International News in 2009
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Arts and culture policy-related news from online news services. Subscribe to our newsletter, ACORNS. To alert us to international news please email us.
January 2009
Central European University Department of Public Policy Adds a Cultural Policy Stream
The aim of the stream is to provide the understanding of cultural policy making, its protagonists and their interests, and to examine the broad palette of policy instruments applied, their rationale and effects, in a strong comparative perspective. more >
Spain’s government plan to foster cultural industries gains pace
The Cultural Industries Fostering Plan was recently presented by the Spanish Culture Minister, César Antonio Molina, therewith fulfilling his government’s promise to give a strong support to the cultural industries and contribute to their consolidation, modernization and relevance. more >
Arts Council announces 2009 grants
The Arts Council, the Government agency for funding and developing the arts, has made its major grant allocations for 2009, distributing almost €60 million to 352 organisations, venues, festivals and communities across the country. more >
Ian Rankin launches drive for more books in Braille
On the 200th anniversary of the birth of Braille's inventor, bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin has launched a campaign calling on writers, publishers and booksellers to make more books available to the visually impaired. more >
Culture’s Budget will increase in 2009
Chile’s Arts and Culture Council budget will rise to Chilean pesos (CLP) $62.555 million. Funds for public application will rise by 20% and budget for infrastructure by 128%. CNTV (National Television Council) will receive more than CLP $4.000 million. more >
Crecen recursos para la cultura durante 2009
Presupuesto del Consejo Nacional de la Cultura sube a $62.555 millones. Fondos concursables aumentan en un 20% y dinero para infraestructura en un 128%. CNTV recibirá más de $4.000 millones. more >
Yemeni campaign celebrates al-Quds as Arab Culture Capital 2009
Cabinet votes to suspend Dianne Haylock
President of the National Institute of Culture and History, Dianne Haylock, will be suspended without pay for a month – that is the decision of Cabinet after meeting with Haylock today. Reports are that Haylock explained to the Cabinet the justification for entering into the contract with David Gegg’s Cruise Solutions and fielded questions about the contract. more >
National Cultural Centre opens
Sri Lanka's first ever National Cultural Centre was opened at Veyangoda by Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, recently. more >
Art for art's sake; money for God's sake
Art is its own reward, but it has always helped to have a generous patron. more >
Your Cultural Policy Has Expired
Beyond recognising the new, in some areas our policy and our conversations have continuously failed to recognise what's actually been there all along. more >
Czech EU Presidency cultural programme presented
Today the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Alexandr Vondra, the Culture Minister, Václav Jehlicka, and the Deputy Foreign Minister, Helena Bambasová, presented the cultural programme of the Czech Presidency of the European Union. more >
Obama’s pledges for the arts
Artists and arts organisations are hoping for greater support than they received from President Bush when President-elect Barack Obama takes up office. Mr Obama was the only candidate during the election to distribute a detailed programme of initiatives. These include plans for an “Artist Corps” of young artists to promote art in schools and low-income communities, increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), health care for artists, and allowing artists to deduct the market value of any works they donate to museums or public institutions. more >
Government in France increases cultural spending
The French government has allocated an extra €100m to the ministry of culture to spend on arts and museums. more >
Government in Germany increases cultural spending
The federal cultural budget of Germany has been increased—the fourth time in a row—by 3.5%, reaching €1.14bn in 2009. more >
Downturn cuts arts groups' endowments, attendance
Arts groups in the city are cutting their budgets or delaying projects in response to falling donations, ticket sales and the stock market woes' squeeze on their endowments. more >
Culture Minister of Latvia considers resigning due to health condition
By the end of January, Culture Minister of Latvia Helena Demakova (People's Party) plans to decide on whether or not to cease active participation in politics for some while and to resign from her position due to health condition. In a press release, Demakova notifies that medical expertise has established that she has a rheumatic condition. more >
Bailing out the arts
With investment banks, auto manufacturers, and various other industries getting multi-billion dollar bailouts from the federal government, and Congress debating a major economic stimulus package that could include everything from major infrastructure spending to more tax cuts, is now also a good time to invest more federal money in the arts? more >
The arts fall to our concerns over more basic needs
In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow suggested that individuals were motivated by a five-level “hierarchy of needs.” If that hierarchy is applied to society as a whole, it can safely be said we have slipped a notch. It is being reported in Indianapolis - and surely the same story could be told almost anywhere - that the economic crisis is hammering the arts. We must concentrate on our more basic needs, so “culture” - which helps society be all it can be - suffers. more >
Culture Ministry donates music instruments
Ministry of Culture (Mincult) Thursday Evening donated music instruments and sound equipment to the cultural agents in northern Kwanza Norte province. The offer donation was handed over by the incumbent minister, Rosa Cruz e Silva, to the provincial governor, Henrique Júnior, who thanked for the Mincult's gesture, aimed at lessening the shortage and difficulties faced by local artistes. more >
Cultural Exchange between Cuba and Venezuela to be maintained in 2009
Cuba and Venezuela will maintain the cultural exchange, specially that which started in 2008 with the Corazón adentro Mission, which saw its first results in the transformation of life in the Venezuelan communities. more >
It’s always been homeless, but now NTS can’t even get a Shed to stay in
A question mark has been raised over the proposed future home of the National Theatre of Scotland, a former engineering shed. more >
Government to provide security to visitors
Cultural activities as well as recreational programmes will be promoted in the province and all-out measures will be taken to provide security to visitors, Minister for Culture and Youth Affairs Dr Tanveerul Islam said on Saturday. Addressing a meeting of resident directors of all the arts councils of Punjab following explosions outside Al-Falah and Tamaseel theatres. more >
Fiction Reading Increases for Adults
After years of bemoaning the decline of a literary culture in the United States, the National Endowment for the Arts says in a report that it now believes a quarter-century of precipitous decline in fiction reading has reversed. more >
Culture minister denies accusations of contacting Israel
Culture Minister Farouk Hosni lashed out against a recent article published in Al Balagh Al Gadid, a weekly independent Egyptian newspaper, accusing him of communicating with Israeli officials asking them to support his nomination for the UNESCO’s Secretary General position. more >
Musicians add second careers to their repertoires
Working on a dual track is a sound idea for some, delivering artistic as well as financial rewards. more >
Israel strikes Hamas culture ministry
Israeli forces have hit the Hamas ministry of culture in the Gaza Strip, as the offensive turns into an urban battle with resistance fighters. more >
La Cultura Cubana en la Era Digital
Especialistas transdiciplinarios discutieron sobre acceso equitativo, nuevos portadores de conocimiento y amenazas a la seguridad digital la semana pasada en Cuba en el Instituto de Investigación Cultural Juan Marinello. more >
Cuban Culture in the Digital Era
Transdisciplinary specialists in Havana recently discussed equal access, new carriers of knowledge and digital security threats. more >
440 artists and writers call on MSPs to kill off Creative Scotland
More than 400 artists, writers, and producers have signed a letter to MSPs urging them to vote down the next attempt to establish Creative Scotland, the merger between the nation's main cultural bodies, the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. more >
European Year of Creativity and Innovation launched
As the economic crisis continues to get worse, creativity and innovation are key to strengthening Europe's competitiveness and must remain on the EU agenda beyond the current European Year, leading EU politicians stressed at the its launch event in Prague. more >
Awards to promote culture in Armenia
The Ministry of Culture of Armenia prepares awards for the journalists and mass media for covering cultural events. “The journalists should help us, to analyze and show both the good and bad sides of our work, of course based on facts,” said the Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan. more >
Over 200 foreign scholars head to Tehran’s Persian literature congress
Over 250 Iranian and foreign scholars will attend the 6th International Congress of World Teachers of Persian Language and Literature, which will be held at the University of Tehran on January 14 and 15. Foreign guests of the congress are scheduled to have several meetings with cultural officials from Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. more >
Iranian culture minister meets Bahraini counterpart
Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hossein Safar Harandi met with his newly appointed Bahraini counterpart on Monday. During his visit, Bahraini Minister of Culture and Information Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa and Saffar Harandi discussed ways of extending cultural ties between the two countries. more >
ASEAN and partners discuss culture preservation
Culture management officers and specialists from ten ASEAN member nations, as well as China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) gathered in Bangkok, Thailand on Jan. 13 for a forum on risk management for the conservation of cultural heritages. more >
Behind the curtain of Obama's arts policy
So far, we’ve seen only glimmers of how arts policy might look in the Obama administration. But Robert L. Lynch, head of Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit group that worked through the campaign season to give the arts a new political visibility, says he’s met with members of the Obama transition team and that nine proposals the group released Tuesday reflect where things are heading. more >
Arts funding is safe, Heritage Minister says
Two weeks before a hotly anticipated federal budget, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore is preaching sustained cultural funding, saying the CBC's budget is safe and the Conservatives intend to deliver on their election promises despite the financial downturn. more >
Farewell to Liapis as Hellenic Minister of Culture
Mihalis Liapis stepped down as the Hellenic Minister of Culture on January 8, 2009 after 16 months in office (press release). The incoming minister is Antonis Samaras. The speeches for the ceremony have been released. more >
Artists call for Obama to create a Secretary of Culture
Music producer Quincy Jones is leading a call for president-elect Barack Obama to create a Cabinet-level post — perhaps a secretary of culture — for the arts and humanities, reports the Washington Post. more >
The ten first steps that Barack Obama could take to renew the arts
Even in the midst of the current economic crisis, there is a palpable feeling of optimism in the American art community. more >
The Dianne Haylock decision
The President of NICH (National Institute of Culture and Heritage), Dianne Haylock, has been at the center of a firestorm of controversy and yet, the likelyhood is, that her contact will be renewed on February 19th. more >
How can the cultural sector survive the financial crisis?
The global financial crisis is already having a significant impact on philanthropic giving and non-profit organisations. more >
¿Cómo puede el sector cultural sobrevivir a la crisis financiera?
Está claro para todos que la crisis financiera global ya está teniendo un impacto significante en los donativos filantrópicos y las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro. more >
The New New Deal, Part 2 - A New WPA for Artists: How and Why
Aside from reporting on recent developments, this second essay focuses on two new additional aspects of the topic: what a new WPA might look like, and a summary of strong public policy arguments for its creation. more >
Stakeholders puzzled at N2bn spending on Abuja Carnival
Stakeholders, including culture promoter and founder of African Refugee Foundation, Ambassador Segun Olusola said ‘I don’t think the Abuja Carnival can be reviewed on the basis of how much money was spent, but on how many people that took part in it, and its short and long term impact on cultural and tourism development. Money is not the indices to be used in this respect.” more >
Cambodia plans to regulate internet and blogging
Cambodia’s Ministry of Information is drafting a law that will extend the current print media regulations to other forms of media, including the internet. According to unofficial surveys, there are more than 70,000 regular Internet users in Cambodia today. more >
Along With a New Play, a Symposium on AIDS
A play about a young single mother dying of AIDS and the decisions she makes about how to care for her young son is the catalyst for an unusual nexus of art and science. more >
Obama's call to arts
The president-elect's proposed Artists Corps is one plank in his push to revitalize the arts in education. more >
EPA opens European market to entertainers
Experts in Jamaica's creative and cultural industry have said that the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Cariforum countries (Caricom and the Dominican Republic) and the European Union (EU) has provided a tremendous opportunity for local professionals in the arts to penetrate the European market. more >
Illustration of Obama presented to the National Portrait Gallery
Los Angeles artist Shepard Fairey presented the original of his oft-copied illustration of Barack Obama — it's red, white and blue and contains the word "Hope" — to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Copies of the image showed up on posters, coffee mugs, T-shirts, even hats during the presidential campaign. more >
China selects top national museums
Eighty-three museums, including the Palace Museum, were selected from 149 applicants throughout China as National Level I Museums. "Rating museums is an effective way to enhance management of the museums," said Cai Wu, Minister of culture, at the award ceremony. more >
BHU boasts of biggest library in country
Head, department of Library and Information Science, BHU, Prof HN Prasad said that it is the regular use of upgraded and updated technologies in the library that have improved the services offered in the library. The National Mission for Manuscripts, ministry of culture, New Delhi has recently recognised the library as Manuscripts Conservation Centre for its rich collection. more >
Porto hosts international Culture and Creativity Forum
Next month the city of Porto, in Portugal, will host the Culture and Creativity Forum (FCC) 2009, the first official event of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. more >
Art of politics, heart of nation
On 15 January 2009 an exhibition opened on the premises of the European Council in Brussels to mark the beginning of the Czech Republic's six-month presidency of the European Union. The authors were, until the day of the launch, believed to be 27 artists from each of the EU's member-states, but media attention and political turmoil in Bulgaria forced the true - and single - author to declare his hoax on 13 January. more >
Threats to Greek Culture Minister with death
Greece’s newly appointed Minister of Culture Antonis Samaras has been receiving death threats since the moment he joined the new Greek government, Antena TV informs. There is a record distributed on the Internet, which says “You will die soon”. more >
National art gallery gets a new wing with a view
The new wing of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) was thrown open to Delhiites on Monday. The new wing, six times the space available at present in Jaipur House, was inaugurated by Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Also present was Union minister for culture and tourism Ambika Soni. more >
Seven ways to support artists
Artists are more highly trained and educated than the population at large, but their incomes lag far – nearly 40 per cent – behind the average living wage. more >
Turksoy celebrating its anniversary in Ankara
The Joint Administration of Turkic Culture and Arts (TURKSOY) celebrated its 15th anniversary at the Bilkent Concert Hall in Ankara. The event was attended by Azerbaijan Minister for Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev, and Head of the Azerbaijan Union of Writers Anar. more >
Joint MICA-MFA Statement: France and Singapore sign agreement on enhanced cultural cooperation
France and Singapore have signed a framework agreement to enhance cultural cooperation between the two countries. The agreement was signed in Paris by Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the French Republic Bernard Kouchner on 20 January 2009. more >
The Parliament ratifies the 11 members of the Arts Council
The Parliament ratified today the appointment of the Arts Council members nominated by José Montilla, the Generalitat’s President. more >
El Parlament ratifica a los 11 miembros del Consell de les Arts
El Parlament ha ratificado hoy el nombramiento de los 11 miembros del Consell de les Arts propuestos por el Presidente de la Generalitat, José Montilla. more >
Weaker libraries unite: Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry
Weaker libraries are coming together, the Azerbaijani Culture and Tourism Ministry reported. "Libraries are not closing,” Library Division Director at the ministry Latifa Mammadova told Trend News on Jan. 22. “Only the weaker libraries are closing that could not or did not want to unite their readers." more >
French Government Proposes New Cultural Policy
Believing that the current economic crisis has incited the need for stronger French identity, President Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed increased investment in arts and cultural institutions, Artforum reports. more >
Arts need ‘urgent’ reassurance of funding in credit crunch
Arts industry chiefs are seeking urgent reassurance that culture secretary Andy Burnham will fight to maintain the current level of government spending, which is being threatened by the global financial meltdown. more >
Celebrating Scottish culture
Scotland’s Minister for Culture, Strathaven-based MSP Linda Fabiani will be meeting young people at an event in Glasgow this Saturday to celebrate Scottish culture. more >
FG wants speedy passage of 2009 budget
The Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation Senator Bello Jibrin Gada said in Abuja yesterday that government regretted its inability to execute many crucial projects in the 2008 fiscal year sequel to the delayed passage of the budget that year, promising the prompt passage of the 2009 for timely release of funds to its ministries and establishments for the execution of more crucial projects and services. more >
Iran to set up art galleries in Dubai, London
Iran will open art galleries in Dubai and London in the near future, the director of the Visual Office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mahmud Shaluii told IRNA on Tuesday. more >
Change coming to the NEA
The $825 billion economic recovery package proposed by congressional Democrats last week includes a modest allocation for the National Endowment for the Arts, Artnet reports. Under the plan, the NEA will receive a $50 million boost to its current budget of $144.7 million. more >
Parliament ratified 11 members of the Arts Council
Nigeria: Home At Last for Two Culture Institutes
The long drawn argument that trailed the establishment of the Institute for African Culture and International Understanging came to an end penultimate week with the formal launching of the Institute at the controversial Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential library, Abeokuta, Ogun State. more >
Bolshoi Theater nears re-opening
The main state of the Bolshoi Theater, one of the best known Russian landmarks, won't open its doors earlier than in late 2010, although the theater's management denies that the global downturn added to problems with financing the ambitious renovation project. more >
Australian writer who insulted Thai Monarchy shares prison cell with child molester, weapons dealer
Harry Nicolaides is not the first writer to be imprisoned for a passage he wrote, but the Australian, who was sentenced Monday to three years in a Thai prison, was surprised his self-published, semi-autobiographical debut novel was enough for an arrest. "The Land of Smiles," as Thailand promotes itself, ranks in the bottom third of world nations in Reporters Without Borders' 2008 Press Freedom Index.
