International News in December 2005
Show all of 2005
National Cultural Trade Research Base launched
The National Cultural Trade Research Base of China was launched here Thursday in Beiijng, at the Communication University of China (CUC). more >
Australian culture donations improving
Arts and culture donations are improving, according to a survey of "giving" in Australia conducted earlier this year. more >
Canada first in protecting cultural diversity
Canada has become the first State to ratify the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which was adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference last October. more >
US donates $1mill to Kosovo heritage
The US has donated $US1mill to Kosovo, following a 2005 decision to help fund the protection and preservation of the country's cultural heritage. more >
Alternative evaluation techniques in grant assessment
Having trouble with your grant evaluations? GrantCraft will help you. The project, run by the Ford Foundation, is designed to help grant makers understand new evaluation techniques and concepts, and to help you decide which one suits your organisation best. more >
Art matters
Yes, society needs the arts to grow and thrive - but there's a much more important reason to fund them, says John Tusa. more >
Deliberative Cultural Policy Practices
Roberto Bedoya argues that "policy practices and research can strengthen the cultural sector if the arrangement are equitable and research is fair and accurate." more >
It is time for Africa to search for its soul
The fifth session of the Ministers of Culture Conference kicked off on Tuesday this week at Kenyatta International Conference Centre bringing together members around Africa. more >
Without culture there would be no you
The decorum that characterised the presentation of this year’s National Gallery of Art annual distinguished lecture at the auditorium of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja, last Friday temporarily receded when questions were raised on the place of cultural policy in the ongoing national reform programmes. It almost turned into a hot debate. more >
1st Confucius Institute for Africa launched in Nairobi
Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, the first of such nonprofit school specializing in Chinese language education and culture communication in Africa, was officially launched on Monday. more >
Developing countries losing out in cultural trade
Three countries - the United Kingdom, United States and China - produced 40 percent of the world’s cultural trade products in 2002, while Latin America and Africa together accounted for less than four percent according to a new report by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. more >
Irish book raises €130,000 for tsunami victims
The tsunami aid publication by Irish writers and publishers, 'Moments: Irish Women Writers In Aid of the Tsunami Victims', has raised over €130,000 for the victims of the South East Asian disaster. more >
Plans unveiled for $550 million museum near the Pyramids
Plans have been announced for the $550 million Great Egyptian Museum, to be established near the Pyramids near Cairo. It will be among the world’s largest museums, and is by far the biggest to be built from scratch. more >
Police step up search for £3 million stolen sculpture
Door-to-door inquiries are set to be carried out in the search for a £3 million Henry Moore sculpture. A Mercedes flat-bed lorry, believed to have been used in the theft, has already been recovered and is undergoing forensic examination. more >
Purge on Beijing's first gay festival
Organisers had planned to hold their festival of films, plays, exhibitions and seminars on homosexuality at one of the trendiest artistic communities in China, but police shut down the opening of China's first gay and lesbian culture festival in Beijing on Friday. more >
Zimbabwe arts to step up says former Secretary
Former Secretary for Education, Sport and Culture in Zimbabwe, Stephen Chifunyise, has stated that the multi-billion dollar arts and culture industry will remain in limbo unless there are effective arts organisations to spearhead growth in the sector. more >
2005 Arts & Cultural Policy Research Directory is released
The Center for Arts and Culture, CPANDA, and the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies at Princeton are pleased to release the 2005 Arts & Cultural Policy Research Directory. more >
Jewish theatre resource launched
If you ever wanted to learn about Jewish theatre, now is your chance. A new organisation has been launched for theatre enthusiasts worldwide. more >
Minister closes Nero's palace
Italy’s Culture Minister, Rocco Buttiglione, has announced the closure of Nero’s palace in Rome for at least two years. The Minister announced the news as the palace is at risk from water damage. more >
NCA responds to migration plans
National Campaign for the Arts members in England were sought to respond to proposals made by the Home Office, which may prevent visiting artists from migrating to the area. more >
New members for Americans for the Arts
