A total of 14 public, private and independent cultural organizations have created TEJA, a network of cultural spaces in support of the emergency situations that have been set in motion this May.

It offers artistic residences, accommodation, accompaniment and legal advice to artists and cultural professionals who are in a vulnerable situation as a result of armed conflict. TEJA is considered a solidarity response from the artistic and cultural sector to the current emergency unleashed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since May it has been hosting creators of this country, the project is born with a vocation of permanence and also intends to incorporate other contexts in an emergency situation during 2022-23. As a Network, as well as enabling dialogue spaces and guaranteeing freedom of expression through a series of joint activities, TEJA considers offering concrete support through a residence programme for artists and cultural workers from various conflicting territories.

The 14 entities involved in the creation of TEJA are public institutions such as Casa Velázquez, Conselleria de Cultura, Turisme i Esport de la Comunitat de Madrid and Museu Nacional Reina Sofía (MNRS); private institutions such as La Casa Encendida de Fundación Montemadrid i TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary; and independent organizations of Madrid such as Atelier Solar, CAR (Centre d'Apropament a lo Rural) Camp Adentro, Espositivo, Felipa Manuela, parlarenarte / Planta Alta, Mala Fama Estudis and Nau Porto. The organization Moving Artists, based in Bilbao, also participates. Each one makes a contribution based on its possibilities and structure which translates into accommodation, creation space, welfare or economic support.

The Network was born as an initiative of the independent organizations, which started to set it up last March, and since this past May, with the coordination of the 14 entities, it hosts the first resident, a young Ukrainian graphic designer. Since May, a total of five artistic residences, lasting between three and six months, have been offered to artists and cultural professionals affected by conflict situations. The application and assessment of the different cases is coordinated from Artists at Risk via their website artistsatrisk.org. This international organization has extensive experience in assessing artists in situations of vulnerability and contacting different cultural institutions.

TEJA is open to those new organizations that want to be added to the initiative. They can do it via email: recase22@gmail.com.