Garage Inclusive Department expands its scope of practice by contributing to the organization of the Neighbors’ Languages School project this coming spring. This non-profit initiative encourages participants to learn the language of one of Russia’s neighboring countries. Languages available to learn at Garage include Uzbek and Georgian.
Studying the common past of the post-Soviet states is an important aspect of the Museum’s work. Participant of ASTANA EXPO-2017, Garage has also supported the projects of Kazakhstan’s Tselinnyi Center for Contemporary Culture.
Drawing on this experience, Garage’s Inclusive Programs Department is starting to work with communities of migrants and refugees living in Moscow. Along with concentrating on the adaptation of its exhibition and education projects and engaging audiences with migrant backgrounds into the life of the Museum, Garage is set to carry out a number of programs aimed at humanizing society’s perception of migrants. One such initiative is the collaboration with Neighbors’ Languages School. A cycle of events developed together with the School, will help participants to familiarize themselves with the cultures of neighboring countries through studying their languages. A fundamental element of national culture, as well as a tool of its understanding, learning a language is crucial for a better appreciation of the cultural specificity of a particular people.
Classes for Neighbors’ Languages School will be held twice a week in the Bureau des transmissions project space at Garage.