The Americans for the Arts organisation has appointed new members to its Arts Education Council. The Council, which was created to advise the Americans for the Arts about arts in education, added three new members and one re-elected member. more >
NYSAWC Publishes Set of Workspace Residency Guides
The New York State Artist Workspace Consortium (NYSAWC), 10 organisations in New York, has published two handbooks for artists and arts organisations. The books are designed to create benchmarks for organisations to create successful residency experiences. more >
Russia threatens to end loans to UK
The State Hermitage Museum is to end all loans to its gallery in London, unless the British government provides guarantees against the seizure of works of art. more >
World’s top museums compete for Hong Kong development
Top international museums are circling around one of the world’s biggest cultural contracts: the multi-billion-dollar West Kowloon Cultural District. more >
UN expert urges 'arts inventory'
A United Nations' expert on intellectual property urged countries to prepare inventories on traditional arts to minimise disputes rising from conflicting claims regarding origin, at a sub-regional meeting on intangible cultural heritage in Bangkok. more >
African Culture Ministers Meet Today in Kenya
Angola attends as from this Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya, the meeting of African Ministers of Culture, under the motto "African Renaissance, Culture and Integration", with a delegation led by the deputy minister of Culture Virglio Coelho. more >
Tour fears over work permit plans
Musicians wanting to perform in the UK may be hit by government plans to change the work permit system. more >
China to boost cultural development in rural areas
The Chinese authorities have called for efforts to boost cultural development in rural areas. more >
New NCERT deparment to promote creative arts
To integrate creative arts into school curriculum and promote it as a medium of teaching, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has established the Department of Education in Arts and Aesthetics. more >
For long-pampered artists, Ireland's taxman cometh
Finance Minister Brian Cowen told lawmakers on Wednesday that he wanted to restrict tax loopholes that have created a "phenomenon of tax-free millionaires," including some of the country's best-known artists. more >
Fostering creativity in dangerous times
An insider at Iraq's Culture Ministry discusses challenges and priorities two years after Saddam. more >
British films get tax relief
The British Government has announced that film makers will receive a tax credit, with a 16% relief for large budget films, and 20% for smaller ones. The films will also need to pass a 'culturally British' test, in order to determine whether a film's application for tax relief can qualify. more >
Keeping audio-visual heritage from fading away
The organisation set up exactly ten years ago to promote the preservation of Switzerland's audio-visual heritage says progress has been slow. more >
Objections to culturally objectionable ads
A member of Moscow's government has called for the creation of legislature that would make Moscow billboard-free. Alexander Krutov, a member of the pro-government United Russia faction, stated that the billboard-free zones would protect the city's cultural heritage against growing commercialism. more >
Peru may sue Yale for Inca relics' return
Peru is threatening to sue Yale University in America, for the return of ancient mummies, bones and ceramics, that were taken from Machu Picchu. The items were taken by an American explorer nearly a century ago. more >
UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy launched
UNESCO launched the Confucius Prize for Literacy, the first international award named after a Chinese person, in Beijing yesterday afternoon. more >
Germany launches probe into sarcophagus claimed by Egypt
The Berlin state prosecutor has opened an inquiry into the origin of an Egyptian sarcophagus from the Pharaonic period, recently seized in Germany and which Cairo wants returned, his spokesman said on Thursday. more >
Musicians And Producers Happy About Law-Decree Against Piracy
Musicians and producers of Luanda are happy about the latest moves to block music pirates, and are offering full support to the help the government fight piracy. more >
National Lottery survey
The National Lottery in England is seeking participants to take part in a survey on how they distribute money to the arts industries. Every year the National Lottery raises over £1 billion, and plays a large role in funding the arts industry. more >
Questionnaire from International Association for Community Development
The International Association of Community Development is collecting case studies and information on community development, to promote learning and exchange of experiences. As part of our UK focus we are beginning a 6 month consultation with a wide range of community development agencies, practitioners and organisations. more >
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >