Hello, EASA people!

So finally (I know I’m a slowpoke, but better late than never, right?) I’m happy to announce that there will be SESAM in Minsk, Belarus, that will take place from the 11th to the 20th of May 2008. The topic of the SESAM is “Rediscovering the City”. Information about the topic can be found on this page: sesam008.goshaz.com

Please pay no mind to the grammar mistakes, the guy who’s in charge of the “concept” part, and who, obviously, wrote the text, forbid me to fix them =)

All the latest news will appear on this blog: sesam008blr.blogspot.com

This is the link to the application form: sesam008.goshaz.com

This is a link to the file with the timetable and some general info: sesam008.goshaz.com

We need about 10-15 foreign participants. Participation fee is 5euro. The deadline for applications is on the 10th of April, but it would be better if countries that need visa and invitation letter to come to Belarus contacted me even sooner.

The accommodation will be at Belarusian participant’s homes, and lunch is provided.

Organizers: Iryna Balunenka no.need.in(at)gmail.com Olga Ermolina ermolina(at)mail.ru Concept of SESAM, workshops: Gosha Zaborski gzaborski(at)yahoo.com

Adapt-a-bale Dermot Ryan (IRL) Construction and research workshop exploring the use of straw-bale construction techniques. 15 participants

Designing the Inevitable Sasa Grujic (SLO) Jerica Živa Puterle (SLO) Exploration of weaving techiques and craft – a continuation of the Sophia Sturge’s basket-making tradition in Letterfrack. 10 participants

Lightscapes Steffen Impgaard Pedersen (DK) Rune Boserup Jacobsen (DK) An investigation of natural and artificial light through installations in the Connemara landscape. 15 participants

Light & Space Sándor Lilienberg (HU) Dániel Dömölky (HU) András Csiszér (HU) Exploration of light and space, with lectures, model-making, digital modeling and photography exercises. 10 participants

Small Interventions Arvid Wölfel (DE) Design and one-to-one realisation of small but useful interventions that will address the context and benefit the community. 15 participants

Make your adaptor Héloise Cousin (FR) Julie Bart (FR) Adaptors (XS structures) made during the workshop will reveal spatial potential, recreate and regenerate space, instigate events, fill voids, and help the large assembly of students adapt to their context. 15 participants

Nomadic Instamatic Paul Farrell (UK) Georg-Christoph Holz (DE) Exploring the nomad as an architectural methodology, participants will design and build a component system for flexible, interactive, fun and beautiful structures. 10 participants

REPP Jurriën van Duijkeren (NL) Inara Nevskaya (RU) The adaptation of local patterns into contemporary architectural solutions concluding in the construction of a 2.5d installation. 10 participants

Lunch Box Ronan Costello (IRL) Joe Mc Mahon (IRL) Dermot Reynolds (IRL) Design and construction of an outdoor pavilion for the students of Letterfrack Furniture College 20 participants

Green Room Competition Winners EASA Ireland Design and construction of a mobile pavilion to educate the young on matters of sustainable construction and design. 20 participants

Kraftka Gizem Candemir (TR) Christopher Maloney (UK) Dijana Omeragic (MK) Construction of a pavilion inspired by the writings of Franz Kafka. Spatial, acoustic, visual and tactile sensation will disorientate the user. 20 participants

Zauna Alper Derinbogaz (TR) Frederik De Smedt (BEL) Nil Aynali (TR) Design and construction of sauna and plunde pool with integrated environmental technologies. 20 participants

DAB Luka Kukric (BiH) Milan Blagojevic (BiH) Exploration of traditional construction techniques followed by design and construction of a herb-graden and drying hut for the Letterfrack community. 20 participants

Too Cool for Stool Mirjana Uzunovic (SER) Aleksandar Popovic (SER) Investigation of a traditional stool and it’s fabrication followed by design and realisation of a number of furniture pieces. 15 participants

Flux Culture EASA Ireland A seminar/thinktank/workshop addressing the effects of migration on the built environment of Europe. It is intended to develop new maps, uncover new layers of the city and investigate new architectural typologies. 26 participants

Adapt-a-lab Anna Sochocka (PL) Michał Golanski (PL) Justyna Juchimiuk (PL) Research workshop exploring festivals, temporary architecture and the methods by which it can transform a rural context. 10 participants

Adopting Green Iva Marcetic (HRV) Pavle Stramenovic (SER) Ivan Grcic (SER) Research workshop where participants will explore the effects of diverse scales and scenarios on a rural village such as Letterfrack. 10 participants

Architectural Answers to the Digital Revolution Luis Hilti (LI) Research workshop addressing the digitalisation of our world and in particular the architectural profession - exploring both the potential and the pitfalls. 10 participants

HUM:ARC Åshild Aagren (FI) Noora Aaltonen (FI) Inari Virkkala (FI) A workshop that seeks to address humanitarian issues through architecture, producing an exhibition, documentation or any plausible media that will raise awareness of critical issues. 10 participants

Material Adaptable Jouer Filippo Lodi (IT) Kyriakos Chatzyparaskevas (GR) Michele Albanelli (IT) Investigation of materials, geometry and forms through digital and physical experimentation. 6 participants

Exaptation Yelta Köm (TR) Zeynep Hazar Arasan (TR) Doruk Çiftçi (TR) An investigation of exaptation in design. (exaptation: ‘an unlooked for side effect of evolved behaviors.’) 6 participants

Extended me Emilie Bergrem (NO) Tine Bernstorff Aagaard (DK) An exploration the very basic relation between body and space, challenging conventional beliefs of how the surroundings adapt to the body and vice versa. 8 participants

Umbrella (Print/Radio/EASA TV) Kotryna Sokolovaite (LT) Alkistis Thomidou (GR) Marten Dashorst (NL) The publication and recording of the events of the easa assembly through print, video and audio. This year the three media will integrate allowing participants explore the different platforms and opportunities between. 12 participants

Teleology Gary Gallagher (IRL) John Murray (IRL) Workshop exploring digital film-making, including the input of professionals from the digital filmmaking industry. The workshop will produce extensive video documentation of the assembly. 10 participants

Hi everybody! With great sorrow I inform you that today, 3 days before the application's deadline, I have no applications or intentions of participation from any of the people I've been keeping contact with for that purpose. For those who are not familiar with the situation, Portugal doesn't have a strong participation in EASA since a couple of years, neither has a good NC organization/structure... I try my best to cover the spot, but considering that I live out of Portugal since 2 years ago (which means loosing personal contacts with new people) and that all I can do is write enthusiastic e-mails to those who contact me, to my friends whom can forward it through their networks, or to student associations who never reply, I can assume that my best will never be good enough for this cause. We need not only participants but a new NC.

So now I found two options to deal with it for the next EASA 2008:

Nr.1: Glorious Option - I seriously need the help of everybody in this! I need all of you to get your Portuguese friends (there must be loads of Portuguese people doing the Erasmus program around the whole Europe) and convince them to take this brilliant opportunity for experiencing EASA... you have only 3 days left to do it, and those who can find me a Portuguese participant will have a surprise reward!!!! There are 4 places left to fill and complete our quota (we have 5 places in total). So 3 days for filling 4 places with 4 portuguese!!!!

Nr.2: Again Lost Country Option - I'll drop the NC duty even without any replacement and I'll ask permission to the Irish organizers to participate somehow, but not representing any country.

My e-mail address is in the NC's list, but just in case you don't want to bother, here it is again rit_mar@hotmail.com.

Let me hear from you. Really hope someone wins the quest!

Love to all, Rita