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This is the final edition of the Culture Action Europe newsletter for 2008 – a year where we have both achieved a great deal and also set out our stall to the challenges of the future!
2008 has seen a number of new tools and mechanisms coming into place at European level and the newsletter looks at some of these. Andrew McIlroy (cultural policy consultant) also gives us an independent commentary on the current state of play for cultural policy making in Europe, and explores the challenges for Culture Action Europe in making use of what sometimes seems to be a diversification of efforts, rather than a clear focus on what works.
Here in the Culture Action Europe office, we are increasingly looking towards opportunities for ACTION – ways to move beyond the limitations of the technical bureaucracy of the European Union, and to inject energy and creative imagination into the challenge of building a Europe where cultural and artistic endeavor is supported, recognized and accessible to all. This is the clear agenda for the next period when new policy is being developed.
With that ambitious goal, we hope that 2008 has been a fruitful year for you all, and that 2009 will present even more opportunities for connections and development. Wishing you all a safe and happy Festival season.
CULTURE ACTION EUROPE 2008 CONFERENCE
Scène Ouverte – European Cultural Action across BordersMarseilles, 23-25 October 2008
In Marseilles, more than 250 participants from across Europe and the Mediterranean joined us to debate the place of culture in Europe’s external relations, and the role of civil society in European cultural policy-making. Once again those two days proved how European cultural challenges resonate in the daily reality of the arts, and how many new spaces of debates and actions need to be opened. We warmly thank all participants and partners for their presence and engagement, and invite you to read the conference report and to see some pictures on the conference website.
FEATURE - EU YEAR 2009 OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
A personal view from Andrew McIlroy on the issues at stake for Culture Action Europe and the cultural sector at large
2009 will be the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, another thematic year – after the Year of Intercultural Dialogue - focusing on the participation of the arts in pursuing ambitious political objectives. But what are the institutions’ objectives and with what resources? And what does this highlight means for the independent non-for-profit arts sector? Read Andrew McIlroy’s (ex Secretary General of CEREC, consultant in cultural policy and policy advisor for Futurecity) perspective as well as some background info on the Year.
COUNCIL OF EU MINISTERS OF CULTURE
The Council promotes Culture in External Relations
On the 20 and 21 of November the Council of EU Ministers for Education, Youth and Culture met in Brussels under the French presidency of the Ministries and Secretary of State for these matters. Among other things they adopted conclusions on the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in the external relations of the Union and its Member States. However, as the Budapest Observatory noted in its November ‘memo’ – the Council on external relations still makes no reference to culture in its latest press release… To know more…
INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE AND THE PLATFORM FOR INTERCULTURAL EUROPE
Nordic Conference on the Politics of Interculture, Stockholm, 12-13 November 2008 and informal members’ meeting of the Platform for Intercultural Europe
This conference entitled ‘How soon is now?’ and organized by the Swedish Ministry of Culture achieved a good balance between policy discussion and practice examples. Prospective members of the newly established association Platform for Intercultural Europe met the day before to discuss its 2009 work programme and the transition from informal initiative to independent organisation. Read more…
EYID 2008 closing conference “New Perspective of Intercultural Dialogue in Europe”, Paris, 17-19 November 2008
This event organised by the French EU Presidency in the Centre Pompidou in Paris was big and prestigious. In a well structured, but vast programme, intellectual heavy weights and their philosophical reflections were in large supply. Presentations of activities carried out in the course of national strategies under the EYID or at grass-roots level received proportionately less attention. Representatives from the Platform for Intercultural Europe had ten precious minutes to present “The Rainbow Paper. Intercultural Dialogue: From Practice to Policy and Back”.