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ArtsPolicyNow
ArtsPolicyNow, a group of about 60 Downtowners, wants to use culture to help rebuild the country. more >
The future of the music industry
Music bigwigs have been in Cannes trying to chart the future of their troubled industry. The mood around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes during the 43rd Midem was as changeable as the weather outside. more >
Ad-free? Only in France
Urged by the government to break free from “the tyranny of audience ratings,” the five national public broadcasting channels took the singular step last week of eliminating all advertising after 8 p.m. By 2011, French public TV is supposed to go entirely commercial-free. more >
An Old, Bad Idea for the Arts
Why a cabinet-level czar wouldn't help them. more >
With fans, sponsors might be interested
A Centre for Tourism Research in Africa study found that more than half of the audience that attended the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 2007 came from outside South Africa with 35, three per cent from the rest of the continent while 15.9 per cent came from the rest of the world. more >
President of India inaugurates National Folk Dance Festival ‘Lok Tarang’
The Union Ministry of Culture in association with the seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs) has organized a six day ‘National Folk Dance Festival’ as part of the ensuing Republic Day celebrations. more >
House Museum of Nariman Narimanov in Tbilisi to be repaired
The house museum of Nariman Narimanov in Tbilisi will be re-paired. The house museum collapsed in December 2008 during construction work by a foreign company. Narimanov Nariman (1887-1925) was a outstanding state person, a writer and a member of Bolshevik party since 1905. more >
Music legend Pandit Bhajan Sopori awarded
Legendary Santoor Maestro and Music Composer Pandit Bhajan Sopori have been honoured with the prestigious "Baba Allaudin Khan Award". The award was presented to him in a glittering function in Delhi at India Habitat Center. more >
Warhol, Hirst works sold by dealer D’Offay to show across UK
Works by Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Gerhard Richter, part of a collection sold to Britain by the art dealer Anthony d’Offay, will hang in galleries from Scotland to southern England from this year. The collection was valued at the time at 125 million pounds. more >
Purvītis Prize in visual arts to be awarded in Latvia for the first time
11 February 2009 will see the first Vilhelms Purvītis (1872–1945) Prize for outstanding achievements in visual arts awarded in Latvia. The prize will henceforth be awarded every two years to an artist or a group of artists representing Latvia with an outstanding work. more >
Baku to become capital of Islamic culture of 2009 from February
From February of this year Baku will be declared the capital of Islamic culture. Ministry of Culture and Tourism Firudun Gurbanov noted that the main topic of the meetings on February 18-19 at the ceremony of declaring Baku the capital of Islamic culture will be intercivilization and intercultural dialogue. more >
Cartoons show solidarity with Gaza
The Ministry of Culture held a cartoon exhibition last week at the Culture House expressing Yemeni solidarity with Gaza. The exhibition was opened by Minster of Culture, Dr. Mohammed al-Maflehi, who told Saba News Agency that the cartoon artists expressed their thoughts about events in Gaza and the silence of the Arab world through their work. more >
Steelbands get $2.4m aid
The Ministry of Culture, Community Development and Gender Affairs yesterday distributed $2.45 million in cheques to help fund over 100 unsponsored steelbands preparing for the upcoming Panorama competition but its not enough. more >
4 centimeters long golden rod, stamp & other articles discovered from Lakhiyon-Jo-Daro
A four-centimeter long rod of gold, a stamp and other antique articles were discovered by the Archeology Department authorities on Friday during the digging of Lakhiyon-Jo-Daro, the city of nine thousand years old civilization. more >
Culture minister lauds crown prince support to national heritage
A pledge by crown prince and chairman of the economic development board (EDB) Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa to protect national heritage, mainly Bahrain landmark archaeological mounds, which date back thousands of years, was highly acclaimed by the culture and information ministry. more >
Now look here: let's set the agenda for 2009
Next week, Liz Forgan takes over as chair of Arts Council England - at a time when the financial crisis and the digital revolution are presenting serious challenges to Britain's artistic community. What should Forgan's priorities be? more >
Arts leaders urge role for culture in economic recovery
As the Obama administration tackles the challenge of shoring up the economy through infusions of capital and job creation, cultural leaders are urging the president not to forget arts institutions, which are also reeling from the market downturn. more >
Arts industry wishes for new media, mentorship funds in federal budget
New media and mentorship programs for young people should benefit from new arts and cultural funding expected in federal budget to be delivered on Tuesday, said an industry group. more >
Music Industry eyes future at MIDEM
8,000 participants, spanning all sectors of the global music business, from over 80 countries left Cannes saying that MIDEM 2009 had served as a launching pad for them to examine new business models that embrace digital and that they are facing the future with confidence. more >
Arts network for children and youth asks for email support for proposals to government
The Arts Network for Children and Youth has submitted “proposals” to the Federal Government for the “Stimulus Package” and the Province of Ontario’s “Standing Committee of Finance”. more >
Iran issues renewed warnings to BBC
Iran’s minister of Islamic Culture Mohammad Hossein Saffar Harandi voiced renewed warnings against the BBC Farsi-language television network following a cabinet meeting. more >
Estonia and Russia sign cultural co-operation programme
Upon the invitation from the minister of culture Laine Jänes, minister of culture of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Avdejev is arriving in Estonia on Monday in order to sign the programme for cultural co-operation between Estonia and Russia for the years 2009-2011, writes the National Broadcasting/LETA. more >
Canadian government to boost arts funding
The conservative government of Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, which angered arts leaders last year with $45 million in cuts to arts funding, is trying to repair its relationship with cultural institutions, the Star (Toronto) reports. more >
Govt aims to attract international film production
The government last week urged the Ministry of Culture to do more to promote the Kingdom as a destination for international film crews as the ministry hopes to welcome growing numbers of foreign film productions. more >
Chinese troupes open Chinese New Year festivities in Bangkok
Select art troupes from China led by a Chinese culture deputy minister on Monday unveiled a series of festivities in Bangkok to celebrate Chinese New Year around Thailand. more >
Minister of Culture Debate
Ronald Bailey debated the former head of the National Endowment for the Humanities William Ferris about his proposal for a U.S. Minister of Culture. more >
Bruised chief steps down bemoaning 'beer and skittles' level of debate
Sir Christopher Frayling calls for deeper discourse after five years of 'venom'. more >
New ACT programmes supports South African creativity
This year the Arts and Culture Trust (ACT) celebrates 15 years of proudly supporting South African creativity. A strategic planning process by the ACT Board of Trustees has determined how ACT resources should be applied for maximum impact going forward. more >
Artists look to federal stimulus packages for hope
Artists and the nonprofit organizations that employ them hope that funds will materialize in the economic stimulus package to boost hiring in creative fields. They are stating their case with ad-hoc online petition campaigns for the appointment of a national “arts czar” and for the arts to get 1 percent of any stimulus package. more >
Pakistan’s Pashtu artists flee Taliban repression
When his captors released famous Pashtu comedian Alamzeb Mujahid after a week of horror and humiliation in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan’s conflict-ridden North West Frontier Province, they gave him the lone choice of abandoning showbiz. more >
Sir Christopher Frayling's valedictory lecture
The lecture, ‘Slaying the Sixth Giant: On being Chair of the Arts Council’, was chaired by TV presenter Kirsty Wark. The ‘Sixth Giant’ of the title refers to the aim sixty years ago of the newly founded welfare state to ‘slay the five giants of physical poverty’. The Arts Council set out to tackle the sixth giant, poverty of aspiration. more >
National Ballet entertains migrant workers and farmers for free
The National Ballet of China is staging free shows in response to a government call for quality entertainment for people on low incomes and in remote areas. more >
Jerusalem: Capital of Arab Culture events jeopardized by occupation, political fragmentation
Jerusalem, Palestine's occupied capital, was designated the “Capital of Arab Culture” for 2009, but organizers are now finding that plans to hold the cultural festival in the city are near impossible due to Israeli access restrictions and organizational challenges more >
February 2009
Culture: I'd do anything to be crunched like this
Now that Britain is officially in recession, will people start spending less money on culture? The conventional wisdom is that the arts don't suffer during times of economic hardship because the need for escapism is greater than ever – and this is borne out by the latest statistics. more >
Access to Culture Platform – 2nd meeting of the board
The Access to Culture Platform was launched by the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission in June 2008. The Board of the Platform met in Brussels on 20 January for its second meeting, to discuss ongoing work of its three working groups - “Learning and access to culture”, “Participation and audience” and “Creativity and creation”. more >
European Commission – new Media Mundus programme (2011-13)
On 9 January, the European Commission adopted a new Media Mundus programme, a broad international cooperation programme for the audiovisual industry to strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe's film industry and film-makers of third countries. more >
The First Fajr International Visual Art Festival opens in Tehran
The First Fajr International Visual Art Festival opened on Saturday with a ceremony at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. more >
Out with the bureaucrats, in with the artists
The welcome banner that goes up for Dame Liz Forgan, new chairman of the Arts Council of England (Ace), should be emblazoned with the words: 'Take courage.' more >
Vilnius and Linz open their year as European Capitals of Culture 2009
The cities of Vilnius (Lithuania) and Linz (Austria) have held the opening events of their annual programme as European Capitals of Culture. The two cities share the title in 2009 although support very distinct programmes of activities. more >
What kind of cultural leader will Obama be?
