IN EX(ILE) LAB was a programme co-funded by Creative Europe designed to support artists in exile who have recently relocated to Europe and are looking to build a career in their host country. It provided a group of artists with opportunities to create performances, build professional networks, receive artistic guidance from established artists based in Europe, and connect with new audiences. In doing so, IN EX(ILE) LAB aimed to strengthen the capacity of cultural organisations to engage with artists in exile and to rethink the approach to diversity in artistic spaces.
Throughout IN EX(ILE) LAB, the main partners met online every month to share the development of the project and the difficulties they faced. They also met during advisory boards including five organisations and four artists in exile who were invited as experts. They also were in frequent communication with artists to check if the project met their needs. From this open and fruitful dialogue, partners drew five main points of focus that cultural organisations should have in mind when starting a collaboration with artists in exile. A self-evaluation form was also designed to help organisations identify early in project design the blind spots of their projects.
With this toolkit, IN EX(ILE) LAB hopes to inspire organisations to engage with artists in exile and support one another in doing so.