KLICK; “from Dutch klikken "to click; hit it off at once, become friendly upon meeting"

Klick Oxford-Leiden is a multi-disciplinary international art project that will contribute to the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Oxford-Leiden Link in 2016. New art works produced through a series of exchanges between young recently graduated artists in Oxford and Leiden, will engage with the public via exhibitions and related activities in galleries, museums and the public space in Oxford and Leiden. The first exchange will take place in September 2015 for four funded artists from Oxford and four from Leiden.

The aim of the KLICK project will be to introduce artists, organizations and citizens to each other and to create international and intergenerational networks and friendships. It will support young artists to produce socially engaged work to raise awareness, especially amongst younger citizens, of the 70 years of friendship between our two cities. The artist investigations, dialogue with colleagues and vision will produce exciting and accessible art works and events that honour our shared history, celebrate difference, reinforce existing links and encourage professional as well as social participation in the twinning programme for years to come. The artists will be invited to be members of the Oxford-Leiden Link organisations for the duration of the project and it is hoped beyond it.

An important strand of the project is that all artists and project leaders will be offered professional development to ensure high quality outcomes, genuine career advancement and a lasting legacy of good practice as arts professionals. KLICK will actively support participants in this and will work to find and enable opportunities for them. It will support existing structures and explore new forums and ways of working, through planned workshop events as well as online, so that even at a distance, good dialogue, co-operation, professional networks and friendship are developed for the future.

The project will aim to be an exemplar of openness and inclusivity, sharing experience, respecting difference, celebrating common ground and working to produce exciting and connective art outcomes and so to strengthen friendships between citizens and cities.