Unlike most American presidents, he writes his own books. He is said to enjoy music, especially blues and jazz. His chief of staff was a ballet dancer. His appointees have enough PhDs to fill a faculty club. But what will his arts policy be like? And what will it mean for the visual arts? more >
Tunisia's ancient Kairouan holds "Islamic 2009 Culture Capital" celebrations
Celebrations kicked off in Tunisia's ancient city of Kairouan for the "Islamic 2009 Culture Capital" event, to reach its climax March 10. The event hosts more than 100 religious and cultural activities, art exhibitions, Sufist choir practices and folkloric lyric presentations, the minister told a press conference. more >
Anime, Manga vie for spotlight at Japan Media-Arts Exhibition
The Japan Media Arts Festival, a 11-day event starts tomorrow and will display the 170 winning entries chosen from a record 2,146 submissions, a quarter from 44 other countries. Backed by the Ministry of Culture, the organizers awarded prizes for media-based works in four categories: art, manga, entertainment and animation. more >
Fall of the small after unkindest cuts of all
Three well-established, but smaller, theatre companies have had their Arts Council funds entirely withdrawn, a decision resulting in the demise of at least two of them. In a crisis that is likely to lead to more cuts, does a new council strategy mean the end of the theatre company as we know it, asks Peter Crawley. more >
Controversy surrounds UNESCO’s would-be chief
Controversy continues to follow Egypt’s minister of culture Farouk Hosny as he attempts to build a global consensus for his candidacy as the next chief of the United Nations cultural organization, UNESCO, with Israel and the United States the most outspoken critics of his election. more >
As EPA ink dries
What’s next for our creative sectors in the Caribbean? more >
Blog: Arts stimulate more than the senses
Let’s stop all this nonsense about arts grants being non-productive. Instead, let’s ask our legislative geniuses to make the executives at Citibank as accountable to the public as your local arts administrator. more >
Groups worry about state cuts
News that Gov. Jennifer Granholm plans to eliminate the state Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL) has arts organizations and libraries worried whether state dollars will continue flowing their way. more >
Kennedy Center initiative to help arts groups
Executives of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday announced a plan to provide free, confidential advice to struggling nonprofit arts groups throughout the United States. more >
Cambios en las bases de los Fondos Concursables y en la dirección del MNAV
En una entrevista exclusiva concedida a nuestro diario, el Director Nacional de Cultura, profesor Hugo Achugar habló sobre Fondos Concursables y la Dirección del Museo de Artes Visuales, temas relevantes de la actualidad cultural nacional. more >
Changes in Public Funds’ Rules and in the National Museum of Visual Arts’ Direction
The National Director of Culture, professor Hugo Achugar, on Public Funds and the Direction of the National Museum of Visual Arts (NMVA), more >
Beijing to host biggest intangible cultural heritage exhibit
China will stage the largest exhibition of intangible cultural heritage items in its history here from Feb. 9 to 23, according to the Ministry of Culture. more >
Macedonian artist nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Macedonian artist and humanitarian Zivko Popovski-Cvetin received a nomination for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. Popovski-Cvetin won the honour for his "Peace Flower" project, for which he drew and donated flower-motif paintings for over 30 years. So far, he has donated about 30,000 paintings. more >
Kennedy Center to help struggling arts groups
With the nation's nonprofit arts organizations suffering in the dismal economy, the stalwart John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is offering crisis consulting to see them through. more >
Debating Scottish media's future
In the wake of recent controversy about the funding of the BBC and Channel 4, a one-day conference will see Linda Fabiani, Minister for Culture, join a host of experts to debate the findings of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission and their potential impact. more >
Seeking a forward-looking culture policy
The Ghana Association of Phonographic Industries (GAPI) is working in collaboration with the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) to seek a revision of the 2004 Ghana Cultural Policy into a forward-looking policy, particularly for the music industry. more >
Tune in to hard times, orchestras warned
After receiving a federal government rescue package of $25.4million less than four years ago, the nation's six state orchestras have been warned not to ask for further bailouts. more >
No longer taken for granted
The value of the arts and culture has become a pressing topic that people want to hear about and talk about. more >
Georgia’s Parliament approves new government at extraordinary meeting
At its extraordinary meeting, the Parliament of Georgia approved the composition of the new government and Prime Minister Nika Gilauri. In the new government, Nika Rurua retains his position as the Minister of Culture and Sport. more >
The Norwegian Year of Cultural Heritage 2009
The Norwegian government has designated 2009 as being the cultural heritage year in its White Paper entitled “Living with our Cultural Heritage”. The official opening took place at Marienborg in Trondheim on Feb. 3, 2009 by Minister of the Environment, Erik Solheim and Minister of Culture, Trond Giske. more >
Tourism sector to promote culture
Solomon Islands Culture of Division will soon build a new National Art Gallery funded by the Solomon Islands Government through its Tourism sector. more >
National camp on cartoon-caricature begins
A national camp on cartoon-caricature organized by the Kerala Laithakala Akademy began at Durbar Hall Art Centre in Ernakulam on Friday. more >
IU ballet Professor Violette Verdy will receive France's Legion of Honor
IU professor to receive highest honor bestowed by her native France. more >
Senate majority in excluding arts from stimulus package
Maybe the arts just aren't that stimulating. A wide majority passed an amendment 'to ensure that taxpayer money is not lost on wasteful and non-stimulative projects' such as funding museums, theaters and art centers. more >
VI Euroamerican Campus of Cultural Cooperation: call for examples of good practice
The organizers are searching for good practices in subjects related to culture and science, culture and the natural environment, technological progress, heritage or cultural industries. more >
ALESCO honors Madani
Iyad Bin Amin Madani, Minister of Culture and Information, was on Thursday awarded the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALESCO) medal. more >
Perú establece Ministerio de Cultura
El proceso de gran escala que busca desembocar en una nueva política cultural así como en el establecimiento de un Ministerio de Cultura todavía no ha llegado a tu término en Perú. more >
Gonzalo Carámbula: 'Nadie tiene dudas sobre la importancia social de la cultura'
'A pesar de que han pasado muchos años, el sector cultural todavía no ha podido ubicar la discusión sobre la política cultural en el centro del debate público.' more >
Gobierno francés condecora al Secretario Ministro de Cultura
El secretario ministro de Cultura, Ticio Escobar, recibirá hoy las insignias de caballero en la orden francesa de las Artes y las Letras de manos del embajador de Francia en nuestro país, Gilles Bienvenu. more >
French Government Decorates the Secretary Minister of Culture
The Secretary Minister of Culture, Ticio Escobar, will receive today the Gentleman insignia of the French Order of the Arts and Literature from France’s ambassador in Paraguay, Gilles Bienvenu. more >
Peru Establishes Ministry of Culture
The large-scale process intended to result in a new culture policy as well as the establishment of a Ministry for Culture has not yet been completed in Peru. more >
VI Campus Euroamericano de Cooperación Cultural: se buscan buenas prácticas
Las entidades organizadoras buscan buenas prácticas en temas relacionados con la cultura y la ciencia, la cultura y el medio ambiente, el progreso tecnológico, el patrimonio o las industrias culturales. more >
Gonzalo Carámbula: 'No one doubts the social importance of culture'
'After so many years, the cultural sector has still failed to place the discussion on culture policy in the spotlight of public debate.' more >
Economic crisis hits mountain film festival
The annual Mountain Film Festival, which features films themed around mountains, mountain culture, the environment and nature, is hit by the economic crisis this year. Because of a lack of sponsors, some sections of the festival have been canceled. more >
Garrett dismisses calls to delay resale royalty scheme
During two days in Canberra last week, the visual arts sector and arts bureaucrats presented their views on the federal Government's proposed art resale royalty scheme. more >
Critical mass: hard questions for indigenous arts
A provocative essay raises questions about Aboriginal cultural policy. more >
Why arts funding should be in stimulus
It is time for the American arts community to confront its stunning political ineptitude. It has arrived at a place where there seems to be no one to make its case; no one, at least, free from the taint of self-interest. more >
Another scandal knocks Government’s door
The Government has resorted again to granting deals and projects over-the-counter agreement, rather than setting them to bid, on the occasion of preparations to the Pan African Cultural Festival to be held in Algeria next July. more >
Germany launches new cultural voluntary service
This international voluntary program enables young people aged between 18 and 26 to get involved with cultural policies abroad. more >
Inter-American Development Bank Cultural Development Program. Call for Proposals 2009
The Cultural Development Program seeks to support small cultural projects that have a social impact in the Bank’s member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. more >
Programa de Desarrollo Cultural del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. Convocatoria 2009
El Programa de Desarrollo Cultural está destinado a apoyar pequeños proyectos culturales con impacto social en los países de América Latina y el Caribe, miembros del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. more >
UNESCO’s Director-General makes his second visit to Chile
Koichiro Matsuura, Unesco’s Director-General, has begun his second official visit to Chile (the first one was in 2003). more >
City arts funding oversubscribed
Liverpool's Council chiefs want to build on the legacy of 2008. However, more than 150 arts organisations in Liverpool have applied for a slice of £4.1m in culture funding. Council leaders say the bidding process was "heavily oversubscribed", leaving more than half of the applicants without authority funding. more >
Fertile minds need feeding
Are schools stifling creativity? Ken Robinson on why learning should be good for the soul. more >
Director general de la Unesco inició segunda visita a Chile
Ayer, Koichiro Matsuura, director general de la Unesco, inició su segunda visita oficial a Chile (la primera fue en 2003). more >
Heritage minister defends arts funding plan
Canada's culture minister got a rough ride Monday over arts spending in an appearance before the parliamentary heritage committee. more >
Notre Dame, Louis XIV Chateau reap bonanza out of French crisis
For Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral, the economic crisis is turning into manna from heaven. The cathedral is among 252 heritage sites in France that were earmarked for state largesse on Feb. 2 in President Nicolas Sarkozy’s 26 billion-euro stimulus package. more >
The downfall of a Culture Minister
In one quick reshuffle yesterday morning, Linda Fabiani was gone - the eighth minister with responsibility for culture in the 10 years of devolution dropped through the stage's trap door once again. more >
Cinema, TV artists gather under one roof
Turkish cinema and TVartists join forces under the roof of an organization named the United Artists Occupational Group. The goal is to protect rights and demand royalties for films and TV series they work on. more >
Obama's rescue package for the arts comes a cropper in the Senate
Barack Obama is bucking the trend of recent US presidents in one small but significant way: as well as having the support of musicians from Bruce Springsteen to Beyoncé, he actually has an arts policy. Obama has promised to champion arts education; to increase the funding of the National Endowment for the Arts, currently standing at £125m; and to create an "artist corps" of young creatives trained to work in low-income communities. more >
Premier announces creation of cultural and creative body
Following complaints that the government was not paying enough attention to the nation’s cultural sector, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan has announced the creation of a taskforce to bolster the cultural and creative industry. more >
MTA director pushes to quadruple jazz festival attendance
The organisation of the Malta Jazz Festival will go back into the hands of government, a director on the main board of the MTA has been holding meetings with Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Mario de Marco in a bid to launch an idea that would augment the event’s attendance by tourists. more >
Culture ministry looks to register chapei and khol
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts plans to submit applications to register chapei, a form of sung storytelling, as well as khol, a type of theatrical performance, under UNESCO's Intangible Heritage of Humanity program. The process of registering both art forms with UNESCO, seen as crucial to preserving them, could take up to one year. more >
Inquiry proposes major culture policy overhaul
The Committee of Inquiry on Cultural Policy has proposed a major overhaul of Swedish culture policy in a new report presented to the Minister of Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth. more >
CCA pushes for law allowing tax deductions for cultural expenses
The Cabinet-level Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) is pushing for legislation that would stipulate tax deductions for cultural expenses. more >
Arts funding agreed
Liverpool city council's Executive Board has today approved an £8.45m arts budget which will maintain capital of culture funding levels in the city for the next two years. A total of 67 arts organisations are to benefit after they successfully applied through a new bidding process which has radically altered the council's approach to the arts. more >
Making the literary life a little less precarious
Even famed Canadian writers can end up impoverished. A new benefits program seeks to change that. more >
Michelle Bachelet and Raúl Castro inaugurate the 2009 Havana Book Fair
Confident that "we will become a little closer" and be able "to construct a better future", the Chilean President Michelle Bachelet yesterday represented her country as Guest of Honor at the 18th International Book Fair of Cuba 2009 (also known as the Havana Book Fair) during the inaugural event at the La Cabaña Fortress. She was accompanied by Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz. more >
Tough Times Call for Shrewd Artists
A look at successful strategies adopted by artists and arts organisations in previous recessions. more >
Saving Federal Arts Funds: Selling Culture as an Economic Force
Arts-friendly members of the House and Senate struggled to preserve $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts in the final version of the recovery package, approved by both houses on Friday. more >
Rush for cultural capital legacy
Liverpool Council’s legacy Capital of Culture arts funding is over subscribed by more than twice. Overall, the city is investing £2m more in culture than before it established the Liverpool Culture Company in 2005 to run the Capital of Culture year. more >
Major government reshuffle
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday reshuffled the Kingdom’s Cabinet, changing four ministers and appointing — for the first time — a woman deputy minister. Abdul Aziz bin Muhiyuddin Khoja has been appointed the new minister of culture and information, replacing Iyad Madani. more >
China presents musical instruments to south Sudan gov't
Chinese Ministry of Culture presented on Monday dozens of musical instruments to the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) to enhance the cultural cause in south Sudan. more >
Kids' lit seeks its laureate
A children's laureate to champion reading among kids will be appointed from next year under a program established by an alliance of authors, teachers, librarians, publishers, booksellers and arts administrators. more >
Saudi Arabia appoints Nour Fayez as first female Minister of the country
Nour Fayez of Saudi Arabia has been appointed as the first female cabinet minister of the country as part of major reshuffling. Nour Fayez became the deputy minister for women's education in Saudi Arabia thereby achieving a big milestone in a country where women only started to vote five years ago. more >
Minister calls for efforts to protect language, culture
A raging ‘conflict’ among languages in the world has led to the destruction of cultures and national identities, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage HE Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari said.
