Halfway through – Reflective overview of the journey so far
The Professional Media Presence (PMP) project is now well into its journey, and as we reach the halfway mark, it’s time to reflect on the milestones we’ve achieved, the experiences of participating artists, and the feedback they’ve provided. From insightful online seminars to dynamic workshop weeks and artist residencies across Europe, the PMP project is helping artists strengthen their professional media presence and navigate the complex interplay between art, technology, and digital media.
Project kick-off and setting up the National Artist Teams
The PMP project officially began with a kick-off meeting in Turku, Finland, from 14–16 March 2023. This event gathered the project partner organisations to discuss and lay the groundwork for the project activities. In the following months, the project issued a call for National Artist Teams (NATs), inviting artists from across Europe to join the initiative. The application process was launched in phases between May and October 2023, drawing attention from a diverse range of creative professionals. Over the course of the project, we have received close to 200 applications from talented and interesting artists from 13 countries. At the moment, we have 104 artists in the National Artist Teams in 6 countries.
Photos from the kick off meeting in Turku by Anne Nenonen.
At the heart of the project is our commitment to provide the artists with tools and insights to empower them to define and claim their own digital and social media spaces in a way that supports their aspirations, art and career. The diverse backgrounds of the participating artists add richness to the project, enabling the sharing of experiences and ideas from multiple artistic disciplines.
During the project all project activities are built on five themes:
- Media & Art
- Online Media & Digital Storytelling
- Social Media & Media Readership
- Future Media
- Media and Professional Identity.
Each theme is worked on in a series of three activities: an online seminar (open for all), a workshop week (4-5 NAT artists from each partner organization) and an artist residency (2 artists from the workshop week participants). In all of the activities, the artists get to learn about the themes from expert and share their ideas and experiences. One of the key principles is that the artists learn not only from the experts, but from each other.
Theme 1: ART AND MEDIA
The first thematic event focused on ART AND MEDIA, and it kicked off with an online seminar on 7 September 2023. The seminar attracted 172 participants all over Europe. Featuring 8 prominent speakers from various fields, including performance art, dance, music, and film, the seminar explored the intersection of art and media. The conversations centered around the practical aspects of using media in an artist’s career, with reflections on both the challenges and successes. Artists were invited to engage in interactive discussions, and the session wasn’t just a presentation, but a lively exchange of experiences.
Later in the year, the Turku Workshop Week (2–6 October 2023) gathered artists for an immersive experience. Hosted by Turku UAS in their EduCity campus and in Villa Marjaniemi on Ruissalo Island, the event combined learning with hands-on practice. Key highlights included a visit to the Turku Game Lab, presentations on AI and new media art, and discussions on social media’s role in shaping artistic identity. One of the standout moments was the reflective workshop led by Nina Bulgakova, who shared her experience using social media as a displaced artist in Finland, illustrating how it can become an essential tool for artists in challenging circumstances.
Artists also had the opportunity to work on the PMP Toolkit, a resource designed to help them and other artists navigate the ever-evolving media landscape. The week culminated in a series of presentations from invited art professionals, including a powerful reflection on Sámi rights and media portrayals by Janne Hirvasvuopio.
One of my favorite moments was having to face my own fears by presenting my art in English before an audience, something I´m really proud of. – Natalia Bozikova
Photos from Turku Workshop Week by Eliska Kondelikova (@tadyelis).
Theme 2: ONLINE MEDIA & DIGITAL STORYTELLING
The second series of events, hosted by Perypezye Urbane from Italy, focused on ONLINE MEDIA & DIGITAL STORYTELLING, began with an online seminar on 29 January 2024 and had 144 participants online. This session explored various aspects of digital storytelling, from accessible communication techniques to the growing role of AI in the creative process. Holger Dieterich’s presentation on accessible online media communication offered practical insights into creating inclusive content, while Wolfgang Jütte’s Pecha Kucha session provided an engaging format for storytelling through images.
