thconsecutive project co-funded by the European Commission's Creative Europe program.
As it has expanded, its expertise has been refined, and its activities have unfold: identification of artists, laboratories and incubators for transnational artistic projects, co-productions and dissemination of emerging creations, European and international cross-residencies, artistic explorations, professional seminars, a series of podcasts, the development of the first MOOC dedicated to artistic creation in the public space and the production of a second MOOC on cultural rights in public spaces as part of the (UN)COMMON SPACES project (2020-2024).
IN SITU PLATFORM 2025-2028
IN SITU PLATFORM is a four-year programme running from 2025 to 2028 that aims to identify and support 200 emerging artists. It proposes an innovative and efficient support platform to develop artistic creations at the European level in public spaces and non-conventional venues.
Three cycles are organised throughout the four years of the project, each of them welcoming and actively supporting around 65 artists selected through curated calls for applications.
The programme includes online preparation and training, peer-to-peer exchange with experienced artists, workshops to support the artists in their concrete project development, immersive experience taking place within key festivals and events dedicated to art in public space in Europe with networking opportunities, tailor-made path of residencies and dissemination opportunities. This support will be rounded off with a FOCUS, a dedicated event co-funded by the network at one of the members' festivals, to showcase some of the selected artists.
Three cycles are organised throughout the four years of the project, each of them welcoming and actively supporting around 65 artists selected through curated calls for applications.
The programme includes online preparation and training, peer-to-peer exchange with experienced artists, workshops to support the artists in their concrete project development, immersive experience taking place within key festivals and events dedicated to art in public space in Europe with networking opportunities, tailor-made path of residencies and dissemination opportunities. This support will be rounded off with a FOCUS, a dedicated event co-funded by the network at one of the members' festivals, to showcase some of the selected artists.
IN SITU PARTNERS
Artopolis (Hungary), Atelier 231 (France), Bildstorung street art festival (Germany), Bùssola (Portugal), Cielos del Infinito (Chile), CIFAS (Belgium), Urban Culture Institure - City of Weaves (Poland), Collectif ACMUR (Burkina Faso), Čtyři Dny (Czech Republic), DARI project (South Korea), L’art Rue (Tunisia), Eyes Walk Festival (Greece), Fira Tàrrega (Spain), Flynn Center (USA), Metropolis/KIT (Denmark), Norfolk and Norwich festival et Freedom festival (United Kingdom), ODA Teatri (Kosovo), Oerol Festival (Netherlands), Østfold Internasjonale Teater (Norway), Provinciaal Domein Dommelhof (Belgium), La Strada Graz (Austria), Sardegna Teatro et Zona K et BASE Milano (Italy).
IN SITU is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.
As the European platform for artistic creation in public space, IN SITU strives to make public space accessible, respectful and welcoming for all. A diversity of voices enriches artistic work and strengthens its social relevance.
La Strada
25. Juli - 2. August 2025
Opernring 12 / A-8010 Graz
Telefon: +43 316 26 97 89
info@lastrada.at
www.lastrada.at
INFORMATIONEN: +43 316 26 97 89