Speaking at the opening session of the three-day “Language and Identity” forum launched yesterday, al-Kuwari said a language cannot be separated from a nation’s culture and identity.
more >
Militant threats chill Pakistani entertainers
As Taliban militants gain a stronger hold in this region of Pakistan, they are imposing their view that music, singing and other such arts are un-Islamic. Several entertainers have been kidnapped or killed, while many others have fled, quit or watched their work opportunities dwindle. more >
Culture to unite people for overcoming economic slump
Yu In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in a published address notes that "There may seem to be no relation between culture and the economic crisis, but the fundamental way to cope with it comes from culture because it heals people's painful hearts. During these economically difficult times, our lives would be much harsher without culture and art". more >
Arts Council to reassess downturn
Arts Council England is re-examining the effects of the recession on the companies it funds, just months after it completed its first research into the economic downturn. more >
Online photo archive of Asian cultures launched
The UNESCO Asia Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Office for Hub City of Asian Culture have worked together to launch the Photo Archive of Asian Cultures. more >
Jamaica to receive recommendations to clean up music industry
Prime Minister Bruce Golding has called for a set of recommendations on the action and the direction to be taken to clean up the music that is broadcast or projected in public spaces and through the electronic media. more >
Massive cutbacks in arts funding by US companies, governments
The combined impact of declining corporate sponsorship and drastic government budget cuts is producing a genuine calamity for arts organizations in the US. more >
The Arts Need Better Arguments
Fifty million dollars, in a hastily assembled $800 billion stimulus, is just a bubble on a wave. It's a rounding error, a random fluctuation. It doesn't mean that arts support runs deep and strong. more >
New Scottish Culture Minister holds open forum
Michael Russell, the Scottish Government's new Minister for Culture, met with around 100 representatives from Scotland's arts and culture industry. At an event held at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, Scots artists, architects and creatives were given the chance to share their views on issues affecting the sector. more >
Obama signs recovery and reinvestment act with reinstated support for the arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Smithsonian Institution have secured a small allotment of federal funding as part of the $787bn American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama on 17 February, following fears that arts groups would be completely excluded from the stimulus package. more >
Arts Organizations on the Brink Are Turning to Him for Advice
Within 24 hours of announcing a free consulting program for any troubled arts organizations in the country, Michael Kaiser, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, received 110 emailed pleas from 31 states. more >
Matthew Jocelyn named artistic and general director of Canadian Stage Company
Matthew Jocelyn, an internationally acclaimed theatre director and arts administrator, has been named Artistic and General Director of The Canadian Stage Company, the Board of Directors announced today. more >
Iraq museum row shows turf wars as violence fades
A standoff over when to reopen Iraq's National Museum, plundered after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, offers a glimpse into the political turf wars that are replacing sectarian violence. Iraq's Culture Ministry and the Ministry of State for Tourism and Antiquities have each claimed the authority to decide when the museum, closed since looters robbed it of 15,000 artefacts after the invasion, will be back in business. more >
Culture minister Russell pledges to put artists at the centre of Scottish arts policy
Creative Scotland will still go ahead and creatives will be at the heart of government arts policy, according to Scotland’s recently appointed culture minister Mike Russell. more >
Survival tactics
Local arts companies are cutting costs in a bid to avoid the dramatic downsizing forced upon many of their United States counterparts by the global economic crisis. Will it be enough? more >
New culture minister calls for unity on his return to the arts
Scotland has had nine ministers with responsibility for cultural matters in the 10 years since devolution. If the new minister for culture, Michael Russell, wanted to get his tenure off to a positive start - engaging with the artistic community and answering pertinent questions - he did so in assured style. more >
Garrett's group set to meet
The committee hopes to paint a picture of Australia's cultural future. more >
Minister gives an art attack
The puritanical approach of Medical Education Minister Ramachandra Gowda towards modern art resulted in an unpleasant situation at the inaugural of the National Gallery of Modern Art. Gowda said a few artists, in the name of modern art, were insulting Indian culture and tradition. more >
2009 Heritage awards programme
Entries are now being accepted for the 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. The awards programme, in its tenth year, recognizes the achievement of individuals and organizations within the private sector, and public-private initiatives, in successfully restoring structures of heritage value in the Asia-Pacific region. The deadline for receipt of materials is 31 March 2009. more >
Resist the cultural vandalism - don't let them close our precious libraries
Mega-libraries appeal to eager councils, but such ego trips misunderstand the value of books. more >
Culture Ministry proposes government policy program for KBS
Citizen policy suggestions would be presented in a variety show format, but the ministry would have a say in what is put on the air. The lawyer of main opposition Democratic Party Choi Moon-soon commented, “This is both an act that severely infringes upon a broadcasting company’s rights to programming, which is a decision that should be made autonomously, and a measure that effectively views KBS as a government broadcasting station.” more >
Project nation's development strides, Khoja tells officials
Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Khoja yesterday inspected the ministry’s facilities in Makkah province, including the television and radio stations in Jeddah, and urged officials to double their efforts by making use of technological developments in the media industry.“Achieving reasonable media openness is my priority,” said Khoja. more >
Adriatic Region in focus Part II - out now!
The concluding part of the Adriatic Region in focus brings our attention to Albania, Italy and Montenegro. The new feature examines the historical and cultural conditions of collaborative working across the region from three viewpoints: an in-depth conversation, a photographic collection and a comprehensive mapping of artistic organisations. more >
UAE celebrates 50 years of archaeological work
Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development will next month celebrate the 50th anniversary of the start of the UAE's excavation works and archaeological discoveries. more >
Important meeting of Mayan leaders in Sololá
A National Meeting of Indigenous Authorities was held in Sololá on the 17th of February 2009 with the aim to promote and strengthen the recognition of indigenous authorities. During the event, an important documentary on indigenous authorities was presented to the Mayan leaders. more >
Millions for arts offset funding cuts elsewhere
Victoria Hutter, a spokeswoman for the National Endowment for the Arts, which is responsible for distributing the $50 million, said the agency hopes to post funding guidelines in early or mid-March. more >
Barnett Government asked to rethink Ledger theatre
Shadow Minister for Culture and the Arts Ben Wyatt has hit out at WA Premier Colin Barnett's decision to name Perth's new theatre centre after Heath Ledger. more >
French Ministry of Culture turns 50!
This year France’s Ministry of Culture is celebrating its 50th anniversary. State intervention in the arts and culture domain has a long tradition in France and in 1959 the country is one of the first to set up a central institution in charge of the cultural affairs. more >
Ex-CEO is head of national museum
Bae Soon-hoon, the 67-year-old ex-chairman of Daewoo Electronics and former information minister, has been named the new director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art. He is the first chief of the state-run museum with no background in art. The Ministry of Culture announced its unprecedented decision on Saturday.
more >
A brief window opens into rarely seen Iraq Museum
Iraq Museum director Amira Edan, swamped by a pile of papers on her desk, sighs as she tries to explain the political firestorm swirling around the opening of the Iraq Museum, which became a symbol of the postinvasion looting that devastated Baghdad. more >
Keeping art alive in hard times
Will White, Visiting Arts' new head of communications and development, considers the case for arts funding during the global economic slump. more >
The Budget statement in full
The Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation is a key Ministry in delivering programmes and initiatives that directly benefit families and young people. Accordingly, this Ministry is provided with a budget of $74 million in 2009–2010, an increase of 23 per cent above its 2008-2009 allocation. more >
Partial reopening of Baghdad museum opposed by Iraqi ministry of culture
Iraq's National Museum has partially reopened nearly six years after it was pillaged as Baghdad fell to US forces. A reinauguration ceremony was attended by prime minister Nuri al-Maliki and senior officials who said they wished to demonstrate that the capital was secure and normal life was returning. more >
Albania shuts down film school in property row
Police closing the AcademyAlbanian police shut down the country’s only film school, the Marubi Academy, on Tuesday arresting its dean and several students over a property dispute with the Ministry of Culture. more >
Open letter to Obama regarding Convention on Cultural Diversity
Henri Benkoski – a Belgian government expert on cultural diversity – has addressed a judicious open letter to Barack Obama. The letter calls on the US president to subscribe to the Convention and create a Ministry of Cultural Affairs. more >
Africa's renowned film festival turns 40
The Pan-African Film and TV Festival opens Saturday in Burkina Faso's capital, Ougadougou. The festival will present hundreds of films from across the continent. The festival began 40 years ago, when a group of Burkinabe journalists attended the first World Festival of Black Arts in Senegal's capital, Dakar. more >
Saving the arts
Art critic Oh Kwang-su was inaugurated yesterday as the third chairman of the Arts Council Korea. A myriad of arts-related problems await the new head. more >
Public funding for cinema in Italy cut by 23% for 2009
Arts funding in Italy for 2009 has been drastically reduced, with cinema hit by a reduction of $26.7m (Euros 20.9m), sparking a move by the arts community to change Italy's laws governing funding for cinema and the arts. more >
16th Forum of Ministers of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean
The 16th Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies of Latin America and the Caribbean was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 26-27 February. more >
Cultural Policy Research Award 2009: Applications Open!
Each year, young researchers are invited to propose research projects which could inform policymaking
and benefit practitioners active in the cultural field.
more >
Culture : a new pillar for development?
This is a video of the conference 'Culture: a new pillar for development' held in January 2008. It explored the new challenges of integrating culture as a transversal dimension in development policy and actions and supporting cultural expressions in developing countries. more >
Moving with the changes
Thailand's new Culture Minister talks about preservation, censorship, and youths with dyed hair. more >
If I ran the NEA...
As the president prepares to name a new NEA chief, the LA Times asked people from the arts and other fields to share what their priorities would be if they ran the cultural agency. more >
Global cultural forum to be held in north
The northern Italian city of Monza will in late September host a global cultural forum that aims to rival the annual economic forum in the Swiss city of Davos. more >
XVI Forum of Ministers of Culture and Officials in Charge of Cultural Policies of Latin America and the Caribbean
After the debate held in this meeting, devoted to the topic “Culture Within the Context of the Current World Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities”, the Latin American and Caribbean States recognize the existence of cultural models in the origin of the crisis and at the same time, underline the potential of culture as a way for drafting solutions. more >
El papel de la cultura en la crisis
En la Reunión de Ministros de Cultura de América latina y el Caribe, que comenzó ayer en Buenos Aires, los más de 30 representantes de la región analizaron el papel de la cultura en el escenario de la crisis mundial. more >
Head of Greek Liaison office storms out of Skopje conference
The Head of Greece's Liaison Office to Macedonia Alexandra Papadopoulou walked out of a conference on Friday on topic "Culture and Audio-Visual Communications – Vector of Peace and European Future in SEE Countries", thus protesting the use of country's constitutional name. more >
Meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Ministers: Culture in Crisis paper
During the meeting of Minsters of Culture of Latin America and the Carribbean, which began yesterday in Buenos Aires, the majority of the 30 representatives of the region analysed the paper on 'culture in a situation of global crisis'. more >
Ministry of Culture regrets death of four children in carnival
The Ministry of Culture has addressed a condolence message for the death of four children that were run over by a car, during the infants carnival of Calulo village (Libolo District), in the central Kwanza-Sul Province, ANGOP has learnt. more >
Azerbaijani and cuban ministers of culture sign agreement of cooperation
Azerbaijan`s Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev, who is in Cuba, signed the agreement of cooperation with his Cuban colleague. more >
One dead, 540 injured during Carnival in Haiti
At least 259 people were reported injured in the concluding hours of Haiti's Carnival 2009,bringing the total casualties in the festivity to one death and 540 injuries, local police said on Thursday. more >
Give us creative accounting
Australia is still at the top of the international league table when it comes to support for athletes. But the level of support for the arts is at the bottom. more >
Indonesia, Cambodia ink cultural deal
Indonesian Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on culture with Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Him Chhem at the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday. more >
A really new deal would stimulate the economy of the future, not the past
The facts are that the locus of economic growth has shifted dramatically and a stimulus that focuses on traditional infrastructure cannot succeed. What drives the economy today is not the old mix of highways and single-family homes but new, idea-driven industries. more >
March 2009
Participation in practics – cultural mobility in Europe
On January Interarts became a partner in the 3-year project Practics-see Mobile, which is funded by the European Commission. The project aims to promote mobility among workers in the cultural sector. The project will develop “EU Cultural Mobility Contact Points” (CMCP) which will offer administrative and legal information at two levels. more >
Will the Obamas' interest in the arts create an inflation of appreciation?
