Radical Stability. Mediation in the Context of Contemporary Cultural Practices. Open Call

GES-2 invites you to participate in the second interdisciplinary forum bringing together Russian and international expertise on mediation in the cultural sphere.

If you still have any questions, write to mediationcalls@v-a-c.org.

We invite specialists in cultural practices to take part in the forum: mediators, museum educators, education specialists, curators of exhibition projects and educational programmes, accessibility and inclusion specialists, as well as researchers—sociologists, museologists, and culturologists.

At the forum, we propose to discuss the future of mediation and look at its practice not only from the perspective of relevant applied aspects, but also in terms of hypotheses, forecasts, imaginary scenarios, and experimental approaches.

The forum programme features sessions with papers, discussions, presentations, workshops, and also informal events for exchanging experience and networking. Key topics and sections include:

Exchange of experience

How can mediation become not only a format, but also a principle in the relationship between an institution and its audience? Can it serve as the basis for designing the visitor experience in a museum, contemporary art centre, gallery, fair, or biennale? How can the principles of mediation transform the public sphere, audience communication, and dialogue within cultural institutions?

We invite participants to share their experience in organising and conducting mediation in various contexts.

New approaches to mediation for families with children

How do interactions with families with small children or teenagers change in mediation? What strategies work best in taking the audience’s interests into account, combined with educational and playful methods?

In this section, we aim to present experiences in designing and conducting mediation for families with small children or teenagers, and also to discuss ideas and ambitions for future formats. We also propose to address the challenges in this work, and the criteria that determine the success and relevance of projects.

The potential of mediation as an inclusive practice

What do mediation and inclusive practices have in common? At their core lie closely related ideas and principles: equal access for all people to every sphere of social life and its benefits; the creation of a space for respectful dialogue; the rejection of fixed notions of “normality”; and the overcoming of social and cultural isolation.

Mediation offers tools for the cultural integration of those whose voices are marginalised and stigmatised—those whom society and institutions have long failed to accept as equal participants in dialogue, due to physical, mental, social, or cultural differences from accepted “norms”.

We propose to discuss the following questions: How does mediation transform cultural institutions to meet the needs of visitors? How can we expand the possibilities and potential for including a broader range of human experiences and the perspectives of minority groups? How can we not just listen to these voices, but truly pay attention to them?

Professional training: how to teach (and learn) mediation?

Over the past decade, various methods and formats for teaching mediation have formed. As part of the presentation section and subsequent discussions, we propose to share this diverse practical experience, and determine how to design an educational programme for mediation based on its goals and objectives, what pedagogical methods to use, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of such programmes.

This section will be useful for specialists designing educational programmes on mediation.

Organisation and teamwork

How should the work of a mediation team at an institution be structured? How are work schedules planned, and what tasks do mediators perform? We invite participants to share their own methods and discuss key aspects of teamwork.

Mediation and modern technologies

How do technologies influence the public sphere and dialogue in the mediation process? What digital tools do we use in our practice, and how are they interpreted in theory? What trends and forecasts can we currently observe in the field of technology and mediation?

Practical tools and original methods

We will share original methods, techniques, and tools for mediation in various formats: workshops, tours of ongoing exhibitions at GES-2 House of Culture, and showcases. We will make practical demonstrations, receive feedback from colleagues, and conduct a methodological analysis.

Designing interactive and participatory objects

Guidebooks, zines, interfaces, and other objects we design for mediation.

Documenting mediation

Who documents mediation, why, and how (or chooses not to)? Is it possible, or even necessary, to record mediation in archives as participatory practice, while representing the diversity of its participants?

This section discusses the practices, mechanisms and complexities involved in documenting mediation—from the perspective of mediators, participants and institutions alike.

Allies: partnership and collaborative socio-cultural design

A section devoted to examples of collaboration with commercial partners, communities, charitable foundations, city authorities, festivals, and a wide range of cultural actors—from artists to researchers.

Academic research on mediation in the cultural sphere

How is mediation explored in academic research? What questions are addressed in scholarly studies? We invite researchers to share their findings.

Dates

Applications accepted: 26 Oct 2025–16 Jan 2026

Event dates: 10–12 Apr 2026

Participation requirements

You are at least 18 years old.

You can attend the forum either online or in person.

Your professional activity is connected with the practice or study of mediation in the cultural sphere, or you plan to begin such work.

How to apply

Complete the application form* by 23:59 (GMT+3), 16 January 2026 and attach the signed consent form.

Applicants will be notified of the open call results by email.

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