Show latest news, more from December 2010.
IFACCA celebrates its 10th anniversary
On 3 December 2010, it will be 10 years since delegates to first World Summit on Arts and Culture unanimously recommended the establishment an international federation of arts and cultural support agencies.
At the final session of the World Summit, hosted by the Canada Council in Ottawa, Sarah Gardner (the then Director of Strategic Initiatives of the Australia Council for the Arts) said, in proposing the new organisation, “I believe that we can only nurture and sustain what we have by sharing. By pooling our knowledge and resources. By offering each other our expertise about the best ways to facilitate and encourage people, young, old, urban or rural, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to communicate with each other and express themselves through art – to sing, dance, paint and tell their stories...The proposed Federation will maintain the momentum generated over the last three days. It will keep open the lines of communication. It will not only enhance our ability to achieve our goals as individual agencies, but also to further those of our neighbours”
Delegates speaking on the subject strongly supported establishment of the federation (see website for further background). A number of their practical suggestions met with agreement:
• First, that the new federation must not become a bureaucracy but remain “light on its feet”, use technology to save costs, act as an “enabling” mechanism, and complement rather than duplicate the
work of existing organizations;
• Second, that the fees paid by the wealthier countries should help subsidize the poorer, but that a nominal membership fee should be considered for all members;
• Third, that geographic diversity, including diversity within regions, should be reflected; and
• Finally, that, while individual members of the federation may take political positions within their own countries, the federation must remain steadfastly apolitical.
Over 300 delegates and observers from over 55 countries, ranging from Japan, USA and Russia to Niger, Sri Lanka and Panama, then unanimously voted in favour of creating the new network.
Over the last 10 years, IFACCA’s mission has been the sharing of knowledge and creating understanding between arts councils and ministries of culture worldwide. Its achievements have included:
- The establishment of a network of national members in 70 countries, with a further 50 affiliates
- The development of three regional chapters, in Asia, Africa and Europe
- A collaborative research program, with the 34th D’Art research report (Support for international arts activity) to be released in January 2011
- A fortnightly newsletter, ACORNS, for and about arts councils and culture agencies reaching over 5000 readers worldwide
- A suite of events for members, including CEO Seminars, mini summits and regional meetings.
- Four World Summits, the only international event of their kind in the arts and culture policy field, with the 5th World Summit to be held in Melbourne, Australia, on 3-6 October 2011
IFACCA will announce a number of initiatives to celebrate its 10th anniversary in the lead up to the 5th World Summit, including a new Strategic Plan which will be released in the coming month.
Above all, we would like to sincerely thank our members – it is their support and guidance which has enabled IFACCA to achieve its aims.
We would particularly like to mention our Founding members:
Arts Council England
Arts Council of Finland
Arts Council of Ireland - An Chomhairle Ealaíon
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Australia Council for the Arts
Bomas of Kenya
Canada Council for the Arts
Cayman National Cultural Foundation
CFLAC - China Federation of Literary & Art Circles
Creative New Zealand - Toi Aotearoa
Creative Scotland
Cygnor Celfyddydau Cymru - Arts Council of Wales
Fiji Arts Council
Ministère de la Communauté française de Belgique, Cabinet de la Culture
Ministerio de Cultura de Colombia
Ministerio de Cultura de la República de Cuba
Ministry of Community & Cultural Affairs, Palau
Ministry of Community Development, Culture & Gender Affairs, Trinindad and Tobago
Ministry of Community Development, Youth, Sport & Culture, Seychelles
Ministry of Culture & Fine Arts, Cambodia
Ministry of Culture & Tourism, Papua New Guinea
Ministry of Culture & Tourism, Solomon Islands
Ministry of Youth, Sport & Culture, Jamaica
National Arts Council of Singapore
National Arts Council of South Africa
National Arts Council of Zambia
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe
National Commission for Culture & the Arts
National Culture Fund, Bulgaria
National Endowment for the Arts
National Trust of Guyana, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport
Norsk Kulturråd - Arts Council Norway
Raad voor Cultuur - Council for Culture, Netherlands
Swaziland National Council of Arts and Culture
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