Yana Klichuk: Understanding the role of a mediator in a cultural organization

Mediators and educators are often considered to be so-called ambassadors of the institution, developing new audiences, and strengthening their engagement. It is assumed that they admire the institutional vision as well as the curatorial programme and unconditionally commit to its promotion among diverse groups of people. At the same time, cultural mediators are mostly hired for projects on fixed-term contracts, which do not include either time or (office) space required for building trust, loyalty, and sense of belonging. The talk will focus on the political and ethical position of mediators in cultural institutions and projects in an attempt to understand whose interests s/he is supposed to advocate – those of institution, curators, artists, audience, or his/her own? In her professional experience, cultural worker and educator.