Bundesvereinigung – German Socio-cultural centre

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...

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Introduction

The Bundesvereinigung is organised as a “Eingetragener gemeinnütziger Verein”, which is the most used term in Germany for a non-commercial association working for the common benefit. There is a board of 8 people elected by the members for two years. Membership meetings take place twice a year.

Structure

Members: 14 Landesarbeitsgemeinschaften (LAG) – networks etc) - networks organised at the level of the German states (the “Lander”) – form the membership. They represent 450 Soziokulturelle Zentren in all areas of Germany. It can be regarded as a great success for the development of social culture in Germany that the eastern regions, the former GDR, are as well represented as the western parts.

Aims

The Bundesvereinigung’s most important tasks are:

The co-ordination and support of the centres along with their public relations and representation in political committees.
The networks on the state and national levels ensure consulting, further education, exchange and support forexisting centres and initiatives as well as for those centres and initiatives yet to be developed.
The underlying purpose of all activities is the acknowledgement of social andcultural work as a fixed component of cultural life, including a guarantee that centres be treated as established cultural institutions with regards to state-funding and taxation.

Due to the increasing importance of federal cultural policy in recent years, the "Bundesvereinigung" has become an important partner for politicians. This is demonstrated by such political events as the intervention in parliament to introduce new legislative initiatives, for example one to reform taxation of foreign artists.

Activities

The "Bundesvereinigung" is not only a network itself, but also part of a broader one.
As a member of the "Deutscher Kulturrat" ("German Cultural Council"), it is represented in the "Rat für Soziokultur" ("Council for Socioculture") as well as federal unions, e.g. the "Fonds Sozio-kultur e.V." ("Sociocultural Fund"). Other co-operation partners are: "Kulturpolitische Gesell-schaft e.V." ("Cultural-Political Society"), "Bundesverband der Jugendkunstschulen und kul-turpolitischen Einrichtungen e.V." ("Federal Association of the Schools of Art for Youth and Cultural Associations"), "Bundesverband Studentische Kulturarbeit e.V." ("Federal Association of Student Cultural Work"), "Bundesverband Freier Theater" ("Federal Association of Free Theatres") and "Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund" ("German Federation of Trade Un-ions").

The "Bundesvereinigung" is also in touch with related initiatives and organisations at a European level, e.g. the "European Network for Cultural Centres" (ENCC), and it is financially supported, especially for professional publications and the "SoziokulturServer www.soziokultur.de" website, by the federal representative of cultural affairs and the media and by the state foundation for culture.

Social culture online and in print

The "Bundesvereinigung" offers a varied information system that is used not only by its members.

Its online presence www.soziokultur.de and the "Soziokultur" publishing house. The website "Soziokultur-Server" with articles and information has existed since 1995. The homepage presents up-to-date news from the centres, the state associations, the "Bundes-verband" and news about cultural policy. There are convenient links to older information in the archive. Direct links are available to all homepages of the state associations and their centres together with their Internet presentations and e-mail addresses. Interesting and useful material can be found under the headings: "Infos", "Arbeitshilfen" (working aids), "Links", "Forums" and "Jobs". These include literature recommendations, tips for further education, and application forms for projects, artists and job offers.
Since 1988 the "Bundesvereinigung" also has published information and texts, resulting in the foundation of a publishing company in 2000. Here the "Informationsdienst Soziokultur" ("Information-Service Socioculture") is published - a newspaper with information, statements and discussions about socioculture - and appears quarterly. The other important publication is a series of brochures entitled "Arbeitshilfen Soziokultur" (socioculture working aids). This is designed for the centres and serves as a guide for the specific, mainly practical questions which arise during the challenges of daily work (like GEMA ("Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte" or "Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights"), taxes for foreigners, labour law and accounting). Also included are contributions about current tendencies in social culture as well as reports about meetings and conferences. A good overview of the publications can be found on the website of the "Bundesvereinigung". All articles of the information service from the beginning of 2001 can be found here. The brochures and information service are also available through an on-line order form.

Membership service

Among the services the „Bundesvereinigung“ offers to its members:

The office in Berlin as a central contact point
The „Informationsdienst Soziokultur“ newspaper
Monthly circular e-mails with information concerning federal policy and jurisdiction
Recording of federal statistics since 1992 and processing the numerical data
Participation in various contracts (e.g. GEMA)
Consulting and support in negotiations and conflicts with political decision makers
Organisation of meetings and conferences concerning fundamental cultural-political issues (e.g. 1999: www.soziokultur.de/20, 2004: elements of future)

Contact