Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue: Reflection Paper

In the context of the EU Council of Ministers’ Work Plan for Culture 2011-2014, a working group has been tasked with discussing and exchanges policy and practices around cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in 2012-2013. In order to assist the group’s activities, in August 2012 the Directorate General for Education and Culture of the European Commission (DG EAC) asked the EENC to prepare a short paper outlining key issues in these fields.

The resulting paper presents a short history of cultural diversity in Europe in recent decades, different policies in this area and raises questions about the policies and programmes that should be implemented. Finally, the paper suggests some possible approaches for turning intercultural action into policy and making policy which supports intercultural action.

The paper was prepared on behalf of the EENC by Chris Torch. It was later discussed at the first meeting of the aforementioned working group, held in Brussels in September 2012.

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Cultural Governance: Literature Review

In the context of preparations for a conference entitled “Cultural Governance in a Globalising World: Better Governance for the Cultural and Creative Sector” which was to be held in August 2012 under the Cypriot Presidency of the EU, in late 2011 the Directorate General for Education and Culture of the European Commission (DG EAC) asked the EENC to prepare a literature review on cultural governance.

The document resulting from this request includes references to over 50 publications addressing the notion of ‘cultural governance’, its implications in cultural policy (policy design, participation, decentralisation, privatisation, etc.), experiences in post-Socialist countries, relations with the creative sector, the governance of individual cultural institutions and a set of other related issues. The literature review places emphasis on publications from recent years and briefly analyses their relevance. An introduction also serves to contextualise and describe the issues addressed.

The literature review was prepared by Vesna Čopič and Andrej Srakar. It was submitted to DG EAC in January 2012 and updated in February.

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The Public Value of Culture: Literature Review

In the context of preparations for a conference entitled “Cultural Governance in a Globalising World: Better Governance for the Cultural and Creative Sector” which was to be held in August 2012 under the Cypriot Presidency of the EU, in late 2011 the Directorate General for Education and Culture of the European Commission (DG EAC) asked the EENC to prepare a literature review on the public value of culture.

The document resulting from this request includes references to over 50 publications addressing the public value of culture, the intrinsic value of culture and other related notions, including a variety of issues related to the economic, social and political impacts of cultural practice and cultural policy. The literature review places emphasis on publications from recent years and briefly analyses their relevance. An introduction also serves to contextualise and describe the issues addressed.

The literature review was prepared by John Holden and Jordi Baltà. It was submitted to DG EAC in January 2012.

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Culture and the Structural Funds in Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia

In the framework of the design and negotiation of the EU’s Cohesion Policy and the Operational Programmes for the funding period 2014-20, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture asked the European Expert Network on Culture (EENC) to prepare papers to analyse how the cultural and creative sectors could foster local and regional development in several EU Member States.

Each national analysis presents an overview of available information on how the Structural Funds have been used with regard to the cultural sector, a short SWOT analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of investment in the cultural and creative sector and an identification of priorities for investment in culture in 2014-2020.

Following the 4 papers published in July 2012, eight new papers are presented hereafter – as prepared by Lidia Varbanova (Bulgaria), Pascal Brunet and Laurence Barone (France), Hatto Fischer (Greece), Péter Inkei (Hungary), Gráinne Millar (Ireland), Jorge Cerveira Pinto (Portugal), Corina Şuteu (Romania) and Zora Jaurová (Slovakia).

Culture and the Structural Funds in Bulgaria

Culture and the Structural Funds in France (in French)

Culture and the Structural Funds in Greece

Culture and the Structural Funds in Hungary

Culture and the Structural Funds in Ireland

Culture and the Structural Funds in Portugal

Culture and the Structural Funds in Romania

Culture and the Structural Funds in Slovakia

Culture and the Structural Funds in Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain

In the framework of the design and negotiation of the EU’s Cohesion Policy and the Operational Programmes for the funding period 2014-20, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture asked the European Expert Network on Culture (EENC) to prepare papers to analyse how the cultural and creative sectors could foster local and regional development in several EU Member States.

Each national analysis presents an overview of available information on how the Structural Funds have been used with regard to the cultural sector, a short SWOT analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of investment in the cultural and creative sector and an identification of priorities for investment in culture in 2014-2020.

The first four papers completed are presented hereafter – as prepared by Cornelia Dümcke (Germany), Pier Luigi Sacco (Italy), Dorota Ilczuk and Małgorzata Nowak (Poland) and Jordi Pascual (Spain). Similar analyses of some other EU Member States are currently being prepared.

Culture and the Structural Funds in Germany

Culture and the Structural Funds in Italy

Culture and the Structural Funds in Poland

Culture and the Structural Funds in Spain

The Role of Arts Education in Enhancing School Attractiveness – Literature Review

This paper summarises the conclusions of existing research literature on the impact of the arts on school attractiveness and students’ engagement with school. The literature review examines attractiveness in the eyes of different stakeholders in the educational field (students, families, teachers, school boards, etc.) and the conditions which may enhance such attractiveness and also identifies fields in which additional research may be needed.

The exercise resulted from a request presented to the EENC by the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission, following the EU Council of Minister’s adoption of  ‘Conclusions on Cultural and Creative Competences’ in November 2011 and with a view to forthcoming activities in the framework of the Council’s Work Plan for Culture 2011-14.

The literature review was prepared between November 2011 and February 2012 by EENC members Anne Bamford and Michael Wimmer.

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Civil society empowerment in third countries: are culture actors providing powerful voices in support of democratisation processes?

In the context of the preparations for the 2011 edition of the European Culture Forum (Brussels, 20-21 October), the EENC was asked to design papers for each thematic panel in the programme.

This paper, prepared by EENC member Yudhishthir Raj Isar, addresses the place of culture in the context of democratisation processes outside Europe, particularly in the light of recent developments in the Arab world. The types of cooperation that the EU and European cultural operators could establish with their counterparts in third countries are presented and analysed.

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Culture – A smart investment for European regions?

In the context of the preparations for the 2011 edition of the European Culture Forum (Brussels, 20-21 October), the EENC was asked to design papers for each thematic panel in the programme.

This paper, prepared by EENC member Pascal Brunet, analyses the role that culture can play in regional development strategies across Europe. The potential contribution of culture to regional objectives and the types of European and regional policies needed in this respect, including in the context of the European Union’s 2020 growth strategy, are addressed.

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Which skills for culture in a globalised and digitised world?

In the context of the preparations for the 2011 edition of the European Culture Forum (Brussels, 20-21 October), the EENC was asked to design papers for each thematic panel in the programme.

This paper, prepared by EENC member Colin Mercer, addresses the skill needs identified in the cultural sector in the context of globalisation and digitisation. The author analyses needs in the different phases of the cultural sector’s ‘value production chain’: namely, creation, production and reproduction; promotion and marketing; distribution and access; and consumption and usage.

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Digitisation – How to fully exploit opportunities?

In the context of the preparations for the 2011 edition of the European Culture Forum (Brussels, 20-21 October), the EENC was asked to design papers for each thematic panel in the programme.

This paper, prepared by EENC member Aleksandra Uzelac, addresses the challenges and opportunities brought about by digitisation in the cultural sector, including the impacts on audiences and users, the potential for cooperation and networking and the emergence of new business models.

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