News
- 16.05.13 The Chair of the EP CULT committee answers to our call in defense of the ‘Creative Europe’ budget Read more...
- 02.05.13 President of the 'S&D' group in the EP Hannes Swoboda answers to the cultural and creative sectors' concerns about the future budget of Creative Europe Read more...
- 23.04.13 CAE member VVC celebrates 40 years of cultural centres in Flanders! Read more...
- 11.04.13 NEMO publishes letter of concern regarding PSI directive on re-use of public sector information Read more...
- 08.04.13 Letter to President Barroso signed by more than 250 cultural organisations and artists Read more...
- 05.04.13 URGENT - Funding for Creative Europe needs your action Read more...
- 25.03.13 Two exciting internship possibilities at Culture Action Europe! Read more...
- 19.03.13 CAE reacts to the EC communication on Rethinking Education jointly with the Access to Culture Platform and EUCIS-LLL Read more...
- 12.03.13 Internships at Platform for Intercultural Europe Read more...
- 08.03.13 we are more campaign newsletter #12 Read more...
- 01.03.13 COMIX4 Project Read more...
- 12.02.13 Culture Action Europe reacts to Council agreement on future EU budget Read more...
- 05.02.13 Second Letter to EU Heads of State or government Read more...
- 25.01.13 The Creative Clash Final Conference will take place on 19 March 2013 at the Goethe Institut in Brussels Read more...
- 20.12.12 we are more campaign #11 Read more...
- 30.11.12 CAE joined forces with the CSCG in a letter to EU leaders Read more...
- 21.11.12 Letter to EU Heads of State and Governments on the occasion of the extraordinary EU summit 22-23 November 2012 Read more...
- 08.11.12 Culture Action Europe values Ms Silvia Costa’s report on Creative Europe and calls on the EU institutions to support the proposed budget increase and to reach a first-reading agreement Read more...
- 12.10.12 we are more campagin newsletter #10 Read more...
- 10.10.12 Launch of BOZAR and CAE collaboration Read more...
- 03.10.12 Culture Action Europe’s Conference and General Assembly ‘Act for culture, act for Europe’ – Brussels 9-11 November 2012 Read more...
- 03.10.12 New EC communication on "Promoting cultural and creative sectors for growth and jobs in the EU" Read more...
- 04.09.12 CAE is looking for a new intern Read more...
- 30.07.12 EFA and its partners of the Access to Culture Platform’s Working Group on Audience Participation call for contributions Read more...
- 24.07.12 Tandem – Moldova-European Union-Ukraine video now available online! Read more...
- 23.07.12 we are more campaign newsletter #9 Read more...
- 18.06.12 Sostenuto – Culture as a factor of economic and social innovation: final press conference Read more...
- 24.05.12 VIVA IL LIVE! 4.0 and 2nd ARCI ReAL meeting Read more...
- 22.05.12 European Year of Citizens 2013 Alliance - Manifesto published Read more...
- 22.05.12 Culture Action Europe values the position adopted by the EU Council of Culture Ministers on the Creative Europe programme Read more...
- 21.05.12 Festival «art links/l’art crée du lien», on thursday 24th and Friday 25 th in Brussels Read more...
- 10.05.12 Civil society voices reached the EU Council of Culture Ministers Read more...
- 30.04.12 'we are more' campaign newsletter #8 Read more...
- 11.04.12 Banlieues d'Europe organizes a debate on the we are more campaign Read more...
- 03.04.12 Conference on the role of culture in the inclusion of Roma minorities Read more...
- 22.03.12 Sign petition to save the only public institution for contemporary dance in Slovenia! Read more...
- 01.03.12 Warm welcome to our new Secretary General Luca Bergamo! Read more...
- 22.02.12 'we are more' newsletter #7 Read more...
- 19.12.11 'we are more' newsletter #6 Read more...
- 03.10.11 'we are more' newsletter #5 Read more...
- 16.08.11 Job position at EBLIDA Read more...
- 07.07.11 'we are more' campagin newsletter #4 2011 special edition on budget is now online Read more...
- 14.06.11 Artists and social inclusion: A Greens/EFA conference Read more...
- 26.05.11 'we are more' newsletter #3 Read more...
- 31.03.11 Summary of the position paper on the Culture Programme Read more...
- 22.03.11 Remix the docks! Read more...
- 10.02.11 'we are more' newsletter #2 Read more...
- 16.12.10 Call for organisations to participate in Cultural Cooperation with Moldova and Ukraine Read more...
- 09.12.10 'we are more' campaign: demands on the Culture Programme Read more...
- 09.12.10 'we are more' newsletter #1 Read more...
- 18.10.10 Culture's contribution to social inclusion Read more...
- 12.10.10 'we are more' campaign launched! Read more...