Barack and Michelle Obama and their daughters spent the evening of Feb. 6 in the presidential box at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, applauding the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This infusion of the arts into the Obamas' public rituals and family routines comes after eight years in which George W. Bush seldom was seen in Washington's halls of culture. more >
Mansour opens archaeology conference
H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, opened today the Second International Conference on UAE Archaeology and the 10th annual scientific forum of the History and Archaeology Society of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The opening address was delivered by H.E. Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development. more >
Budget woes cut $5.5 million from Missouri Arts Council
Last week, the Missouri Department of Economic Development announced it was going to trim a little more than $5.5 million from the budget of the Missouri Arts Council, MAC, as part of a belt-tightening effort, resulting from a state budget shortfall of nearly $261 million. more >
‘Culture is a right, not a luxury’: Havana book fair
Speaking at the February 12 opening ceremony, Minister of Culture Abel Prieto noted that since it began 25 years ago the annual book fair has become the country’s major cultural event. The revolutionary government and Communist Party of Cuba, he said, were determined that the book fair be held despite the $10 billion in damages caused by three major hurricanes in the second half of last year. more >
Hollywood goes to Tehran - and is ordered to apologise for its sins
It was meant to be Hollywood's attempt at stealing a march on President Barack Obama's offer to reach out a hand to Iran - an ambassadorial trip to a country. If the august group - including American Beauty star Annette Bening, and Field of Dreams director Phil Robinson - thought their arrival in Tehran would be greeted in a spirit of peace and harmony, they had underestimated the pent-up anger of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's staunchly anti-western government. more >
Arts Council England to cut a quarter of its workforce
In an effort to meet a government requirement that it trim its administrative costs 15 percent by 2010, the Arts Council England has announced that it plans to cut 24 percent of its workforce, the Guardian reports. more >
Fine arts are in survival mode as funds dry up
Doreen Bolger sees her new exhibit of circus drawings by Pablo Picasso and other 20th-century artists as just right for the times. Not so great is the $8 fee Bolger was forced to charge when the exhibit opened last week in the otherwise free museum. more >
Bahrain to emerge as culture capital of the Gulf
Bahrain is to spend more than $100 million in a bid to position itself as the culture capital of the Gulf and attract more tourists from the region and beyond, says Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, the kingdom’s new Minister of Culture and Information. more >
Munira Mirza: a blast of fresh air for London
Munira Mirza, the Mayor of London's new director of arts and culture policy, has planned an exciting program events celebrating the capital's history. more >
Eve- Repertoires of innovative and creative projects
The European Commission has unveiled its new EVE online platform showcasing the results of EU-funded projects in education, culture and related areas, as well as a new publication presenting 30 best-practice projects in these areas. more >
Scottish arts body ‘will cost £4m to set up’
Senior sources suggest that the cost of merging the Scottish Arts Council, which funds more than 100 arts bodies across the country, and Scottish Screen, the national film agency, will be more than the £1m set aside for the task, but less than the rumoured £7m. more >
Keeping the audience in the picture
Renowned for her energy and can-do approach, former Andrews Lane Theatre director Pat Moylan is not daunted by taking over as chairwoman of the Arts Council at a time of recession and spending cuts. In fact, she prefers it that way. more >
Chinese winner of looted relics auction denounces Christie's
The Chinese antique collector who bid at a Christie's auction for two looted bronze animal heads, Tuesday told why he has refused to pay his winning bid. more >
Getting creative to survive
People in the arts feel the pinch, too, but they can draw on their talent to stay afloat. more >
Pilot Project for Artist Mobility
The objective of this new appropriation is to enable contributions to the operational costs of mobility funds, programmes or schemes for artists and cultural professionals on a matching basis. more >
Artists to inspire children in lectures
Renowned figures of the Korean art world will become honorary professors for young students. Artists including conductor Chung Myung-whun, soprano Sumi Jo and ballerina Kang Sue-jin hope to inspire elementary, middle and high school students through a program organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. more >
Spanish newspaper archives to be housed under one virtual roof
For the first time, newspaper archives dating as far back as the end of the 18th century are now accessible at the click of a mouse, thanks to a new Biblioteca Virtual de Prensa Histórica. more >
National Endowment for the Arts releases guidelines for Recovery Act funds
The National Endowment for the Arts has released guidelines for the $50 million in emergency funding included in the federal stimulus bill. The money is intended to preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector, an industry hit by declines in philanthropic and goverment support. more >
Albania minister sacked over sex scandal
Albania’s Minister of Culture Ylli Pango was fired on Wednesday, after a video showing him allegedly asking sexual favours from young women applying for a job in his ministry was broadcast on TV. more >
Back to censorship
Our democracy is retreating, what proves this is the decree issued by the ministry of culture to return imposing censorship on books. more >
Global library group sets up center at National Library of China
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has set up a Chinese language center in the National Library of China (NLC), the Ministry of Culture said on its website Thursday. more >
Jero Wacik: don't panic!
The March 4, 2009, edition of Bali Post carried a brief interview with Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, and his suggestions on how the tourism sector can best confront the current global financial crisis. more >
Towards an European model for artistic studies coordination
On 16th February 2009 the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament reported on
artistic studies in the European Union. A Europewide model for coordinating of artistic education may be considered and established.
more >
Berlusconi slashes arts funding again
Silvio Berlusconi is slashing Italo arts funding once again in an apparent repeat of the TV mogul-turned-premier's past m.o. But this time around, it's the third conservative government headed by the Mediaset owner. Italy's arts community isn't that incensed. That's because bizzers approve of the way Berlusconi's culture czar Sandro Bondi is spending taxpayers' coin. more >
The arts lose 'a charismatic bureaucrat' at 81
Jean Battersby, the inaugural chief executive of the Australia Council, has been remembered as a pioneering figure who in the 1970s made the government's new arts funding agency into a "glorious salon". more >
Gaza kicks off "Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture 2009" events with recitations
A two hour concert of Quran and poetry recitation was given in Gaza Saturday as the kick-off event for the Strip’s celebration of Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture 2009. Al-Quds is Jerusalem in Arabic. more >
Poet calls for preservation of traditional Chinese characters
Renowned local poet Cheng Chou-yu called Sunday for the preservation of traditional Chinese characters and for them to be listed as world cultural heritage items that would be entitled to special protection. more >
Culture Ministry to produce films on handicraft artists
The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance plans to make films and animations on Iranian handicraft artists. According to a press release by the Persian service of CHN, the Ministry of Culture ordered the Cinematic Affairs Department of the ministry to produce films about Iranian cultural figures and artists. more >
Media reforms: welcome steps
Saudi society is witnessing a new era of freedom. The Ministry of Culture and Information should be commended for empowering the media and encouraging openness and cultural diversity. A national campaign to encourage public debate and exchange with other cultures around the globe is gaining momentum. more >
India to prevent future Gandhi auctions
India is preparing legislation to prevent more of Mahatma Gandhi's belongings being auctioned off abroad, after a recent sale sparked outrage, the Press Trust of India reported Sunday. more >
Budget for culture 2009
The budget of the Ministry of Culture in 2009 has increased due to the extra funding for the construction of the National Library of Latvia. Apart from this, the state funding for culture has been cut significantly. more >
Euromedinculture citizenship: start of the citizens’ consultation process
With the support of the programme “Europe for Citizens” of the European Commission, the Euromedinculture Citizenship project, aims to place culture and cultural agents at the centre of public discussions on culture as a key element for the European Union’s development. In order to foster this debate, a questionnaire has been designed for citizens, cultural professionals and policy makers. more >
Division of Culture plans to revive cultural activities in schools
Director of the Division of Culture within the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Robert Au, stressed on the need to revive cultural activities in secondary schools "like in the eighties." more >
Art flowers again in Iraq as violence ebbs
Six years after the US-led invasion, art galleries are reopening in Baghdad in the first signs of a renaissance in what was long a cultural capital of the Arab world. more >
Starting-point of celebrations of Sana’a Arab culture capital 2004
The Ministry of culture and Tourism has last week announced opening of cultural activities marking declaration of Sana’a capital of Arab culture 2004 as starting from al-Sabeen Square in Sana’a. more >
Civil dialogue – a framework of engagement for cultural civil society at European level
Culture Action Europe has a unique insight on the way civil society can influence cultural policy-making at European level. more >
Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Culture bureau holds emergency meeting in Sofia
Council of Europe Director of Culture, Cultural and Natural Heritage, Robert Palmer, met with colleagues, to make proposals on the results of Baku conference, amongst othger things. more >
For artists, the picture is bleak
Self-employed writers, actors and musicians know how to get through lean times, but this crisis is forcing many to take dramatic steps. more >
Arts Quarter Announces Findings From Fund-raising and Revenue Generation Survey
Arts Quarter has announced the findings of its recent Fund-raising and Revenue Generation Survey conducted over January and February 2009. more >
Cultural cooperation between Egypt and Norway
Egypt and Norway have agreed to initiate cultural cooperation in some specific fields, including the intangible cultural heritage, creativity, arts and culture for children and youth and literary translation. more >
Frustrating experience
Riyadh International Book Fair, which ends on Friday, has been marked with controversy once again — with liberal and literary minded people complaining of harassment by the commission. more >
The recession and US museums
How to compensate for the loss of philanthropic, endowment and visitor incomes. more >
China to seek return of looted relics through "all necessary means"
China's Ministry of Culture said Thursday the country would resort to "all necessary means" to seek the return of two looted Chinese relics auctioned at Christie's in Paris. more >
Interview: EU urged to sustain its 'creative industries'
Supporting creative industries through better intellectual property protection and the development of world-class IT infrastructure must become a priority for the EU, at a time when China and India are catching up on research and scientific innovation, Slovenia's Minister for Growth Ziga Turk told EurActiv ahead of the Spring Summit. more >
Creative industries – winners from the Austrian tax reform
According to creative wirtschaft austria (cwa), the special interest organisation of the Austrian creative industries, the country’s 30.000 creative businesses will benefit from the new fiscal reform coming into effect in April and bringing tax relief to all jobholders with retroactive effect from January 1st on. more >
Nation turns to culture to cope with financial crisis
China is to set up three major cultural groups to mine its wealth of culture and give a boost to the cultural industry during the financial crisis. more >
Latvian state agency Jaunie tris brali to be liquidated
The state agency Jaunie tris brali (J3B), which was established with the purpose to implement the Latvian National Library, Riga Concert Hall and Contemporary Art Museum construction projects, will be liquidated, the new Culture Minister Ints Dalderis informed LETA. more >
Cultural Post at White House
President Barack Obama has established a staff position in the White House to oversee arts and culture in the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs. more >
Arts world braced for 'hurricane' as recession hits
From art galleries to opera houses, UK cultural organisations face cutbacks or even collapse as private sponsors pull out and government money dries up more >
President Obama establishes new White House cultural post
President Barack Obama has established a new staff position in his White House with the task of overseeing arts and culture, Kareem Dale. Dale, a partially-blind lawyer previously served as national disability director for Obama's campaign and served on the arts policy committee for Obama in Illinois. more >
Creative buds can bloom in a recession
There is less money but more working space in hard times, writes Marcus Westbury more >
Female authors plea for more Ugandan literature
There is hardly a reading culture in the country. Schools lack books, while libraries are scarce. more >
National Endowment for the Arts Announces Upcoming Education Leaders Institutes
How does arts education fuel the nation's economic prosperity and innovation? Or capitalize on new media trends? These and other questions will be addressed at two upcoming Education Leaders Institutes, an NEA initiative that convenes "dream teams" to develop coordinated state arts education plans. more >
Minister defends valorisation of arts students
The Angolan minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, defended a better use of students trained at arts schools of the National Artistic Training Institute (INFA) by giving them opportunities to work in the institution and in general teaching schools. more >
Cancellations and pay cuts as recession plunges American orchestras into crisis
The recession is taking its toll on the American arts scene. According to the support network Americans for the Arts, 10,000 organisations could fold this year. more >
Arts groups lose out in fight for funds
Museums, theaters and operas, already reeling from the recession, are having a tough time attracting support amid perceptions that vital services like soup kitchens and homeless shelters should receive funds first. more >
Resignations due to general lack of law and money in culture
In the past ten days, Serbian Ministry of Culture and Media has received several resignations from the heads of important cultural institutions. more >
We can tap the intrinsic value of arts
With some sensible changes we could build a creative country. more >
London 2012: Artists take the lead in 5.4m project for Cultural Olympiad
Artists of all kinds from across the UK are being challenged to use the nation as a blank canvas for twelve inspirational commissions that will showcase creativity to the world, as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. more >
Creativity in the community offers value for money
Government has a responsibility to fund Australian artists and arts organisations. After all, the government extends support and subsidies to other parts of the economy and the creative sector should be no different. more >
Senate subcommittee keeps $3.89 million in budget for arts, culture
A Michigan Senate subcommittee on the Department of History, Arts and Libraries today voted out of committee an appropriations bill for $3.89 million in arts and cultural funding for fiscal 2010. more >
Quebec plugs holes left by federal arts cuts
Folks in the province's cultural milieu are pleased to see the Quebec government is set to replace some of the arts funding cut by Ottawa last year. more >
Elementary students may get more exposure to culture
The government plans to give Taiwan's elementary students more frequent exposure to cultural activities and is seeking funding for the program. more >
Antonine Wall receives World Heritage Site status
Two culture ministers toured the Antonine Wall yesterday in recognition of its status as a World Heritage Site.The most northerly frontier of the Roman Empire in Britain, which was built on the orders of Emperor Antoninus Pius nearly 2000 years ago, recently became Scotland's fifth World Heritage Site. It joined others, including St Kilda and Edinburgh's Old Town, in achieving the protected status. more >
Copyright infringement faces $29,500 fine
To curb copyright infractions in Vietnam, heavy fines will be imposed said an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.The Chief of the Copyright Agency, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Dr. Vu Manh Chu, said that copyright violations are rampant in all fields, particularly in music, literature, recording, software and broadcasting. more >
Georgia pulls out of Eurovision song contest
Georgia has decided to pull out of the Eurovision Sing Contest after concluding that the disqualification of its controversial song was the result of pressure from Moscow. more >
China provides 20-bln-yuan credit line to help cultural industries
China's Ministry of Culture confirmed here Tuesday that it reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim) to provide no less than a 20-billion-yuan (2.9 billion U.S. dollars) credit line to cultural industries. more >
Digital mix for museums questionnaire
How do you respond to the challenges faced by the development of online networking platforms? Agenda, with the help of Muse, has put together a questionnaire to help clarify the increase in using online social networks and platforms as part of marketing and communications strategies in museums today. more >
Dance Day preparations
On the 29th of April, as every year since 1982, Dance Day will be celebrated all over the world by the international community of dancers and dance enthusiasts. more >
Ministry bans 'obscene' songs to save traditions
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has outlawed all songs with rude or obscene meanings. The proclamation, which immediately bans five popular Khmer songs, was made Friday and signed by Culture Minister Him Chhem. more >
Council of Europe cultural events
The Council of Europe “Cultural Event” (CECEL) label recognises exceptional and innovative cultural and artistic projects, which convey strong messages related to the Council of Europe’s mission and values and address key challenges of the European societies of today. Applications should be submitted to the Council of Europe by 30 June. more >
Mike Russell: bloodied but only a little bowed
Now Mike Russell is back as a key member of the Scottish government with responsibility for culture, external affairs and the constitution, pontificating with chutzpah as if he has never been away. more >
Preparations for cultural event begins
The Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, yesterday chaired a meeting of the organizing committee in charge of preparing for ‘Doha Capital of Arab Culture 2010’, with attendance of the ministry’s Secretary General Mubarak bin Nasser Al Khalifa. more >
Cultural exchange agreement with China
Australia and China have agreed to work more closely on cultural activities such as exhibitions, performing arts, film festivals, media and cultural heritage protection. more >
Lottery grants drop as costs soar
National Lottery grants to sport and heritage projects have dropped by over 50% in a decade while administration costs have soared, figures reveal. more >
Heavy taxes hit art business
The financial meltdown and heavy taxes on works of art imported or sold in India has caused many art galleries to shut down in recent times. more >
Problems Persist, but Arts Advocates See Progress Under Obama
Washington continues to be consumed by economic turmoil, but cultural professionals say they are cautiously optimistic about the future of the arts under President Obama. more >
Scotland cultural policy briefing
Visiting Arts, in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council (SAC), hosted an event for cultural diplomats based in the UK to receive a briefing from members of Scottish Government, SAC and three major Scottish arts organisations. more >
The Cultural Olympiad: sprinting or stalling?
