Annual Report 2021 Level Five

LEVEL FIVE ARTIST COOPERATIVE BRUSSELS

2021 1

CONTENT WORKING THE GROUND 5 a year in transition ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENT 8 What does Level Five do COOPERATIVE 9 Organisation Members Team Board (...) The foundation for a cooperative artistic environment

STUDIOS 14 Coordination Waitinglist Allocation Commitment (...) Towards a durable artist studio infrastructure DEVELOPMENT 16 Peer to Peer to Public Highlight from members (...) From one to another, flourishing artistic practices

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SUPPORT 22 Actors of Urban Change Brussels Kunsten Overleg UFO The Constellation Media Attention (...) A network to support artists for the long-term FINANCIAL 28 Income/expenditure snapshot Clarification PLANTING THE SEEDS 30 What will 2022 bring us?

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WORKING THE GROUND Working the ground in order for things to grow. You could use this as a metaphor for the work that is done in and around Level Five.

We are working the ground in order to plant the seeds for a more sustainable environment for artistic practices. One of the foundations for this is studio space, but more importantly is the support and care that comes with cooperation.

It was a year of stop and go. The initiatives of the members emphasised let’s go and make radio, show and discuss artists videos, make exhibitions, talk about our situation, find new locations... Level Five cooperative grew more entengled within the own community as well as with others looking to rework the artistic environment and practices.

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JANUARY

MAY

SEPTEMBER

FEBRUARY

JUNE

OCTOBER

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MARCH

JULY

NOVEMBER

APRIL

AUGUST

DECEMBER

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ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENT Level Five is an artist cooperative in Brussels that supports artist by providing artist studios, artistic development programmes, support and advocacy for artists in Brussels.

Established by artists in 2019, Level Five currently runs 3 studio buildings across 3 Brussels municipalities, providing artist studios for more than 100 artists. We further support artists through our cooperative culture, enabling them to be sustainable and resilient in a changing urban environment.

Vision — to support resilience and sustainability of artists and to build up a supportive artistic community in a changing urban environment.

Mission — to provide space, resources and platforms for artists to develop their artistic practice, and to enable audiences adjacent to studio sites to benefit from encounters with artists.

Actions — • Provide affordable studio spaces • Support a cooperation of artists • Advocate for artists by being a good (long-term) neighbour • Be a generous voice for artists

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COOPERATIVE MEMBERS In 2021 we have restructured our membership format. There is now the ability to be member without making use of a studio (affiliated member). A membership for each member is €60 a year. Members that make use of a studio (active members) contribute another €20 per month. Active members will be part of the General Assembly (GA).

At the start of 2022 Level Five counts 94 active members and 3 affiliated members.

TEAM At the moment we should rather speak about teamwork.

Coordinator — Rob Ritzen (0.6FTE) Administration — Batsheva Ross (Volunteer) Floor manager — Kevin Gallagher/Hadrien Gerenton (Volunteer) It is a misconception that cooperative means all is done by volunteers. Cooperative organisations rather provide the foundation for voluntary cooperation to thrive. The parameters for this can only be maintained by a team of coordinators. At the moment there is a disbalance of the support the cooperative provides and the volunteer work that is demanded.

There is an urgent need for at least a 2nd half time coordinator this will be a goal for the coming year.

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LOCATION RESPONSIBLES From 2022 we will work with location responsibles. At each location preferably 2 members are appointed as responsible (the parameters are to be drawn up, for example for what period of time will a location responsible be appointed?) and will get a renumeration in the form of a discount on their studio. The amount of the renumeration is based on the amount of the members of the location, €5 of the €20 monthly contribution goes to the locations responsibles. It is not the task of the location responsible to do all the work but rather to be the motor for self-organisation and care that is needed at each location (a manual for location responsibles is something that could still be written).

COUNCIL The council will remain as a group that is concerned with the continuation and reflection of the overall organisation of all the locations and the community. They will be responsible for organising the FORUM and meet monthly on the 15th.

The composition of the council is changing. In the council will reside the coordinator, administrator, the location responsibles, and a number of members (brought forward and acknowledged in the FORUM).

BOARD Currently our board consists of the founding members: David Bernstein, Karolien Chromiak, Eitan Efrat, Kevin Gallagher, Paoletta Holst, Marco Lampis, Rob Ritzen, Batsheva Ross, Timmy van Zoelen.

In 2021 we started the process of bringing together a new board for 10

2022.

