Personal Information
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Given name: Mari









Surname: Sanden









Email: mari.sanden@ntnu.no









I understand that by submitting this form, I consent to the use of my data for the purposes of the 2026 Forum on Artistic Research'.: Yes









I agree to the terms of service.: Yes













Your contribution
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Title: The Compass for Advanced Practices









Format: Experimental format (4)









Main language: English









Abstract:
A significant number of artists and creative practitioners are currently engaged in processes of decolonising the cultural canons, moving across polylocal knowledge domains and beyond the limits of language. The ability to challenge established knowledge hierarchies whilst collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds, expertise, ages and locations requires specialised capacities to navigate the intricate landscape of institutional and cultural values, assumptions and expectations. It can prove challenging for artists and creative practitioners to navigate across fluid and shifting knowledge cultures and frameworks. 

The PACESETTERS research project has developed a Compass for Advanced Practices, with the aim of providing practitioners with the necessary tools to navigate the challenges of advanced practices in culture and creativity. By establishing and aligning key concepts as its coordinates, the Compass functions as a tool that references the terminology of contemporary transformation processes, reflects their potential significance, and provides conceptual orientation. 

We propose organising a performative session that uses the compass as a spatial guide and a conceptual tool. Through a performative and documentary approach, we aim to experiment with a format that may allow for a different kind of contribution from participants, both individually and collectively.

The aim is to generate insights and further considerations on the relationships between these concepts, and to facilitate shared reflections on the key hypotheses about impact, value, quality, technique, affect and artistic intelligence. In addition, PACESETTERS aim to strengthen the development of alternative and independent digital infrastructures and the session can be a platform for sharing these strategies among peers. 

The session will be organised by researchers within the PACESETTERS project. For more information please check: https://pacesetters.eu/ccs/map-of-challenges










Image: https://www.sar2026.ie/system/files/webform/submit_contribution/459/compass-advanced-practices.png









Short biographies of the presenter(s):
- Jacqueline Rowley is an Emmy- and Peabody-winning filmmaker, artist, and educator whose work spans documentary, installation, and experimental media. Her feature documentaries have screened at Sundance, IDFA, and Sheffield and aired on Showtime, HBO, and PBS, while her experimental video works have been presented at Transmediale, OVNI, and MoMA in New York. A founding member of Big Noise Films, she helped establish the Independent Media Center movement in Seattle and later co-created media hubs in Mexico, Argentina, and Iraq. She is currently a PhD candidate in Artistic Research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a researcher within the EU-funded PACESETTERS project.
- Mari Sanden is an artist and researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) where she is exploring how international research frameworks and programmes can challenge and change the conditions for cross-disciplinary research in ways that opens up for artistic forms of knowledge production. Since 2024 she is project manager of the Horizon Europe-funded research project PACESETTERS. She has been investigating the challenges and opportunities for artistic research in various contexts, such as CYANOTYPES a skills alliance for the Cultural and Creative Industries, as guest associate editor of the European Journal of Cultural Management and Policy, and as Grant Award Coordinator for the COST Action Artistic Intelligence.










Previous presentations or iterations of the research:
The Compass for Advanced Practices has not been presented in this format before. It has been published on the PACESETTERS project website and as part of a report by PACESETTERS titled Mapping of Challenges. 














Requirements
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Additional information:
The session is planned to last two hours and will involve a group of 20–30 participants. The Compass of Advanced Practices' theories and main hypothesis will be shared with the participants. The Compass will be outlined on the floor of the room. A documentary team will film the session. The Compass outline will guide a choreography of participants raising questions, providing answers and sharing reflections.











Spatial and technical requirements :
Ideally, we would like the session to take place in a black box theatre. We believe that the lighting and sound opportunities in such a space would provide an ideal setting for our experimental approach, and these conditions would also be optimal for video recording. 










Potential risks or ethical concerns:
We acknowledge the co-creative and co-research aspects of the proposal, bearing in mind that the outcome will contribute to the ongoing PACESETTERS research project. Informed consent forms will be provided before any activities commence, and we will ensure that all participants are informed of their rights in accordance with the approved ethical guidelines for PACESETTERS.










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