The workshop week in Venice 8-12 April 2024 was hosted by Perypezye Urbane in Forte Marghera. Workshops combined digital art and urban exploration, encouraging participants to collaborate on projects that reflected the city’s diverse identities and its complex socio-cultural landscape. You can read about some of the artists experiences from the week here: Artist testimonials from Venice.
My week in Venice consisted of getting out of the routine, out of our comfort zone, leaving aside the inertia to be more perceptive and creative, being more aware after living together of the great diversity that exists in the context of art. – Marla Jacarilla
Photos from the Workshop Week in Venice.
Theme 3: SOCIAL MEDIA & MEDIA READERSHIP
In the autumn of 2024, the PMP project addressed the theme of SOCIAL MEDIA & MEDIA READERSHIP, starting with an online seminar on 5 September. This seminar was organized by Youth for Equality from Slovakia. In this episode we examined the significance of social media in an artist’s practice, with seminars covering topics such as personal branding, social media strategies, and how to work with traditional and digital media. One of the highlights was the presentation by Juho Könkkölä, an origami artist, who discussed the role of social media in promoting art.
The workshop week was organized in Slovakia, in the charming town of Trnava on 23-27 September, and hosted by Youth for Equality. The artists, with the help of the experts, delved especially into media literacy, focusing on the importance of critical media consumption in the digital age. Participants explored the complexities of misinformation and media manipulation, as well as creative storytelling techniques for social media. At the end of the week, the artists presented some of the amazing creative work they had working on in smaller groups during the week.
The workshop week offered me a new point of view to see everything I handle during a common day. It gave me many instruments to understand the media world and to read it with awareness and more maturity. – Eleanora Serpente
Photos from the Workshop Week in Tranava by Jaroslav Reich (@jr_frames).
Artist residencies and cross-cultural collaboration
An important component of the PMP project are the artist residencies, that are organized following the workshop weeks. The residencies host two artists from the workshop week and last typically for 2 months. The first month is spent on location in one of the partner countries and during the second month the work continues remotely online or onsite. Residencies offer the artists a space to develop their projects and connect with peers from other countries.
The first residency took place in Turku, with artists Karen Briffa from Malta and Irena Krčelić from Croatia joining the local community. During the second artist residency in Venice (April 2024) Angela Bettoni from Malta and Raffaella Menchetti from Italy were able to work on their own dance projects. Exotic Finnish Lapland created a magical, and sometimes bit frosty, scene for the third artist residency. Artists Nika Rukavina from Croatia and Luca Cacini from Italy worked on their art inspired by Finland’s natural environment. Rukavina, a visual artist, explored themes of sustainability and ecology, while Cacini, a sound artist, worked with soundscapes and multimedia installations.
The residency gave me the space to reflect, research and network in a context far from my own. I found it truly enriching to have the opportunity to participate in such a project, to get to know the vibrant scene in Northern Finland and to discover the beauty of this Nordic natural landscape, which really inspired me. – Luca Cacini
Next steps of the journey
The PMP project is now well-positioned to continue its work for the second half of the project. There are still many exciting activities ahead, including a workshop week and artist residency in Barcelona focused on Future Media, followed by the final theme of Media and Professional Identity with the workshop week and residency in Split. Artists will also be creating both virtual and local exhibitions that will take place in all project countries. In these exhibitions, the artist will showcase the outcomes of their work, culminating in a series of public-facing events in 2026.
To our talented NAT artists:
Whether you are participating in the upcoming online seminars, attending the workshops, or working on your residency projects, your involvement is key to the success of this collaborative effort. These activities will not only support your professional development but also help build a lasting legacy for future generations of artists navigating the evolving media landscape.
Keep exploring new media tools, engage with your peers, and continue to refine your digital presence. Together, we can build a stronger, more connected European arts community that thrives in the digital age.
Stay tuned for further updates and don’t hesitate to share your experiences on the pmpproject.turkuamk.eu website. Your feedback and contributions are invaluable!