The following names are confirmed but still have to be voted for in the coming GA: • Mirthe Demaerel — Cas-co • Caroline Demalin — Morpho • Jens Van Lathem / Tobias Van Royen — Twee-eiige Drieling In addition a number of (active)members will be nominated for the board: • 2 (active)members will be nominated by the (active)members.

• 1 council member will be nominated by the council members.

Everyone is nominated for a period of 2 years, one time extendable.

LOCATION ASSEMBLIES Location assemblies are held on a monthly basis at each location with the active members (i.e. everyone who makes use of a studio at that location) on that location. The assembly is called together on the initiative of the location responsibles. The aim of the location assemblies is to self-govern and equally divide the labour for the reproduction of their workspace.

FORUM From 2022 the FORUM is held every 3 months (January, March, June (GA), September, December) on the 5th of the month. The FORUM is called together by the council and has the function to bring members up-to-date about the organisation, discuss and reflect on the organisation and the community.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY Is held ones a year and serves as the formal gathering where the organisation and finances are evaluated and approved. The GA is brought together by the board. Its function is to evaluated the previous year and look forward to the coming year.

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(...)

THE FOUNDATION FOR AN COOPERATIVE ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENT Building a new world in the shell of the old, shedding our skins to open up to new social relations. We are only just beginning to work the ground for something we hope could be a foundation. A stable ground on which there is time and space to experiment, develop, and share artistic practices. This asks something from each of us individually, but it also requires some support to enable a frame for us to work within. As members let’s fill in this frame with what we think and a cooperative artistic environment can be and let the frame support us in this search.

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STUDIOS COORDINATION In 2021 we provided a workspace to 84 artists in 34 individual and shared artist studios and a shared deskspace on one location of 2000m2.

Our artist studios could remain accessible to artists throughout the pandemic, following Covid safety guidelines. 99% occupancy of workspaces shows they were valued by artists more than ever.

WAITING LIST Our waiting list has been steadily growing. At the beginning of 2021 we had 138 people on our waiting list over the year this grew with 75 registrations to 213 artists looking for a studio within Level Five.

From 2022 it will be necessary to renew your registration every year.

In this way our waiting list will remain up to date.

ALLOCATION We were not able to provide many additional workspaces for artists in 2021 except for shares and sublets. With new locations in sight, we will be able to welcome new members an provide more artist a studio space.

COMMITMENT Recognising that the art world can often be an exclusive territory for the privileged few, as an organisation, Level Five committed to ensure accessibility, plurality, and equity. To this end we continuously reevaluate and improve our allocation policy for example.

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(...)

TOWARDS A DURABLE ARTIST STUDIO INFRASTRUCTURE Let there be no mistake, as an organisation we are working towards long-term use of sites rather than temporary use. We know transitional use will always be part of artist studio infrastructure and understand its benefits but in order to create a stable ground for our organisation we need to search for long-term use either via freehold contracts, community land trust, or long-term use contracts with governments. Only in this way we can ensure a stable offer of accesible studios for artists in Brussels.

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DEVELOPMENT PEER TO PEER TO PUBLIC Despite our space being closed to public the majority of the year, we maintained our artistic activities and exchange with remote and online programmes.

Bad Doors Are Everywhere — an initiative by design collective DEAL to install a panel next to the ground level entrance to Level Five. In 2021 they made 4 panels by Audrey Large, 019ghent, temple magazine, and DEAL themselves. In thise way bringing design in public space.

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Blue Screen — a monthly screening program focussing on film and video works by visual artists. The program is initiated by Chloé Malcotti and Emma van der Put and takes place at Level Five. While the original Blue Screen events were on hold due to covid an online format was developed on our website that would allow collective viewings and conversation to continue. In 2021 there were 6 online sessions with artists Karolien Chromiak, Milena Desse, Sirah Foighel Brutmann & Eitan Efrat, Margaux Schwarz, Amber Vanluffelen, Dirk Reimes, Batsheva Ross, Pieter Geenen, Paoletta Holst, Raquel Vermunt, Francesca Grilli.

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Kantine — a project space run by artists Perri MacKenzie and Kevin Gallagher in Level Five. In 2021 they organised 3 exhibitions: ‘Agila’

by G. Küng, ‘Fitness Studies’ by Batsheva Ross, ‘ROD’ by Jannis Marwitz and Raphaela Vogel.

Salon Sale — is an initiative to support artists as well as our cooperative. Each year members can contribute a work for the Salon Sale exhibition and online platform on our website. Part of the revenue goes to the artist and part in support of Level Five.

In 2021 there was a Salon Sale exhibition at Level Five in spring.