Bold claims are made by its organisers. But is the Cultural Olympiad capable of producing art of any merit? And where is the money coming from? more >
Japan may adopt so-called 'fair use' in secondary use of copyrighted work
The Cultural Affairs Agency on Wednesday asked its advisory body to study a proposal for Japan to adopt the so-called ''fair use'' principle, which allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring the right holder's permission for the promotion of secondary use of such material, agency officials said. more >
In Washington, entertainment makes its case for funding
The National Endowment for the Arts reported this month that 6% of all artists were unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2008 -- twice the rate of other professional workers -- and that the number of unemployed artists grew to 129,000 last year, from 50,000 in 2007. more >
North is the poor relation in spending on the arts
Arts funders are propping up a system in which grants are skewed heavily in favour of London's museums and galleries to the exclusion of any other part of the country, figures have revealed. more >
Singapore Lightens Up
The restrictive city-state relaxes some limits on theaters in a bid to become an arts hub. more >
Are arts and culture still on agenda?
A lot of people, especially artistes, have been wondering whether Zimbabwe has a cultural policy or not. more >
Obama Stiffs the Arts
The arts world is fuming over Obama's dubiously qualified "arts czar," and a humanities appointee who lacks a college degree. more >
Forum for Creative Europe: highlighting Václav Havel
LabforCulture has the video of Václav Havel's keynote speech from the Forum for Creative Europe, Prague, 26th-27th March, online. The former president of the Czech Republic talks about the importance of culture in our everyday lives and connects creativity, humanity and spirituality. more >
Sacred cows asked to cut out the bull at Melbourne International Arts Festival
It's a brave arts festival director who takes on culture's sacred cows - the artists - and challenges them to speak more plainly to their audiences. Melbourne International Arts Festival artistic director Brett Sheehy will do just that. Sheehy, will also urge Australia's funding bodies, arts administrators and board members to stop using a particular form of arts-speak that he describes as "full of obfuscation, abstraction, wooliness and spin". more >
April 2009
Change is needed. Your support is needed
The European Cultural Foundation (ECF) has been working for European integration through arts and culture for more than five decades. Its goal is a truly inclusive Europe - a living and working space that fully embraces cultural diversity, making the most of the opportunities which this diversity offers. They are now appealing for support. more >
Musicians plead for increased arts funding
Linda Ronstadt, Josh Groban and Wynton Marsalis recall their experiences with music before a House panel in hopes of raising the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts to $200 million. more >
Ex-Gov. Kean may sue over NJ arts funding cuts
Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean says he is so upset over Gov. Jon Corzine's plan to cut arts funding that he may sue. The Republican, who led New Jersey for most of the 1980s, tells The Star-Ledger of Newark he's "outraged" by the proposed cuts. more >
Up, up and away - Show Scotland 2009
Show Scotland provides museums and galleries with an opportunity to be creative and daring with their collections and venue space. These innovative and original events are specially designed for Show Scotland. more >
How song, dance and movies bailed us out of the Depression
Popular culture provided the optimism and energy that helped the country get moving. We may need that again. more >
PM puts arts accent on ABC board
Kevin Rudd has finally moved to put his stamp on the ABC and will today begin dismantling the Howard era by awarding two prized vacant seats on the national broadcaster's board to leading figures in the arts community. more >
Québec makes culture a cornerstone of sustainable development
In order to promote the integration of culture into sustainable development and meet its commitment under the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Quebec Ministry of Culture, Communications, and the Status of Women will be working on developing an Agenda 21 on culture until 2013. more >
Evaluation of Consuelo Sáizar’s administration
Analysis of the challenges faced by Conaculta’s new President, after one month of activities. more >
Corte de caja a Consuelo Sáizar
Analizan retos de la nueva presidenta de Conaculta, a un mes de que asumió el cargo. more >
Draft concept of CIS cultural coop being developed
Yasher Gusseinly, Director of the Division for Cooperation with International Organisations and Programs under the Department of International Relations and Cultural Programs of Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture and Tourism considers that culture will become one of the essential uniting factors that will foster friendship and neighbourhood relations between the member-countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. more >
National Arts Council prepares for 2010 World Cup
The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, NACZ, has held a strategic planning workshop for the arts and culture industries ahead of the 2010 world cup soccer showcase. more >
3.3 million cost of establishing Creative Scotland - but since the train has left the platform, where’s the destination?
Culture Minister Michael Russell has made public the cost of establishing Creative Scotland in a marriage of Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council. He has given assurances that the £3.3 million total will come from Government and will not be deducted from the funding allocated to grant aiding of the creative arts in Scotland. more >
Dmitry Medvedev held talks with President of Chile Michelle Bachelet
Enhancement of trade and economic cooperation was one of the key topics of the talks and a framework agreement on cultural cooperation in 2009-2011 between the Russian Ministry of Culture and the National Council for Culture and Arts of the Republic of Chile were signed in the presence of the heads of state. more >
Arts Advocacy Day 2009
Americans for the Arts, in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus and 83 national co-sponsors, celebrated Arts Advocacy Day 2009 yesterday as more than 500 arts advocates from across the nation met with their representatives on Capitol Hill, calling on them to support arts-friendly legislation and policies. more >
570 billion VND for the development and preservation of culture
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced the total capital for the National Objective Programme on Culture in the country in 2009, which is worth 570 billion VND. more >
Copyright handbook targets sellers, producers
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is set to distribute a new UNESCO-funded copyright handbook in a bid to educate local producers and DVD sellers about the importance of intellectual property rights, according to ministry officials. more >
Koreans spending more time on culture activities
According to a joint survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute (KCTI), 30 percent of Koreans went to art exhibitions in 2008, a sharp gain from 9 percent in 2007. They surveyed 3,000 Koreans over 10 years of age. more >
Minister of Culture considers specialisation essential
Speaking at the opening session of the seminar on management of cultural heritage, which is expected to last until April 10, in Luanda, Angola's minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, said that the management of the country's cultural heritage depends on hard work and on the specialisation of technicians of the sector. more >
Launch of FestLab for creativity and innovation
On 27 March, the European Festivals Association (EFA) presented the FestLab for Creativity and Innovation, an initiative in the framework of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009. EFA invites festivals from across Europe and the world to sign up to this initiative and join forces. more >
Council of Europe: ''cultural event'' label – call for proposals
The Council of Europe has launched a call for cultural and artistic projects. The Council of Europe ''Cultural Event'' label recognises exceptional and innovative cultural events in Europe, which address critical issues in European society. The deadline for submitting proposals is 30 June. more >
Annual meeting of the Southeastern Europe Culture Ministers Council
The main focus of the meeting is the utilisation of culture as a means for viable development in the region and the creation of a discussion forum among the Culture Ministers and other governmental and non-governmental structures. more >
Launch of the IV edition of the Euro-Med award for the dialogue between cultures
The Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) and Fondazione Mediterraneo (FM) have the pleasure to announce the launch of the Fourth Edition of the Euro-Med Award for the Dialogue between Cultures. This edition’s theme is Intercultural Dialogue for Peace and Co-existence. Deadline for nomination is May 31, 2009. more >
Segundo Foro de la Alianza de Civilizaciones
El 6 y 7 de abril de 2009, el segundo Foro de la Alianza de Civilizaciones de las Naciones Unidas se llevó a cabo en Istanbul, Turquía. El Foro es el más importante evento mundial que busca promover el entendimiento intercultural. more >
The Second Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations
On 6-7 April 2009, the second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The Forum is the world’s premier event aimed at advancing intercultural understanding. more >
Downturn hits art investment funds
Several art funds launched during 2008—including one that Charles Saatchi was advising—have failed to secure the required cash from investors. more >
ACE warns arts sector it could face cuts of up to £14 million in 2010
The cultural sector is bracing itself for more financial upheaval, after Arts Council England revealed it is preparing for up to £14 million of cuts to its 2010 funding package from government. more >
Filmmaker Ángeles González-Sinde appointed new Minister of Culture in Spain
Filmmaker and until now president of the Academy of Arts and Cinema Sciences, Ángeles González-Sinde, has been named Minister of Culture, substituting César Antonio Molina, by the president of the government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. more >
Boris Johnson scraps multicultural music festival Rise
Boris Johnson has scrapped Rise, London's popular annual multicultural music event, despite insisting last year that major festivals are an "important way" of bringing Londoners from diverse backgrounds together. more >
U.S. museum to return ancient Roman fresco fragment to Italy
The J. Paul Getty Museum said it is returning a piece of 1st century Roman fresco to Italy. The 35-by-31-inch (89-79-centimeter) fragment of a landscape fresco was donated to the museum in 1996. more >
Five million euros from govt to restore quake-hit museums
The Italian government allocated five million euros to help rebuild museums damaged or destroyed by Monday's devastating earthquake in the mountainous central Italian Abruzzo region. Italy's ministry of culture and economic development ministries announced the funds in a statement. more >
Three hits and you’re out, France warns internet pop pirates
Under legislation expected to be approved by Parliament after Easter, will mean that net users face having their connection cut off for repeatedly pirating music, films or games. more >
Mungyeong to host festival of traditional tea bowls
Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province, is hosting the 11th Traditional Tea Bowl Festival May 1-10, offering visitors the chance to appreciate the beauty and culture of traditional tea and tea bowls. more >
African Arts Institute launched to house Arterial Network Secretariat
Spier, a key sponsor of the arts in South Africa, has provided funding to the Arterial Network Secretariat to establish the African Arts Institute, a legal entity to house the Secretariat and undertake various projects in its own right. While the Arterial Network remains and acts as a dynamic network, the Institute provides it with the legal, organisational and infrastructural support that it requires to be effective. more >
Yemeni theater will not rise without efforts of dramatists themselves, says Culture Minster
At the ceremony, to launch a cultural centre, during theatre week, Minister of Culture Dr. Mohammed Abu-Bakr al-Maflhi called for a new theatrical era in Yemen. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy of Culture Minister, Dr. Ahmed Salim al- Qadhi and the Undersecretary of the Ministry for the Arts and Theater sector, Najeeba Haddad. more >
Japanese ‘otaku’ PM looks to comics to rescue economy
As part of ￥15 trillion (US$149.5 billion) of fresh stimulus measures unveiled on Friday, Japan hopes to raise the percentage of its exports of “soft power” — manga, animated films, video games and pop music — from 2 percent of the total to 18 percent over the next decade, creating half a million jobs. more >
Ministry steps up clampdown on copyright piracy
Saudi Arabia has intensified efforts to check the growing market of pirated CDs, DVDs, computer games and IT software, and launched raids to confiscate goods and detain those involved in the business. more >
Draft regulations ban dancing at karaoke establishments
Forbidding dancing at karaoke bars is a new point in the draft decree and regulations on cultural activities and public cultural services, which the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism submitted to the government for approval recently. more >
Florida officials push to outlaw arts funding
Faced with a budget deficit of $3 billion, Florida lawmakers are considering repealing a law providing state funding for art, the St. Petersburg Times reports. more >
Ministry pursues economic diversification through culture
The Ministry of Culture confirmed its commitment to cultural development as a viable means of enhancing the local economy as Dance Specialist Lorna Ava Henry attended an international seminar in Brussels. more >
Greece donates replica of precious archaic korai to China
The Greek Ministry of Culture on Tuesday donated a replica of an ancient marble statue named Peplophoros to a Chinese museum that is under construction. more >
Minister calls for creative freedom
Creativity cannot thrive without a free environment, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari said at the launch of the Doha Creativity and Freedom Festival on Thursday. more >
Making sense of censorship
A bold guide to arts censorship in Australia plans to map a way through controversy for local artists. more >
How mobile phones are changing the way that art is enjoyed and created
If Shakespeare were alive now, he would be a mobile phone novelist," the author Tadashi Izumi asserts. And if Shakespeare lived in contemporary Japan, Izumi may well be right. Five of last year's top ten best-selling novels started life as mobile phone – or keitai – novels. more >
Call for action at EU meeting about culture and development
The Brussels Declaration is the result of the international colloquium Culture and creativity: Vectors for development. It makes clear what necessary steps in the promotion of culture and creativity in developing countries and in international cultural relations should look like. more >
Artists' mobility focal point at Cairo symposium
The discussions ranged from social to aesthetic with breakout groups on cultural dialogue, artist as educator, and curatorial practice. more >
Professional Conversion Programme for Arts Managers
The professional conversion programme is designed to develop a pool of trained arts managers to help take Singapore into our next level as a global arts city. more >
It’s the first Saudi fashion show… please, no cameras allowed!
