PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE SELECTION OF EXPERTS FOR THE CREATION OF NEW SPATIAL FORMATS FOR LIVE EVENTS AS PART OF THE “SO FAR, SO CLOSE” FESTIVAL

(updated 14 August 2020)
After careful selection of the 60 applications received, we welcome the 6 new professionals who will join the new Open Design School working group:

Immacolata Alianelli, Designer, Matera
Vito Battista, Visual Designer, Noicattaro (BA)
Francesco Angelo Convertini, Designer expert in self-construction, Locorotondo (BA)
Francesco Lipari, Designer, Campofranco (CL)
Grazia Mappa, Designer, Grottaglie (TA)
Saverio Massaro, Social Designer, Altamura (BA)

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(REGISTRATION DEADLINE BY 11:59 pm, 27th OF JULY 2020)

Open Design School, the Matera-Basilicata 2019 Foundation design department, is launching the selection of a new multidisciplinary team for the design of new spatial systems and the rethinking of social relations for live events, within the limits imposed by the current pandemia.
The resulting projects, developed together with the artistic team, will be carried out as part of the “So Far, So Close” festival, conceived and created by the Matera-Basilicata 2019 Foundation, that will generate an open source toolkit to facilitate experimentation accessible to all.

OPEN DESIGN SCHOOL
The Open Design School is a laboratory of interdisciplinary experimentation and innovation, born as a pillar project at the service of the cultural program of Matera 2019, and a fundamental part of the legacy of the European Capital of Culture.
It is a horizontal platform, with no rigid hierarchies, that promotes a peer-to-peer and learning by doing approach in a climate of mutual enrichment.
more information here: website - manual

RATIONALE “SO FAR, SO CLOSE”

The Matera - Basilicata 2019 Foundation remains focused on the aims set out in the candidacy dossier of Matera as European Capital of Culture 2019, with particular reference to the wealth and diversity of cultures in Europe, the promotion of culture and the development of cities.
Up until the end of 2022 the Foundation will be committed to consolidating legacy, strengthening the position of Matera and Basilicata within the creativity sector to become a cultural platform in Southern Italy.

As part of this strategy, the “So far, so close” festival is dedicated to the co-creation of live events and public art projects, with a strong regional dimension, through a co-creation process activated by the Open Design School.

Specifically, the Open Design School method provides workshops to bring together professionals from different disciplines from the world, Italy and Basilicata: from epidemiologists to security engineers, from designers to carpenters, from architects to artists to the public itself. It is a research project about new forms of relations and codification of social behaviors, to ensure that, despite the distance, participants in a performance feel fully involved and protagonists of the event, by applying the logic of co-creation,the flagship of Matera 2019.

The projects will cover different thematic areas according to the specificity of the festival venues: suburbs, provincial areas, natural areas and great cultural spaces, such as “Cava del Sole”, a highly iconic space for Matera 2019.
The working group will be coordinated by the ODS team and will work in collaboration with the festival's curator, performers and other experts to creatively face the challenge of planning public events in the time of COVID.

ACTIVITY CALENDAR
03 - 07 August
warm-up
intensive design workshop for the definition of the project guidelines (online attendance is allowed for foreign nationals)

24 August - 30 October
applied research
production of spatial installations, wayfinding and coding of social and spatial relations, study of flows, creation of the open source manual (attendance required).

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR
The workgroup will be composed of 5 professionals to be selected from the following areas of specialization (check “Call for the creation of an open list of experts of Foundation Matera-Basilicata 2019”, Annex 1 “Specialization areas and income ranges”):
- 2 architects, experts in festivals and events set-up, accessibility, tactical urbanism and landscape [cat.E10]
- 1 designer, expert in self-construction, digital and / or analogical fabrication, DIY and hands-on approach [cat.E10]
- 1 service / social designer, expert in design relations and / or in facilitation of processes [cat.E10]
- 1 visual designer [cat.E11]
The selected participants will be approximately 1/3 from Matera and Basilicata, 1/3 from the rest of Italy and 1/3 from abroad.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Full-time commitment.
Residency in Matera is mandatory.
Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.
Good attitude towards sharing.
Knowledge and appreciation of Open Design movement values.
A passion for Matera!
Foreign national professionals (only) can choose to participate online to the warm-up phase.

WHAT WE OFFER
Contribute towards the consolidation of the legacy of European Capital of Culture 2019 and to the national and European debate on new ways to enjoy culture.
Participation in experimental and multidisciplinary research regarding the planning of live events.
Access to a digital and analogue prototyping laboratory to test and self-produce the imagined solutions.
The opportunity to work with a varied creative team, in close contact with the curator, performers, artists and specialized technicians to find innovative answers to a highly topical theme. The opportunity to discover numerous venues of the Basilicata region.
A gross fee total of € 3500 + IVA and/or social and fiscal contributions borne by the Foundation Matera-Basilicata 2019, to be paid on a monthly basis.
Travel expenses reimbursement for foreigners (only) up to a maximum of € 500, for physical participation during the warm-up phase.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Participation to this selection requires registration to the “Open list of experts of Foundation Matera-Basilicata 2019”.
In addition, all interested parties are invited to send their portfolio and motivational letter, to the following e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
All communications must be received, under penalty of exclusion, no later than 27 July 2020 at 11:59 pm. All the documents must be signed. 
For all information regarding how to apply, minimum access requirements and selection procedures, refer to the “Call for the creation of an open list of experts of Foundation Matera-Basilicata 2019”.
Please note that the CV can also be uploaded in a non-European format.

If you are already registered on the portal, please check the status of your registration and, if needed, proceed with the renewal.

Application to the selection as specified above, does not give rise to any right or expectation that the subject may obtain a professional assignment of any nature from the Foundation Matera-Basilicata 2019.

SELECTION PROCEDURE
The selection will take place through comparison and evaluation of the curricula and subsequent interview for experts deemed to possess the technical and professional requirements for this notice.

CLARIFICATIONS
For more clarifications about the project, interested parties can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

INFORMATION AND ADVERTISING
This Notice, as well as the results of the comparative procedure, will be appropriately advertised on the institutional website and on the Matera-Basilicata 2019 Foundation dedicated social media.