An additional version of the Salon Sale was organised focussing on artists publications on the occasion of the bookfair ‘Apples & Oranges’ at CIAP in Genk.

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Radio Level Five — is a podcast run by Level Five members.

The radio hosts conversations, discussions, sound works, writings, soundscapes and other cool stuff related to our community. In 2020 the radio produced and diffused 30 conversations episodes with artists Rachel Bacon, Ula Sickle, Christiane Blatmann, Jannis Martwitz, Veerle Melis, Eitan Bronstein, Omar Kashmiry, Emile Rubio, Helen Dowling, Kevin Gallagher, Sirah Foighel Brutmann & Eitan Efrat, Permanent, Milena Desse, Peliskan, David Bernstein, Olaf Winkler, Bas Blaasse, Radek Szlaga, Batsheva Ross, D-E-A-L, Karolien Chromiak, Philip Janssens, Francesca Grilli, Dries Segers, Emma van der Put, Chloe Malcotti, Ingo Brosch, Bas van den Hout, Maud Gourdon, Sophia Holst. In addition there were special thematic episodes about ‘artist-parent’, ‘the pet show’, a soundpiece by OJAI, a live set by RHH, artistic contributions like the audiobook ‘La Galeria Louise’ by Batsheva Ross, ‘Dear Future employer’ by Bas Blaase, a soundpiece by Markus Von Platen.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM MEMBERS Emma van der Put — SOON, solo exhibition, Temporary Art Centre (TAC), Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Bianca Baldi — Play White, publication, K. Verlag, Berlin, Germany.

Anouchka Oler — Children Power, group exhibition, Frac Île de France - Le Plateau Paris, Paris, France.

Paoletta Holst — What Bungalows Can Tell, publication, Onomatopee, Eindhoven, Netherlands Stephanie Salzmann — Co.Coon, solo exhibition, Maison des Cultures Molenbeek, Brussels, Belgium.

Francesca Grilli — Sparks 2021, performance, Kaaistudios, Brussels, Belgium.

Rob Ritzen, Emma van der Put, Ingel Vaikla — Architecture Film Festival Brussels, screenings, Recyclart, Brussels, Belgium.

Sophia Holst, D-E-A-L, That Might Be Right — Car free sunday, scenography, Beursschouwburg, Brussels, Belgium.

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(...)

FROM ONE TO ANOTHER GROWING ARTISTIC PRACTICES What is needed for these spaces to support our artistic practices?

How do we ensure that this being together contributes to personal and artistic growth? Reproducing Level Five everyday involves cleaning, maintenance, groceries, administration, ... — the less glamorous aspects of life. If care and time for these tasks is invested in equity an environment can arise for each to take initiative, develop, and exchange their artistic practices amongst equals.

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SUPPORT Actors of Urban Change — in 2020 we applied to ACT program with Permanent. This involved a whole trajectory of support for the development of the project. In 2021 we organised several activities related to this trajectory (see Bouwmeester label below). To round up the ACT trajectory, and an adjacent trajectory of a grant by Brussels Center for Urban Studies, we organised a Summer School at the Kaaistudios in September 2021. The Summer School was a success in visitors number especially considering the covid regulations that applied. International academics and activists were invited to share and discuss their experiences and insights in urban activism.

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Bouwmeester Label — With Permanent we received the BWMSTR Label. In 2021 we organised 5 workshops with a collective of architects (Laura Muyldermans, AHA, Czvek Rigby) and the Permanent partners (CLTB, Globe Aroma, VUB WeKonekt/ Cosmopolis). The workshops focussed on the Fire station in the north quarter as a potential site for Permanent. The neighbouring organisations and inhabitants were approached to be involved in the development for an alternative proposal for the future uses of this site.

The collective of architects will develop the insights further.

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Brussels Kunsten Overleg — Level Five became a member of the BKO in 2021, a network of arts organisations in Brussels. We wanted to become member to find a connection with other arts organisations in Brussels. Level Five is particular in its membership because it represents artist in quite a direct way, this can be a unique contribution in the network.

UFO Platform for studio organisations — As part of UFO a network of atelier organisations in Flanders and Brussels, Level Five participates in monthly meetings where we share and discuss the working of ateliers organisations and the position of our organisations within the city and the larger cultural landscape in Belgium with the other member organisations; De Tank (Brugge), Nucleo (Ghent), Vonk (Hasselt-Genk), Morpho (Antwerp), Cas-co (Leuven).

In 2021 we organised an online symposium ‘Ruimte voor Kunstenaars in de Stad’ met de sprekers; Elke Desutter (Kunstenaar en coördinatrice De Tank, Brugge), Joram Kraaijeveld (PlatformBK en Geen Stad Zonder Kunst), Peter Vanden Abeele (Gents stadsbouwmeester), Gosie Vervloessem (Kunstenaar). The symposium and the interviews will remain available on the newly created website of UFO, www.platform-ufo.nl.

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We have also developed a multi-year program in collaboration with Kunstenpunt for studio and organizational visits for international curators. In 2021, the first edition would take place organized by Casco and Level Five with Marie Braad (Program Coordinator and Project Manager for studio and residency programs Art Hub, Copenhagen), Valentijn Byvanck (Director, Marres House for Contemporary Culture, Maastricht), Marie de Gaulejac (curator and head residency programme Triangle, Marseille), Šimon Kadlčák (coordinator residency programme Brno House of Arts, Brno), Johanna Markert (curator anorak, Berlin), and Vasiliki Sifostratoudaki (artist, founder and curator Yellow Brick, Athens, Greece). This visitors programme was postponed to March 2022.

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MEDIA ATTENTION ‘Brussel is magneet voor jonge kunstenaars, maar de wind draait’ door Kris Hendrickx, 7/10/2022, Bruzz.

‘Tekort aan ateliers voor kunstenaars: ‘Constant verhuizen is uitputtend’ door Margot Otten, 26/3/2022, Bruzz.

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(...)

A NETWORK TO SUPPORT ARTISTS ON THE LONG-TERM Apart from the care amongst each other we are reaching out and building up a network to support our cooperative as such and the artistic field at large. Through our cooperation we rethink the organisational and economic structures of the arts, rework considerations of what it is to be artists, and rehearse potential fair practices that could matrialise within the city, amongst fellow inhabitants. As such we develop an understanding of what we stand for and how we see ourselves, which prepares us for solidarity and coaltions with others in diffirent situations but similar struggles.

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INCOME/EXPENDITURE SNAPSHOT Other income Investment grant Programmes core grants Exceptional Covid-19 grants Grants — project specific Contributions Fee receivables

Income

2020

2021

Admin Project Studios

Expenditure

2020

2021

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FINANCIAL Income from studios represented 47% of Level Five’s revenue, with occupancy in the studios continuing at over 95%.

Grants represented 20% of income, an occasional investment grant 26 %, while exceptional income and other income represented 7%.

This was an exceptional funding year due to Covid emergency grants, a large proportion of which went directly to our artist tenants.

In addition to grants received which were restricted to specific projects, VGC continued to recognise the work of Level Five by providing operational core funding totalling €30.000 towards coordination of the organisations.

Income 2021 (€) 2020 (€) +/Fee receivables 71.550 82.657 -13.44% Contributions 20.380 23.678 -13.93% Grants — project specific 7900 7800 1.28% Exceptional Covid-19 grants 10.500 23.000 n/a Programmes core grants 30.000 30.000 0% Investment grant 50.000 — n/a Other income 3664 3468 5.65% Deposit 9459 2803 n/a Total income 203.453 173.406 — Expenditure 2021 (€) 2020 (€) +/Admin 24.689 11.605 112.75% Project 8192 6911 18.54% Studios 152.645 87.973 73.51% Deposit 11.148 3063 n/a Total income 196.674 109.552 —

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PLANTING THE SEEDS Working the ground in order for things to grow. You could use this as a methaphore for the work that is done in and around Level Five.

We are working the ground in order to plant the seeds for a more sustainable environment for artistic practices. One of the foundations for this is studio space, but more importantly is the support and care that comes with cooperation.

It was a year of stop and go. The initiatives of the members emphasised let’s go and make radio, show and discuss artists videos, make exhibitions, talk about our situation, find new locations... Level Five cooperative grew more entengled within the own community as well as with others looking to rework the artistic environment and practices.

What to do coming year(s)? next year our cooperative will find its place in three different sites in three different locations in Brussels.

Each location will have its characters and communities but there is no need to worry to loose each other out of sight; Open Studios, Visitors Programme, Blue Screen, Radio Level Five, ... there will be enough moments for us to come together.

Organisationally we will take some steps to form a stable ground in order for to support a search for a durable future for our cooperative.

The instalment of a board with different experiences and knowledges than ours is a first step. Our new configuration will also stuble upon obstacles for which we need to find ways to work with or around. With all the shared experience we have we can be sure beautiful practices will come forward out of these new encounters.

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