In 2022, SOTA has been rethinking its structure: how to make our platform more open, engaging, caring, collective, inclusive, accessible, owned, structured… without losing its fluid character? The answer looks like this:
1) SELF-GOVERNING WORKING GROUPS are the core of SOTA, driving a topic, campaign, project or action for a fair art field. Working groups can be temporary or structural.
Everyone can start a working group under SOTA’s umbrella and get support, as long as your initiative works more or less autonomously and embraces SOTA’s mission and values.
Interested in starting or joining a SOTA working group? Contact info@state-of-the-arts.net.
2) SIX SUPPORT TEAMS of volunteers help the working groups realize their goals. Maybe you want to offer your skills and join one of these teams? Contact info@state-of-the-arts.net.
- The COMMUNICATION TEAM makes SOTA (initiatives) visible and attractive, by helping in writing newsletters, doing social media, and brainstorming about great communication campaigns. Welcome to our creative pool of editors, graphic designers, copywriters, photographers, video makers…!
- The KNOWLEDGE TEAM takes care of archiving and documenting SOTA’s knowledge production, so ideas and tools can be spread to others. Maybe you like writing reports, bringing structure to chaos or inspire people by presenting ideas in an accessible way?
- The PRODUCTION TEAM helps to organize SOTA’s events, (live or digital) meetings, public manifestations… If you have a practical mind or technical skills, or you like to organize, to cook or to be in contact with the police for demonstrations, don’t hesitate to join!
- The CARE TEAM is responsible for SOTA to be a caring volunteer organisation, by being attentive to all humans in SOTA: welcoming new volunteers, checking in with people, safety & inclusivity, conflict management, an ombudsfunction, code of conduct… If you like to take care of people and relations, join this team.
- The ADMIN & FINANCE TEAM follows up on the administrative part of our movement, by doing bookkeeping, paying people, offering budgeting support… Very open to people that love excel-sheets.
- The POLITICS TEAM keeps an eye on decisions and discussions about cultural policy and informs the movement about it. It keeps in touch with the different political networks and supports working groups in designing their political strategy. If www.vlaamsparlement.be is your favorite website, call us and join.
3) THE SOTA CIRCLE is SOTA’s central campfire and parliament, meeting once a month to take decisions on SOTA as a whole, with representatives of all working groups and support teams. Here we exchange what is happening everywhere. The Circle represents SOTA as a movement.
4) TWO COORDINATORS are paid one day a week to coordinate and facilitate the smooth working of movement and its volunteers. They follow up on the Circle’s decisions and keep track of all dynamics, function as SOTA’s contact point, coordinate SOTA’s internal and external communication and support the organisation of the seasonal meetings.
In 2023, Katrien Reist and Laura Oriol are SOTA’s coordinators (info@state-of-the-arts.net).
5) SOTA SUP vzw is the legal structure behind the movement, making sure we’re officially there. It has a small board, but is not taking big decisions, only officialising the movement’s decisions. SOTA SUP does not more than what is legally necessary, in support of the movement.
6) THE SOTA MOVEMENT is the overall notion representing everyone who is engaged in the diverse SOTA’s activities and driving SOTA’s ambitions.
So that’s you as well! Find how you can get involved.
Download the visual presentation of our new structure here:
SOTA is you (and others): be welcome to join!
