In the art world, especially in the so-called independent scene, monetary realities, economic preconditions and financial success are often ignored as if they were not an elementary basis for the existence of artistic production and its presentation – in hardly any other professional environment is value read as being so independent of monetary worth. In this context, the shared experience of precarious circumstances is often generalized without questioning more closely what precarity actually means for each individual in this context. With Money on my mind , soft power aims to create an ongoing space for discussion: How, when and why (or, above all, why not) is money talked about in the context of cultural work and artistic professional practice?

Workshop: Money & Emotions with Nea-Kosma

Money, wealth, capital – our relationship with this is a lifelong and dynamic one. While this relationship is often rationalized, presented as neutral or objective, feelings such as guilt, shame, pride, fear, powerlessness or envy play a major role. Influenced by a variety of factors such as economic circumstances, cultural backgrounds and systemic oppression, these influences are intersectional. They affect us all in different ways, depending on how racism, classism, sexism and other forms of discrimination intersect. Thus, these factors shape not only our individual emotions and how easy it is for us to talk about money, but also who gets access to financial resources.

This 2-hour workshop with Nea-Kosma (Rea Stamatoulakis and Vanessa Olt) is about recognizing one’s own perspectives on money and seeing through socio-structural barriers – interactive, anonymized exercises, guiding questions and final discussions invite the participants of this session to classify deeply rooted connections between money, value and emotions, to reflect on the influence of their environment and access to resources, as well as to decode their own emotional level in dealing with money. The selected discussion methods promote a just exchange between all participants. After the workshop, the bar at soft power will remain open to continue the dialog.

Nea-Kosma bridges the gap between the business and creative worlds. Founded in 2020 by Rea Stamatoulakis and Vanessa Olt, Nea-Kosma empowers creative entrepreneurs and artists through access, education, and networking. Through regular group workshops, helpful business tools, and strategic business consulting, Nea-Kosma demystifies business structures and financial processes. By combining quantitative and qualitative ways of working outside the binary, prevailing notions of the corporate world, Nea-Kosma seeks to break down established structures and pre-existing notions of society to create a new world.

The workshop is free of charge, will be held in English and is open to a maximum of 25 people.
Bitte meldet euch bis zum 19.8. über den Link (rechts) an.

Accessibility: Our premises are located on the 3rd floor and can be reached via the stairs and an elevator. Access to the room is at ground level. Stools are available for seating.The barrier-free WC on the 3rd floor is at ground level. If you have any questions about how to get there in advance or need assistance on site when using the elevator (freight elevator), please call us on: 01573 0760994