Read more…
EUROPEAN AGENDA FOR CULTURE
Structured Dialogue with civil society – latest updates
While the Platform for Intercultural Europe got its Rainbow paper endorsed by over 190 organisations, the two new Civil Society Platforms progressed their work within thematic working groups. Both platforms’ objective is to have a first set of policy recommendations ready for their second plenary (11 December for the Culture and Creative Industries platform, first quarter of 2009 for the Access to Culture platform). In the meantime, there was no communication with the OMC working groups, but a first joint meeting will take place on 15 December which will lead, hopefully, to more cooperation and transparency. For more information on the structured dialogue, go here.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Committee on Culture and EducationSessions of the 5-6 November 2008
The Parliamentary Committee meeting had four highlights: an exchange of views within the framework of the Arab Week, and another one in the context of the Youth; the adoption of several reports on education, media and youth; the examination of four draft reports, and finally a public hearing entitled ‘ A bridge between culture and European regions’. To know more…
CONFERENCES’ REPORTS
Opening New Avenues for the Dissemination of the Performing Arts in EuropeParis, 24-25 November 2008
The Office National de Diffusion Artistique (ONDA) organised, under the auspices of the EU French Presidency, an ambitious conference on the theme of mobility in the performing arts sector. During two days, and on the basis of existing key publications such as the Mobile.Home Impedements to Mobility Study, panels and presentations addressed the issue from different points of view: from the artists’ perspective to the legal and social frameworks, or the complementarity of national and European actions. Read more…
‘Reforming the Budget, Changing Europe’ Brussels, 12 November 2008
The second step of the EU budget review process took shape in a public conference held in Brussels mid-November. Organised by the Budget Directorate General of the European Commission (EC), this event was intended to take stock of the online public consultation launched by the Commission last year, to broaden the debate with different stakeholders, and to prepare the EC’s Communication to be published in 2009. Read more…
CIVIL SOCIETY
What is the European Commission planning for 2009?
The European Commission has published its work programme for 2009. The document outlines the main priorities and strategic initiatives including the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs, a European framework for recovery from the current crisis and a concomitant package of regulatory and supervision measures for financial markets. Climate change is obviously high on the agenda too and among other interesting initiatives the European Commission will publish a communication on the first five years of an enlarged EU and a statement on what the EU has achieved to build a European Union of the 21st century. Read more…
How to get involved in EuropeA guide for individuals, communities and those working with communities
“Get in there!’ is the title of a guide designed to facilitate engagement in European decision-making developed by the Community Development Foundation. The guide is the result of the ‘My Voice in Europe project’, which aimed to stimulate interest and deepen the debate on Europe at a local level. The guide highlights useful resources to support those working in the voluntary and community sector, and who are interested in influencing European policies. Download the .pdf
European Transparency Initiative’s voluntary registerTime to provoke the private sector into transparency
The European Commission launched the European Transparency Initiative in November 2005 in an attempt to ensure the European Union will be “open to public scrutiny.” A voluntary register for interest representatives was launched last summer as a part of this initiative. Some civil society and consumer groups said they would sign up, but using their own, stricter guidelines.
Read more…
MEMBERS’ ITEMS
IG Kultur ÖsterreichClaiming the right for good governance within the EU administration!
IG Kultur Österreich, the umbrella organization for independent and autonomous cultural work in Austria is currently supporting one of its members in a court case against the European Commission. The reason for the court case is the costs that have arisen due to the delayed payment of previously approved subsidies. Read more...
CEATLResearch on the social and economical situation of literary translators
CEATL has just published its first research on the social and economical situation of literary translators in Europe. The main conclusion is that literary translators can not subsist in the conditions the market is imposing on them. A very serious problem in a continent that calls itself multicultural and multilinguistic. Download the report from CEATL’s new website: www.ceatl.eu.
Trans Europe HallesEC grant for mobility project ‘CHANGING ROOM’
TEH has been awarded a Culture programme grant for the mobility project CHANGING ROOM: a two-year project that aims to test, study & evaluate a cultural workers exchange programme within the Trans Europe Halles network, with the objective of it expanding into a EU wide initiative. The Sibelius Academy in Finland will be Trans Europe Halles’ research partner in the project.
Centro Nacional de Cultura Guide on Intercultural Lisbon
This important tool, only available in Portuguese, helps discovering a city progressively marked by cultural and ethnical diversity, which is but good news to the city of Lisbon for, historically speaking, this fact has only happened in its moments of glory. CNC also hopes this guide can be a contribution for mutual understanding and socialization of citizens of different origins living in Lisbon, two basic aspects of interculturalism. More info here
AEC Early Music and Pop & Jazz Platforms meet early 2009
The European Association of Conservatoires (AEC) continues with its commitment to support European cooperation in the field of music by bringing experts in the field of early music and pop & jazz together at two different meetings: the AEC Early Music Platform will meet in Trossingen on 23 –24 January and the AEC Pop & Jazz Platform in Amsterdam on 13 - 14 February 2009. More information can be found at www.aecinfo.org
IMC, ECM and Europa Cantat Seminar, Pomáz, (Hungary), 27 February – 1 March 2009
The seminar ‘Reach out, Open Up, Take In - Developing your skills in advocacy, networking and international cooperation’ addresses national music organisations in North, Central and South Eastern Europe, from Albania to Slovakia, to Ukraine or to Estonia. The seminar will provide an insight on how to be recognised as a cultural advocacy body in your country and how to put the UNESCO Convention on cultural diversity into practice. More info soon here
Opera Europa and Reseo European Opera Forum - 17-19 April 2009, Barcelona
During 3 days, opera professionals, artists and fans will debate on Creativity and Innovation in opera, with speakers including Gerard Mortier, Calixto Bieito, George Benjamin and many others. Three weeks later, on 9 May, opera houses across Europe will organise special events to celebrate the European Opera Days. For more information, visit www.operadays.eu
EFASecond “European Atelier for Young Festival Managers, Varna (Bulgaria), 26th April to 3rd May 2009
Emerging artistic festival managers will meet for one week at this intensive training and exchange with pioneers including Bernard Faivre d’Arcier, Rose Fenton (LIFT, UK), Hugo De Greef (Brussels), Nele Hertling (Berlin) and many others in topic-based working groups and face-to-face meetings. Applications can be submitted until 31 January 2009. Visit the Atelier website or email
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for more information.
EUBO On tour with Lars Ulrik Mortensen
The European Union Baroque Orchestra is on tour with Lars Ulrik Mortensen, its musical director. Two exciting concert programmes will take the ensemble, which acts as an official ambassador for the European Union, to Luxembourg, Sweden, Romania and England. For more information visit www.eubo.eu
IETMAutumn Plenary Meeting
IETM held its Plenary Meeting in Zurich from 6 to 9 November. Over 500 representatives from the performing arts sector coming from 52 countries met on this occasion. Through panel discussions and working groups, participants discussed “Misundertanding”, seen as a potential fertile ground for creativity. It was also an occasion for all IETM members to discover the Swiss artistic scene and network with their colleagues. The next IETM meeting will take place in Bratislava in April 2009 and will focus on Culture and Education
IAMIC“Change, Change, Change…” Annual Conference Report
This year the International Association of Music Information Centres’ Annual Conference was hosted in Cardiff by the Welsh Music Information Centre. The report gives an overview of the programme, speakers and guests and contains two insert CDs of the IAMIC choral concert and sessions’ presentations. Sessions were given by international experts in the cultural sector, music and new technologies. To get a copy, please contact IAMIC secretariat: www.iamic.net
FUSICCreative tourism: an innovative and sustainable travel tendency
This could be a conclusion for the International Conference on Creative Tourism in Santa Fe (New Mexico) that gathered distinguished tourism and urban experts as well as delegates of UNESCO Creative Cities network. Presented within the Santa Fe Conference, Barcelona Creative Tourism, a pioneer program, raised great interest among tourism professionals, artists and creative developers. Have a look at http://www.barcelonacreativa.info or find out more about the initiators, FUSIC.
Culture Action Europe is supported by the European Commission's Culture Programme and the European Cultural Foundation:
This publication reflects the views of Culture Action Europe and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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