Amateo Award Finalists 2024

Street Dialogue (Germany) – StrassenDIALOGUE brings homeless people and people with shelter together. Thanks to art actions (graffiti) and music (jam) on the streets of Hamburg, they have managed to create a dialogue between these very different social milieus. Last September and this summer 2024, they saw homeless people painting graffiti together, playing drums or guitar and engaging in eye-to-eye dialogue with passers-by.
StrassenDIALOGUE is a pioneering project by the non-profit organization StrassenBLUES e. V.. Its aim is to strengthen social cohesion in Hamburg. This is because the problem of the growing social divide between rich and poor calls for innovative and creative solutions.

Producciones En La Arena (Spain) – “Poesía en Camino” is a cultural initiative aiming to redefine urban spaces through art and poetry. The project involved urban walks, workshops, and creating video poems, allowing the community to rediscover and revalue their daily surroundings. Supported by the Centro de Cultura Audiovisual del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, it created an interactive map placing video poems in their inspired locations. In gentrified cities, where tourists often dominate content creation, this project emphasizes the importance of local voices. It highlights the emotional significance of the walls’ cracks and their meanings to inhabitants, truly reflecting the essence of those living in Arenales and reclaiming their narrative. Video poems: https://bit.ly/3B2aIkR

Satire Against Corruption (Armenia) – Participatory art project, “Satire against Corruption” involves the creation of 8 short animated cartoons and a comic book titled “8 Illustrated Stories about Corruption.” These works humorously depict corruption scenarios, engaging the public through satire. By combining art and activism, we aim to raise awareness and provoke thought about corruption’s impact. Our initiative encourages community involvement by inviting audiences to contribute their own stories and ideas, fostering a collective effort to highlight and combat corruption. Through this innovative approach, we aspire to create a more informed and proactive society.

OFFSCREEN, Filmfestival INSTANT36 (Austria) – Film competition starts with an e-mail to the registered participants with the announcement of the topic and an object that must appear in the film. Fiction, documentary or animation: all forms are permitted and encouraged as long as the maximum length of 5 minutes is not exceeded. The finished films must be submitted online after 36 hours of production.
It is specifically targeting young creative people who want to take on this challenge without any major hurdles. Its aim is to encourage beginners and rookies to take their first steps into the world of movie production. The INSTANT36 film festival is the only non-commercial one of its kind in Europe.

Lichterfest Ravensburg / Ravensburg Light Festival (Germany) – The centerpiece of the project is a lantern parade through the streets of Ravensburg’s old town city center. Preparations for the event begin more than six months before the parade takes place. All are welcome to create their own light objects using willow and paper. The event, which began in 2020, is now held every two years. Despite being organized entirely by volunteers, Lichterfest Ravensburg has grown to become the largest community arts project in Southern Germany. In March 2024, it drew 1,200 participants and over 35,000 visitors. In just a few years, they have successfully organized a festival that caters to the entire population and all of society. Their participants and visitors come from diverse backgrounds, including those with and without disabilities, those born here or elsewhere, and people of all ages.