On March 24, 2009, the city of Jeddah witnessed the first women’s fashion show ever held in the country. However the show was not to be taped or photographed, not even with mobile phone cameras, and attendance was limited to women only. more >
Les Rencontres, putting together new cinema and art
The hybrid could not be more fertile. It is about putting together avant-garde cinema and contemporary art, videoart, multimedia art and artistic trends resulting from the burst of new technologies. more >
Les Rencontres, matrimonio feliz del nuevo cine y el arte
El cruce no puede parecer más fecundo. Se trata de matrimoniar el cine de vanguardia y el arte contemporáneo, el videoarte, el arte multimedia y las tendencias artísticas nacidas del estallido de las nuevas tecnologías. more >
Pulling masterpieces from the ruins
Italy is dispatching art-rescue teams to assess damage and move pieces to safer locationsAs Italy spent Friday in a national day of mourning with an open-air funeral mass for most of its 289 earthquake victims, the country has begun scouring for an invaluable part of its past: its art. more >
Indonesian minister of culture’s public apology for destruction of archaeological site
The Indonesian minister for culture and tourism was forced to make a public apology after the government ignored urgent warnings and failed to halt a controversial new museum and visitor centre in Mojokerto, East Java, which caused extensive damage to important archaeological remains at Trowulan. more >
New regulations on historical sites
Vietnam has more than 3,000 major historical sites and tens of thousands of smaller ones scattered across the country and there is an urgent need to restore and preserve them at any cost. more >
Paris guide
A former Minister of Culture, Andre Malraux, initiated a law in 1968 allowing the inheritance tax to be paid off with works of art. It is for that reason that Paris has the Picasso Museum. Picasso’s children paid the inheritance tax with 250 paintings, 160 sculptures, 30 reliefs, 88 ceramics and over 3,000 graphic works. more >
Blog: Spanish Minister of Culture copies own bio from Wikipedia
The writers of Bilbao-Limerick and emho, two Spanish blogs, have found out that the biography of new Minister of Culture, Ángeles González-Sinde, included on the website of the Ministry and the press release announcing the new government has been copied from Wikipedia. Good move from a Minister that is meant to defend copyrights. more >
Angolan historical figures list drafted
The Ministry of Culture has drafted a list containing the names of Angolan historical figures, following a study carried out by experts of the Multi-Sectoral Commission, to valorise and disseminate the deeds of the most distinguished national personalities over the time around the country. more >
Culture can drive the economic and social growth
Something remarkable has happened in Toronto: extraordinary building projects for major Ontario cultural institutions have been completed. Programs have been renewed and revitalized. Accessibility and inclusiveness have become standards, increasingly reflecting the changing face of Toronto and Canada. more >
Líderes de la región adoptan Declaración de Compromiso de Puerto España
Puerto España: Afirmando su “espíritu renovado de cooperación, integración y solidaridad”, los líderes del hemisferio concluyeron la Quinta Cumbre de las Américas con un consenso de emprender soluciones conjuntas a los desafíos más apremiantes que enfrenta la región. more >
Hemisphere’s Leaders Adopt Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain
Port of Spain: Affirming their “renewed spirit of cooperation, integration and solidarity,” the hemisphere’s leaders concluded the Fifth Summit of the Americas with a consensus to advance joint solutions to address the most pressing challenges facing the region. more >
Movie laws discourage foreign directors
Making movies in Turkey can be quite a challenge, particularly for foreign directors, due to Turkey's filmmaking regulations, which significantly bring down the number of foreign-made movies shot in Turkey. Experts agree that if Turkey's regulations were changed to be less discouraging, moviemakers would be lining up in front of Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism for filming permits. more >
Cultural blogging in Europe
Who blogs? What are they blogging about? Which audiences and communities are being engaged? What are the language-specific issues and the economic models? And how sustainable are they? more >
National Library Directors of the ECO countries gather in Baku
The 2nd Conference of the National Library Directors of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member countries was started in Baku on Monday within the “Baku – Islamic Culture Capital 2009”, APA reports. more >
Plan to fight illegal downloads faces opposition
The governing party of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, scrambling to save a national law that would cut off Internet service to those who make repeated illegal downloads, is threatening to block a European Union telecommunications bill that would undermine the legal foundation of the French plan. more >
Restricted documents left on train
Britain's minister of culture Tuesday apologized for leaving a briefcase full of confidential documents on a train traveling from England to Scotland. more >
New Group Is Formed to Sponsor Native Arts
Even as arts groups around the country are cutting back because of declining endowments and donations, a new foundation to support the work of American Indian, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native artists is being established with an initial $10 million from the Ford Foundation. more >
UNESCO, U.S. Library of Congress and Partners Launch World Digital Library
UNESCO and 32 partner institutions today launched the World Digital Library, a Web site that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives from around the world. more >
La UNESCO, la Biblioteca del Congreso de los Estados Unidos y otras instituciones asociadas ponen en marcha la Biblioteca Digital Mundial
La UNESCO y 32 instituciones asociadas presentaron hoy la Biblioteca Digital Mundial, un sitio web en el que se podrán consultar documentos culturales, únicos en su género, de bibliotecas y archivos del mundo entero. more >
XII Conferencia Iberoamericana de Cultura
Las Ministras y los Ministros de Cultura de la Península Ibérica y de América Latina, reunidos el 22 de abril de 2009 en Lisboa, en la XII Conferencia Iberoamericana de Cultura, bajo el tema "Portugués y Español, Lenguas compartidas, Instrumentos de Identidad, Creatividad y Multiculturalismo". more >
XII Ibero-American Conference on Culture
Ministers of Culture from Portugal, Spain and Latin America, gathered in Lisbon on April 22, 2009, at the XII Ibero-American Conference on Culture, under the theme “Portuguese and Spanish, Shared Languages, Instruments for Identity, Creativity and Multiculturalism”. more >
Cultural Trends - Call for reviews
Cultural Trends, the journal that champions the need for better evidence-based analyses of the cultural sector, is looking for reviews for the ‘grey literature’ Policy Review Notes section. more >
XII Conferência Ibero-Americana de Cultura
As Ministras e os Ministros da Cultura da Península Ibérica e da América Latina, reunidos a 22 de Abril de 2009, em Lisboa, na XII Conferência Ibero-Americana de Cultura, subordinada ao tema "Português e Espanhol, Línguas compartilhadas, Instrumentos de Identidade, Criatividade e Multiculturalismo". more >
Podcast: How Arts Groups Can Weather the Economy
How can arts organizations weather the current economic downturn and continue to serve people well? more >
Blog: The arts and the 2009 budget - good news
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is asked to make £168m in savings over three years; £4m to be cut from Arts Council England's budget 2010-11 Given the circumstances, it looks like good news. more >
Reflecting on cultural policy
"Culture is not only a sector of public action […], it is a dimension of public action, as there are few policy areas which do not have any link with culture," writes Jacques Rigaud, deputy-chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, in an April paper. more >
La cultura iberoamericana, un arma contra la crisis
Los ministros iberoamericanos de Cultura decidieron el 22 de abril en Lisboa dar un impulso a la difusión del español y el portugués en Internet y en el mundo de la ciencia y la tecnología. more >
Ibero-American Culture: a tool to face the crisis
The Ibero-American General Secretary, thinks that culture can be an efficient tool in Ibero-America against the economic crisis. more >
Art Bank acquires works by culturally diverse Canadians
The Canada Council Art Bank is acquiring 55 contemporary works by Canadian artists of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and mixed racial heritage. more >
Americans for the Arts releases new focus
The marriage of the organization’s planning outcomes and fiscal realities resulted in a call for a renewed focus on core audiences and the vital programs that serve them. more >
Dance to Live
Six journeymen share tips for choreographing a career in dance. more >
Budget shrinks arts funding
Arts Council England, the national development agency for the arts, yesterday saw its government funding for 2010/11 slashed by £4 million as part of Alistair Darling’s budget. Though ACE was prepared for larger losses of up to £14 million, the funding cuts will be felt by many companies who were relying on the money to enable new projects to progress. Regularly funded companies, however, could be spared reduction of support. more >
ASEAN workshop on youth, culture underway in Myanmar
An ASEAN workshop on youth, culture and development, hosted by Myanmar, is underway in the country's second largest city of Mandalay, the state newspaper NewLight of Myanmar reported Thursday. more >
La crisi economica è un’occasione per ripensare il ruole dello stato
Sandro Bondi: In merito all'intervento di Marcello Veneziani sulla cultura e la crisi che prende spunto dal convegno organizzat dal MiBAC con l'Accademia di Francia e al quale sono intervenuti oltre quaranta intellettuali italiani e francesi, mi permetto di aggiungere alcune brevi considerazioni. more >
European Capitals of Culture 2012 and 2013 designated
The cities of Guimarães (Portugal) and Maribor (Slovenia) will be the European Capitals of Culture in 2012, followed by Marseille (France) and Košice (Slovakia) in 2013. more >
Regional arts organisations 'hardest hit by recession'
Regional museums, art galleries and theatres are being hit hardest by the recession, according to a new survey. more >
EU extends music recording rights to 70 years
Ageing artists such as Cliff Richard and Paul McCartney will see copyright protection on their recordings in the EU extended from 50 to 70 years after a vote by MEPs. more >
EFA launches FestFlash on innovative and creative arts festivals
The European Festivals Association published the first edition of the FestFlash on Creativity and Innovation – a series of newsletters spotlighting concrete examples of festivals acting as laboratories of creativity and promoters of innovation. more >
£40m fund launched by Arts Council
Theatres, galleries and orchestras will be able to apply for emergency support from a £40 million rescue fund as part of a cultural “new deal” being launched by the Arts Council. more >
A matter of joining forces
The Canadian Artists' Representation/le Front des artistes canadiens was established in 1968 to protect artists' right to be paid fairly. more >
Arts Council chief defends move to hire extras for free
The Chairwoman of the Arts Council has defended her theatre company’s move to seek people to appear in its new production for no pay. more >
Blog: The creative business
David Parrish, author of "T-shirts & Suits, a Guide to the Business of Creativity" provides a series of business masterclasses. more >
Arts Council: counter-recessionary funding
Two days after news of funding cuts the Arts Council have announced they are investing an extra £44.5 million in artists and arts organisations over the next two years to help maintain artistic excellence during the economic downturn. more >
Training important to end crises in cinema
Angolan minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, highlighted Friday in Luanda, the importance of professional training and restructuring of infra-structures as mechanisms to end apathy and crises in the sectors of production, distribution and cinematographic exhibition in the country. more >
Leading the revolution: Can tax reform assist the Australian arts sector?
At the 2020 Summit, the arts sector considered that Australia’s tax system has an important role to play in assisting the arts. more >
A 12-stop tour of France and Europe to invigorate the dialogue on cultural policies
The Observatory of Cultural Policy will hold a series of meetings with a number of partners across France and Europe on the theme “Vers un nouveau contrat pour les politiques culturelles territoriales?” (Towards a new contract for territorial cultural policies). more >
Slovakia Cultural Profile launch
The Slovakia Cultural Profile, a joint initiative between Visiting Arts, British Council and the Ministry of Culture in Slovakia, was launched in Bratislava in March, as part of Visiting Arts' growing collection of country Cultural Profiles. more >
Germany to strengthen its cultural policies abroad
From April 18th to 26th Berlin hosted the 'Foreign Cultural Policy Days' organised by the German Federal Foreign Office together with its main partners in the field of international cultural cooperation. more >
Does ACE know or care about failed grants applicants?
The Arts Funding Detective asked Arts Council England whether they had ever surveyed failed grants applicants. What's interesting in the reply is that not only have they not surveyed failed applicants, they don't even ask them any questions. The Detective has put up a database of three years worth of failed applications for you to look through. more >
Russians up the ante at Cannes
The Russians are returning to Cannes big time, with a Market pavilion twice the size of last's year stand. Highlights include a round-table discussion on the business prospects for Western producers of independent cinema in the Russian market during a time of financial crisis, scheduled for May 15, and a discussion on co-production opportunities for Russian and international filmmakers that will include representatives from key government funding agencies and leading Russian producers on May 18. more >
Culture ministers discuss multilateral cooperation
Culture ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) gathered in the central Russian city of Kazan Monday to discuss multilateral cultural cooperation within the framework of the regional bloc. more >
More private funding needed for Vietnam’s arts
Vietnam’s government should encourage independent sponsors to support the country’s art rather than relying on funding from state-owned agencies. more >
Legislature says no cash for out-of-state artists
For the next two years, at least, artists who live outside Washington state won't be eligible to compete for money from the state's main public-art funding pool. A late amendment inserted in the state capital budget by Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens orders the Washington State Arts Commission to "restrict the purchase of works of art to artists residing in Washington state." more >
Russell flies flag in New York
South of Scotland MSP Michael Russell has been flying the flag for the region across the Atlantic. In his capacity as Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, he was part of the Scottish Parliament delegation for Tartan Week in New York earlier in the month. more >
What’s wrong with the arts establishment
Sometimes luvvies are their own worst enemies. Good grief, did I say sometimes? There are few sounds more likely to turn us all into philistines than the perennial chorus of arts luminaries droning on about how vital the arts are for the nation. more >
Macedonia celebrates World Dance Day
To mark World Dance Day today, the Lokomotiva Centre for New Initiatives in Culture and Art, a partner in a project, “Nomad Dance Academy,” invites Skopje’s residents to the Mala Stanica Multimedia Centre at 7 pm to “donate” their movement accompanied by artists of the academy and their friends. more >
Blog: Fund the arts: It's the law
Thomas H. Kean is former governor of New Jersey. HIs blog suggesting that the new governor follow the law and fund the arts at least to the statutory minimum, brough about an overwhelmingly positive reaction. more >
Kazan hosted VI Conference of SCO Ministers of Culture
VI Conference of the Ministers of Culture of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation member countries was held in Kazan (Russian Federation) on April 26-28. The SCO Ministers of Culture shared their opinions regarding national cultural traditions and youth problems, discussed state and prospects of cultural exchnages and other issues of mutual interest. more >
Beirut is going crazy for books
The city is about to go book-crazy. More than 200 events will take place here as part of Beirut's year as World Book Capital. This festival has been organized annually by UNESCO since 2001 to promote books and reading. The festivities officially began in Beirut on April 23, when culture minister Tammam Salam flew to Paris for the handover ceremony. more >
Astana to host forum of CICA ethnic and cultural unions
Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information in association with the People's Assembly of Kazakhstan will hold a forum of ethnocultural unions of CICA member states on May 1 in Astana. The forum will be aimed at exchanging experience in ethnic and cultural policy, and developing co-operation between the CICA countries in cultural and humanitarian spheres. more >
No time for faint arts
The arts are often first to lose out when governments slash budgets, but former chairman of Arts Council England Sir Christopher Frayling argues that increasing arts budgets could aid economic recovery. more >
Eighth regional meeting of Mercosur Cultural took place in Colombia
Delegates from Paraguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Colombia met in late April in Bogotá, in the context of the Eighth Mid-term Meeting of Mercosur Cultural’s Regional Committee, which aimed to strengthen and promote cultural cooperation and exchange between institutions in these countries. One of the central matters discussed was the consolidation of mechanisms that will enable the implementation of the ‘Mercosur Label’, which should enable the free circulation of cultural goods and services among member countries. For further information, visit: http://www.mincultura.gov.co/?idcategoria=22522 more >
En Colombia se realizó la octava reunión regional del Mercosur Cultural.
