Newsletter # 02 english
betr. kulturpolitik für europa
"Cultural Politics for Europe" is edited by Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft
Culture Counts
Three important international cultural-political congresses will take place during the German EC-presidency 2007: Culture counts for Europe’s future! Modern culture and media policies play an important part within the German Federal Republic’s political agenda for the European presidency. First in line is the German UNESCO Commission. From April 26th to 28th the Commission organises a three-day conference on cultural diversity in Essen, European Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010. One week later, on May 3rd and 4th, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and the Office for Cultural Policy and Economy invite to their Berlin conference on “Culture Creative Industries in Europe. Coherent Policy in a Global World”. Finally, on June 7th and 8th, the 4th Federal Meeting for Cultural Policies takes place in Berlin under the title “culture.makes.europe – europe.makes.culture”. For the first time it will debate on issues related to European cultural policies. More Information here![[Internal]](fileadmin/templates/images/link_int.gif "Internal link")
Incomparable: Art & Culture
According to a study by the European Parliament, cultural budgets in Europe display only little transparency, this being just one of the reasons why they can hardly be compared with each other. It is extremely difficult to analyse the financing of the arts and culture in Europe, at least for the period from 2000 to 2005, because the necessary data are generally not accessible. And if they do exist, they are hardly comparable with each other. That is one of the results of the study on "Financing the Arts and Culture in the EU", which was drawn up on behalf of the European Parliament: "The current availability of data does not constitute a strong foundation for the EU to structure a targeted and effective policy." More information here
FIT for the festival
Festivals come ten a penny. But where is the difference when it comes to their quality and sustainability? This question was examined by the Theatre/Festivals in Transition initiative. Against the backdrop of a flourishing festival industry and the associated inflationary use of the term "festival", the Theatre/Festivals in Transition (FIT) initiative spent the last two years examining the current role and future potential of festivals in general, and of theatre festivals in particular. More information here
Free every day
In the past, free daily newspapers were alternately seen as being "the future of the press market" or "a threat to quality journalism". They have in the meantime achieved an average market share of more than 20 percent in Europe ... Compared to the previous year, paid daily newspapers in France par exemple lost between 0.6 and 1.7 percent of their readers in the 2005/2006 fiscal year, while free papers recorded 4.3 percent growth. More information here
European cultural associations
There are just under 80 cultural associations at the European level. According to a new study commissioned by the Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft, only a good half of them are actually active in matters of cultural policy for Europe. If the associations are assigned to the classical cultural sectors, it is striking to note that the classical cultural genres, such as music, theatre, cultural heritage and cultural education, are the most active, along with associations involved with copyright protection. Under-represented fields are independent cultural work, socioculture and the preservation of customs and traditions. More information here
People in Europe
Bassam Tibi, one of the fathers of the Leitkultur (guiding culture) debate in Germany, would like to depersonalise and thus objectify the topic of "Europe and Islam". Her Royal Highness Laurentien Princess of the Netherlands will become the new President of the European Cultural Foundation with effect from 22 April. She is the successor to Margriet of Orange-Nassau Princess of the Netherlands, who is retiring from office after 23 years as President. Gérard Mordillat, French author and publicist, does not want to see reforms for Europe, but "a revolution, an uprising of ideas, of consciences”. And Jürgen Habermas, German philosopher and leading thinker for Europe, sees the reason for the current paralysis of the EU as lying in the different targets that various European governments associate with the European Union. Read more here
Interview: Jacques Santer
Jacques Santer, former President of the EU Commission, criticises that Europe has too often defined itself "ex negativo" in the past. And yet, there is no alternative to Europe. “We have the Internal Market, we have the euro, but both need a foundation. And culture is the foundation. Today, greater importance would have to be attached to culture, also in the European Constitutional Treaty.” Read more here
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Editors: Wolfgang Hippe (V.i.S.d.P.),
A.R.T Agentur für Recherche und Text Cologne
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redaktion@art-recherche.de
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