Sergey, managing director of Tavrida
This year we decided to widen our Russian horizons and cover creative initiatives all around the country. As many ArtyGeneration community members took part in Tavrida Summer Art School, we headed South to discover this state initiative. To better understand the actions of the Forum and the Festival, we had the chance to interview Sergey Pershin, Managing Director of Tavrida, the person who has been developing it from the beginning. Go check our first article to know more about the project itself, and read below to meet Sergey.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your career?
I always felt like a creative person, and it helped me very often. I started by creating and leading a large number of organisations and leading creative processes at university. I worked at universities as a teacher. Before Tavrida, I worked as a regional representative of the young generation and was involved in large federal projects. At some point in my life, I was offered to become project manager at the Tavrida forum, and this turned into a separate life. Since then I have not done anything else.
What is your education?
I have a multidisciplinary education. I received my first higher education in a regional university and finished my master's degree in Moscow. But the main thing that I understood and what is important for me is that, in addition to common education, the best lessons we learn in life are from people we meet. The number of talented, interesting and inspiring people that I met have changed me and still do. I am grateful to fate and life for this. It is very important to have such people in life. And they don't have to be leaders or mentors. We have a lot of cool guys in our team who know and can do things that I'm unfamiliar with. For example, we did an anti-school of contemporary visual art with Asya Baskaeva, and I had some things to learn from her. And I do it with pleasure.
What does «Tavrida» represent in your career and in your life?
Today the project occupies a dominant position in my life. "Tavrida" - life, life - "Tavrida". The project, of course, takes a lot of time and effort, but it also gives a lot - knowledge, opportunities to communicate with the people I spoke about. Developing the project develops me as well. As a dynamic, it is difficult to realise to what extent it affects you. It's important to me. I would like this project to turn out exactly the way we conceived it to be, in which the state actively helps us to make everything come true.
Where do you see this point for yourself, when you could say that the project has definitely become the way you would like it to be?
It doesn't matter if I will be in the project or not. But the key factor is the unconditional perception of Tavrida by all creators as a place to strive for - for opportunities, for self-realisation. Moreover, I would like this to apply not only to our country. That "Tavrida" will become a place of interest nurturing peace, love and art.
What is your vision of public good?
It seems to me that it is important to motivate people in Russia to live in the wonderful places that are on the map of our country. To develop themselves and develop the environment around, because our country is magnificent both in terms of recreational opportunities, in terms of conditions and the “genius of the place”. We should try to reveal this "genius" in every region. Therefore, the collaboration between creators and business, management and regional authorities is very important.
For example, our entire project is a team of completely like-minded but different people united by a common goal. Our processes are somehow built in such a way that those who do not share our goals fall off by themselves. There are many people in the team who have grown from participants. They are our most important carriers of our values, culture and atmosphere.
Do you feel responsibility as the director of «Tavrida» and if yes, what does this feel like?
I would divide this question into two parts. I have a good friend, she is a great artist. I interpret for myself that she has hands that God has endowed with a magical property. And through them she conveys everything. Once I was walking with her through the city, and we were crossing the road. I took her hand to pass a dangerous section. I understood that if I hold this hand, and if I press it harder, then some changes may occur there and it will not be able to transmit everything as it should. In working with creative people, everything is very fragile, and it must be treated as carefully as possible - in this I feel a responsibility. We try to work at Tavrida just like that - to get into the situation, understand, help and, most importantly, not destroy the uniqueness that those people have.
Into the second part of my answer I would very much like that Tavrida will really be inspiring for the people who come, so as not to disappoint their hopes. I would like talented people to develop their skills. And that the authorities in the regions would help them to do it all over Russia. In general, I would like these guys to stay in their regions, and develop the same environment in their own cities. Because there are many wonderful places in Russia - they need to be improved. There are global trends and tendencies in the emergence of a new type of megacity, and I would like to see more of these megacities in our country.
For most people, art is relaxation, distraction, reboot. Here you are at the epicentre, do you have time to contemplate and enjoy art here? Do you devote more personal time to any direction?
If I filled out some profile on social networks, then I would write that I love to read, visit museums, galleries, theaters and cinemas. But I do not have enough time for all this. Now, sometimes I come to understand that I get the same pleasure from what our team has done. For example, recently I went to a movie shoot whose director I know, and some people greeted me. It turned out that they were our participants, who got acquainted with the production company during the anti-school and now work there. Another example: I recently learned that Natasha Gudovich's works are now actively sold in Russia and abroad. And this is the greatest pleasure - to know that we are really helping someone.
What is art for you?
You ask a really difficult question. If you really think about it, then art is probably everything. Everything is art. From the art of love to the art of doing something professionally. Art is self-improvement, it is movement forward, a new look with reference to previous experience. Art is an unconditional world. Very large and versatile.
The festival "Tavrida ART Moscow" will be held from 21 to 26 October 2020. Events in Moscow will bring together forum and festival participants from all regions of the country, residents of the art cluster, young cultural and art workers, corporate leaders from creative industries, as well as art residences team members.
On October 23rd, the organisers will present the first Creative Industries Awards for entrepreneurs in the creative industries.
On October 24-25th, the creative industries conference will gather creative entrepreneurs, big corporations, public and governmental organisations on the platform of the Digital Business Space. Participants will discuss developments, trends and prospects, the importance of creative industries in the economic, social and infrastructural development of cities and regions, as well as their global role as the UN General Assembly has declared 2021 the International Year of the Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. One of the key objectives of the conference is a dialogue between representatives of the creative industries (from architecture and urbanism to music and cinema), big business and government agencies.
To follow Sergey’s activity, head to Instagram.
Editor’s note : ArtyGeneration is an apolitical platform with the aim of promoting the Russian creative scene and the people who are shaping it. Sharing their reality, projects and ideas contributes to spreading a better understanding beyond Russian borders and opening an intercultural dialogue. ArtyGeneration’s team has at its heart the desire to foster this dialogue.