- 22.09.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #4 2010 Read more...
- 22.09.10 Reflections on the challenges facing society today and how culture may offer answers to them Read more...
- 06.09.10 LabforCulture reports live from the 'Culture and Policies of Change' conference in Brussels Read more...
- 04.08.10 Members General Assembly and Culture Action Europe Conference 7-9 October 2010 in Brussels Read more...
- 14.07.10 OMC working group reports have been published Read more...
- 17.06.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #3 2010 Read more...
- 06.05.10 The Platform for Intercultural Europe is recruting Read more...
- 14.04.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #2 2010 Read more...
- 12.04.10 The EU 2020 strategy: analysis and perspectives Read more...
- 31.03.10 Culture Action Europe is looking for a translation intern Read more...
- 29.03.10 Members’ meetings and policy consultation Read more...
- 17.03.10 Already 6 new members in 2010! Read more...
- 10.02.10 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #1 2010 Read more...
- 10.02.10 Renewed EU commitmment to combating poverty and social exclusion – what perspectives for the Year? Read more...
- 08.02.10 EP Hearing – Androulla Vassiliou Commisioner-Desginate for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Read more...
- 14.01.10 Our contribution to the EC consultation on the future EU 2020 strategy Read more...
- 11.01.10 Our contribution to the EC consultation on financial regulation Read more...
- 07.12.09 Culture Action Europe Newsletter #8 Read more...
- 18.08.09 Post elections analysis – to know more about the composition of the new European Parliament and of the new Culture Committee Read more...
| The European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 – background info |
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This new European Year, following the 2008 Year of Intercultural Dialogue, aims to « support the efforts of the Member States to promote creativity, through lifelong learning, as a driver for innovation and as a key factor for the development of personal, occupational, entrepreneurial and social competences and the well-being of all individuals in society». If we take into consideration the current world social and economic context, defined by important investments in research and development, the rise of new technologies and the so-called knowledge society as well as the objectives of the European Lisbon Strategy, the European Commission has proposed that 2009 be dedicated to Creativity and Innovation (read the European Commission’s proposal). According to the Commission, this year will aim to promote creativity mainly via education and training to ensure personal, professional, entrepreneurial and social skills. 13 objectives have been put forward amongst which figure “stimulating aesthetic sensitivity”, “promoting closer links between arts, business, schools and universities”, “promoting design as a creative activity which significantly contributes to innovation” and “highlighting openness to cultural diversity as a means of fostering intercultural communication and artistic cross-fertilisation”. The link to the arts is underscored and public, yet culture is not part of the programs and domains covered by the initiative as originally proposed by the Commission (entreprise, information society, research, social cohesion and rural development but not culture). Following the Commission’s proposal, the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee gave their own views (read the opinion of the Committee of the Regions here and the EESC’s opinion here). Both approved the proposal while stating some concerns and reservations. The Committee of the Regions wants to see towns and European regions more actively implicated, and also insisted on the importance of education for the promotion of innovation, and particularly the importance of cultural and artistic education. The Economic and Social Committee regretted the speed with which this Year was set up, suspecting that the same haste will be apparent in the Year’s implementation. During the Parliamentary session of October, the Commission proposal was adopted at first reading in the Culture and Education Committee after a number of amendments (read the Batzeli report here). The rapporteur insisted on the cultural dimension of the Commission’s proposal, added culture and communication into the support measures, and underlined the Year as a continuation of the 2008 Year of Intercultural Dialogue as regards its respect for the fundamental values of the EU. The EP Culture Committee also underlined that a thematic year must not simply be a communication campaign but actually help to shape a longer term policy framework for the Union by making the citizen as well as the political, economic and social actors more aware of the issues. Although it is quite in line with the current strategic European interests (Lisbon strategy, support for creative industries, etc.) the Commission’s proposal has a number of evident weaknesses. As the EESC suggested it is happening rather too quickly leaving a suspicion that the Year is not the result of a collective decision but more of a default choice. In reality, a theme for 2010 was already on the table in 2007 ‘The fight against poverty’ – and youth organisations have already asked that 2011 be dedicated to Volunteering. Usually two years are taken to prepare these thematic commitments and it would appear that 2009 has had a bare 7 months of reflection. The proposal is also weak in various areas: unlike preceding Years, only the main lines of action have been sketched out, the proposal remains very general and there is a risk that it will become merely a label to be slapped on to a range of projects with no guiding line. Finally, the finance issue seems worrying. The 2008 year of Intercultural Dialogue had its own budget line but the activities for 2009 have no budget commitment and will be financed mainly through existing activities in a areas such as education, culture business policy, information society, research and rural development. The Commission has not been sufficiently clear in determining the level of involvement of each Programme for the year as yet. To go to the website of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, click here. |