Jam Factory Art Center Team Appeal

Dear Partners, Colleagues, and Friends,

WAR. This word should have stayed in history books, museums, old paintings, movies, performances, intellectual talks, public debates about the responsibility and traumas of the past. However unbearable it is to comprehend and accept – it’s the reality that we face.

The Reality that we Face

On the 24th of February 2022, Russian armed forces attacked Ukraine. Ukrainians woke up to air raid sirens, explosions, and shootings and since that day these have become reality in the everyday life of millions of people seeking shelter to save their lives. With its continuous indiscriminate attacks on civilian objects and its relentless strikes on residential areas, hospitals, schools, and maternity homes Russia is violating daily the key principles of international law and causing indescribable suffering to the Ukrainian people. Despite its military superiority the Ukrainian military and civilians are continuing to resist the Russian army. The bravery, the morale and the will to protect our freedom have become our greatest weapon and we shall prevail.

We at the Jam Factory Art Center

The Jam Factory team, the curators, the advisors, the engineers, the workers, all of us were working hard in preparation of our hugely anticipated event, the opening of the Art Center in August of this year. This plan has been shattered but our will to pursue our goal is and will remain alive through the weeks and months to come.

Now we work in an emergency mode that meets the immediate needs of our country at war. Our halls and basements have become distribution centers for humanitarian aid and are giving shelter to refugees and civilians from the neighborhood. Individually, the members of our team are volunteering in multiple ways and providing security for our own families and friends.

As an art institution, our special concern remains the cultural sector which we consider to be our country’s major soft power. We join our forces in fighting for human values in order to live in freedom and democracy.

Artists remaining in Ukraine are among the most vulnerable groups of people right now. We are creating a program for the financial support of those artists who lost the ability to create and earn money. Please stay tuned, we will inform you about the ways you can support our foundation as soon as possible.

How to Support Ukraine and Ukrainians

There are various ways to help. Any action will have an impact on our joint resistance.

Contribute to the „Artists in War“ Program at the Jam Factory Art Center

In response to the ongoing full-scale war against our country, we have launched the “Artists in War” program to support the communities of independent art and culture in Ukraine. We encourage you to contribute to the program, any donation is important.

Speak Up

Today one of the most important aspects of support on the level of culture is to communicate:

• Spread the word to the broad public through social media publications, texts, articles. Emphasize that it is not only the Ukrainian war. Share the truth to encourage people to go beyond their comfort zone. You may use the hashtags #StandWithUkraine and #StopRussianAggression.
• It is important to call the war correctly – it is not “a conflict” or “an internal problem over the border”, not “a civil war”, not “Putin’s” or “Kremlin’s War”. It is Russia’s War in Ukraine, the war for independence and freedom, the war to overcome the last Empire.
• We suggest developing Non-Colonial and Anti-Imperial narratives.
  There is no culture superior to another. Culture is about difference, and the belief that one culture can be higher than another is colonialist and dangerous. Now we have a chance to speak up and stop this ideology.
• Boycott Russian cultural activities. Russia has been using its ‘great culture’ to justify, downplay and steer public attention away from its countless war crimes. We ask you to suspend all your projects that involve Russian institutions and individuals who do not explicitly distance themselves from the war and Putin’s regime. We would appreciate it if you issued a public statement about your decision with the hashtags #CancelRussia and #BoycottRussia.
• Boycott Russian business. Refrain from purchasing Russian products. Your money spent on Russian commodities supports the terrorist actions of this country.

Support in Action

• Support Ukrainian art and culture
  In times of war, culture matters a lot. By sharing and promoting Ukrainian art, you can present who we are and what values we share. Conduct exhibitions, broadcast Ukrainian movies, show Ukrainian performances, publish Ukrainian researchers’/curators’/writers’ works.
  If you need any help with recommendations or legal permissions, contact us.
• Art as therapy for refugees
  Show support to people who lived through the bombardment of their homes. Usually, those are families with young children who had to leave the country. Artistic psychological support is crucial today.
• Make Art against War
  Art can make a huge difference by challenging the way people think. Do artistic performances, artistic shows, initiate creating artworks, talks.

Read and Share Verified Information, e.g.:

• Ukrainska Pravda 
• NV
• UkraineWorld 
• Euromaidan Press 
• Ukraine Crisis Media Center 
• The Kyiv Independent 
• Kyiv Post 

Additionally, you may check the globally renowned media with high standards of journalism and comprehensive coverage, such as BBC, CNN, The Guardian, and others.

Donate to support Ukraine directly

• Look for humanitarian centers in your city. You can help with commodities that are scarce now in Ukraine (medical products, children‘s goods, food, means of protection for the military, etc.);
• Support the biggest charity foundation Come Back Alive. It is a transparent and trustworthy organization, one of the most efficient of its kind in Ukraine;
• Donate to the official Fundraising Account for Humanitarian Assistance to Ukrainians. Payment details for different currencies can be found here.
• Strengthen the combat capability of the Ukrainian army through governmental accounts or with cryptocurrencies through the official accounts:

BTC – 357a3So9CbsNfBBgFYACGvxxS6tMaDoa1P
ETH – 0x165CD37b4C644C2921454429E7F9358d18A45e14
USDT (trc20) – TEFccmfQ38cZS1DTZVhsxKVDckA8Y6VfCy

We would be grateful to receive information about any activity undertaken by you.

Thank you for staying with us. True friendship and sincere support are helping us to live through these dark times.