Representantes de Paraguay, Argentina, Venezuela, Brasil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay y Colombia se reunieron en Bogotá, en la 8va Reunión Intermedia del Comité Regional del Mercosur Cultural. El propósito de este encuentro era fortalecer y promover la cooperación y el intercambio cultural entre las instituciones de estos países. more >
Ontario is expanding its support of an innovative economy
Ontario is continuing to support the growth of an innovative economy by renewing the Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund with a $12 million investment over the next four years. The announcement was made by the Hon. Aileen Carroll, Minister of Culture, in a speech before the Economic Club of Canada. more >
Idaho arts groups to get more than $900,000 from National Endowment for the Arts
The NEA Thursday announced its second round of funding for 2009. The national arts funding organization will distribute more than $83.4 million to support 1,076 projects by national, regional, state, and local nonprofit organizations nationwide. more >
Theaters, Museums, Libraries Profit From Merkel’s Stimulus Plan
Germany’s museums, theaters and libraries are benefiting from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s economic stimulus plan, using unexpected windfalls to fix leaky roofs, crumbling facades and drafty windows. more >
Historic Scotland offers credit crunch special for families
Historic Scotland is offering a credit-crunch special for families, "Make Your Own History", whereby people get six months free membership when they buy 12 months. This means a family will pay just £6.16 a month for free access to over 70 properties run by Historic Scotland. more >
May 2009
Former athlete fit and able to leap new arts funding hurdle
Perhaps it was Ben Thomson's expertise at leaping hurdles as an international decathlete which convinced ministers he was the right man to be the new chairman of the National Galleries of Scotland. more >
Study emphasizes importance of creative sector to Texas economy
A new study shows that Texas’ creative sector is growing faster and paying higher wages than jobs in other arenas. But the study warns that more funding is needed to continue that momentum. more >
Invoking cultural activism
Germany has decided that the next phase in international affairs belongs not to economics or politics, but to culture. more >
Babylon ruins reopen in Iraq, to controversy
After decades of dictatorship and disrepair, Iraq is celebrating its renewed sovereignty over the Babylon archaeological site — by fighting over the place, over its past and future and, of course, over its spoils. more >
Stage of Emergency
Once flush with corporate and private donations, rising ticket revenue and government subsidies, many nonprofit arts groups now find themselves reeling. Cuts of every kind -- staff and artist layoffs, furloughs, canceled performances and tours, truncated seasons -- are widespread. more >
Art Students' Predicament: Special Skills but Limited Prospects
Lindsay Perkins, a senior at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, carries a grim resignation about her post-college fate. She fears her specialties at the $27,000-a-year private school -- print- and screenmaking -- might not position her well in the increasingly survivalist economy. more >
In the red? Let’s paint the town
While empty shops punctuating high streets may have become a defining, if depressing, feature of the credit crunch, Scotland's artists are finding these spaces left behind by collapsing retailers perfect for setting up impromptu galleries and studios. more >
Once again, France will vote on piracy
As expected, the government of President Nicolas Sarkozy last week revived a proposal to crack down on online piracy by cutting off the Internet connections of people who ignored two warnings to stop unauthorized downloads of copyrighted movies and music. more >
No rhyme, but first female Laureate gives her reasons for taking job
Britains's first female Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, said she had accepted the post yesterday to recognise "great women poets" of the past and to make her 13-year-old daughter proud. more >
Euromedinculture citizenship: participation in regional forums
The Euromedinculture Citizenship first set of regional forums took place in France, Spain and Portugal in April. The events enabled the local population to discuss the cultural dimension of the EU and the themes of the European Agenda on Culture. more >
Consultation on EU plans for a European heritage label
The European Heritage Label was launched as an intergovernmental initiative by several European states in 2007, with the aim of strengthening a shared European identity and fostering a sense of belonging to a common cultural space. In November 2008, a proposal was made to transform the current intergovernmental European Heritage Label into a formal European Union initiative. The European Commission has launched an impact assessment on this proposal, which includes a public consultation open until 15 May. more >
Colloquium on EU-ACP cultural relations
On 2-3 April, the European Commission organised an international colloquium entitled “Culture and Creativity: Vectors for Development” in Brussels. In the framework of EU cooperation with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, the event gathered over 500 participants. It was preceded by a series of professional workshops, where practitioners in a range of fields in the arts and culture analysed the present state of EU-ACP cultural relations and formulated a series of recommendations. www.culture-dev.eu more >
LabforCulture: sharing experiences on the financial crisis
LabforCulture has recently created a dedicated online space featuring articles and stories on the impact of the financial crisis on the culture and arts sector around the world. more >
Music and the arts in conflict transformation and peace building – call for papers
Music and Arts in Action (MAiA), a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal, invites submissions for a special issue examining the role of music and the arts in conflict transformation, peace building and peace movements, to appear in winter 2009/10. The deadline for papers is 1 October 2009. more >
Copied paintings plague Vietnam's museum
How many paintings and sculptures in Vietnam's national art museum are actually copies, nobody knows. But rumors have swirled for years that many treasured originals by Vietnamese artists have been either lost or sold off, and reproductions have taken their place. more >
Culture minister canvasses support for Art and Crafts expo
The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Senator Bello Jibrin Gada, has thrown his weight behind the hosting of the second edition of African Arts and Crafts Expo (AFAC) scheduled to hold between May 31 and June 11 in Abuja. more >
Georgia to host rival contest after Eurovision ban on Putin song
Banned from the Eurovision Song Contest for an anthem that mocked Russia’s Prime Minister, the Georgians have hit back by organising a song festival of their own. more >
2009 World Cultural Diversity Festival
Culture is at the heart of the Diversity Festival organized by UNESCO in many regions of the world, from 11 to 22 May 2009, to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity, for Dialogue and Development. more >
Cooperation between TIBF and foreign publishers is reciprocal
Cooperation between the Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) and foreign publishers is reciprocal, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance mentioned in a press conference on Monday. more >
Americans for the Arts Responds to Administration’s FY 2010 Arts and Culture Funding Recommendations
'As the White House works to jump start the economy and re-prioritize the nation’s domestic spending initiatives, the administration’s FY 2010 budget proposal to increase support for the National Endowment for the Arts provides another encouraging nod of confidence in the role the arts play in America’s future.' more >
Obama's 100 days of art
Americans for the Arts is patting the new president on the back for the commitment to the arts he has displayed in his first 100 days. The cultural advocacy group, which lobbied hard to save $50 million in arts funding in the recently passed economic recovery package, issued a press release from its president Robert L. Lynch, lauding the president’s progress so far, and encouraging him to "build on these initial budget requests to secure even higher funding levels to address the needs of the arts and arts education community." more >
PA Senate votes to eliminate cultural funding despite increasing public demand for arts
On Wednesday, May 6, in its latest budget proposal, the Pennsylvania Senate moved to eliminate cultural funding. Ironically, the proposal comes at a time when arts organizations in the region are struggling to meet increased public demand for their programs and services. more >
Obama calls for more arts aid
President Barack Obama signaled strong support of the arts and humanities by giving sizable increases to the national endowments in the 2010 budget plan he sent to Congress Thursday. more >
Giving to the arts and attracting donors
Audio: AbaF's Sue Roff on why people give to the arts, and how the arts can attract donors. more >
Obama budget plan boosts arts funding
The National Gallery of Art's East Building needs emergency repairs after engineers found signs of structural problems. President Barack Obama's proposed budget released Thursday includes $40 million to repair the landmark, designed by the celebrated architect I.M. Pei. more >
La UNESCO invita a los museos del mundo entero a celebrar el 18 de mayo Día Internacional de los Museos
Defensora de la causa de los museos y de la protección de obras de arte desde su fundación en 1945, la UNESCO invita a los museos del mundo entero a participar el 18 de mayo en las actividades conmemorativas del Día Internacional de los Museos, junto con el Consejo Internacional de Museos (ICOM), organización con la que mantiene una antigua y estrecha relación de cooperación. more >
UNESCO encourages the celebration of International Museum Day: 18 May 2008
As an advocate for museums and safeguarding works of art and museum objects since its founding in 1945, UNESCO joins its long-time partner the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in encouraging museums around the world to celebrate the "International Museum Day" on 18 May. more >
Officials 'broke arm's-length rule' over arts funding
Government officials have been accused of undermining the well-established principle of staying at arm's length when it comes to arts funding. more >
The Council of the European Union session “Education, Youth and Culture”, 11 – 12 May 2009, Brussels
This is 2941st session of the Council of the European Union, took place under the Presidency of the Czech Minister of Education, Youth and Sports and the Czech Minister of Culture. Amiongst other things, culture as a catalyst for creativity and innovation in the domain of economy and economic growth was discussed. more >
Greek government unveils new home for Elgin Marbles
Fresh demands for the return of the Elgin Marbles are accompanying the launch next month of the £115 million Acropolis Museum, which has a reserved space for the world's most famous piece of classical statuary. more >
Vietnam to host 2nd Asia-Europe Film Festival
The Vietnam Cinematography Department, under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has liaised with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to organise the 2nd Asia-Europe Festival on May 15-22 in Hanoi. more >
Plan to create up to 10,000 entry-level jobs in cultural industries
The positions, which will be paid at least at National Minimum Wage, will primarily take the form of apprenticeships or on the job training for people aged between 18 to 24 who have been out of work for up to a year. more >
Producer Is Chosen to Lead Arts Endowment
Rocco Landesman, the colorful theatrical producer and race-track aficionado who brought hits like “Big River,” “Angels in America” and “The Producers” to Broadway, has been nominated as the next chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, the White House said on Tuesday. more >
El PP pide a los cargos de Cultura que expliquen en el Congreso su nueva estrategia
El portavoz de Cultura del Grupo Popular en el Congreso, José María Lassalle, señaló ayer la necesidad de que comparezcan en el Congreso «los principales responsables de la política cultural de España y expliquen cuáles han de ser los nuevos ejes estratégicos que marquen el desarrollo futuro del Ministerio». more >
The political party PP asks public cultural policy makers to explain to the Congress their new strategy
The culture spokesman of Congress’ Popular Group, José María Lasalle, made clear yesterday that ‘the main cultural policy officials of Spain should appear in Congress to explain what the new strategic guidelines for the future of the Ministry of Culture should be’. more >
Visiting Arts announce new Board Chair
Robert Palmer has been officially appointed as Chair of the Board of Directors at Visiting Arts. He attended his first meeting of the Board on Friday May 1 and will chair his first meeting in July. more >
Futurebank sponsors 17th Heritage Festival in Bahrain
Bahrain-based Futurebank, in its first local sponsorship activity, has sponsored the 17th Heritage Festival, organised by the Cultural and National Heritage Sector at the Ministry of Culture and Information. more >
'Britain in danger of creative crunch' says BPI
Speaking at a joint meeting of the Federation of Entertainment Unions, UK Film Council and BAFTA on the future of the creative industries, BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor outlined how the music business has transformed itself in the digital age, but also warned of the threat posed by copyright infringement to thousands of jobs in the copyright sector. more >
Iceland’s art scene faces an uncertain future
Artists are struggling, corporate and private sponsorship is drying up and museums are slashing budgets as the new government comes to terms with difficult times ahead. more >
Saudi Arabia to regulate kingdom-based websites
Dr. Abdulaziz Khoja revealed Saudi Arabia's intention to enact laws, regulation, and legislation for newspapers and internet websites. The most important of the proposed legislation is for websites to require official licenses to be granted by a special agency under the purview of the Ministry of Information. more >
Russia forms organisation to promote local films abroad
The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation is to create a government-sponsored, non-commercial organisation for the promotion of the Russian cinema abroad. more >
Race to preserve the World’s oldest submerged town: Pavlopetri, Greece
The oldest submerged town in the world is about to give up its secrets — with the help of equipment that could revolutionise underwater archaeology. more >
Iceland stuck between a rock and hard place
How will Iceland’s art institutions and galleries emerge from the economic crisis? As most public funding is up for reassessment, the immediate future of independent arts institutions, organisations and projects is extremely shaky. more >
Obama Set on Broadway's Landesman For NEA Head
President Obama yesterday announced his intention to nominate Rocco Landesman, a major player in the commercial theater world, to head the National Endowment for the Arts. more >
Good news for bookworms
The almost total cancellation of library membership fees, as part of the amendment to the Public Libraries Law passed in the previous Knesset, has created a rush to the libraries even without a PR campaign. more >
In Abuja, culture experts canvass preservation of mother tongues
The preservation and promotion of the indigenous languages was the focus of the one-day yearly public lecture organised by the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC). more >
President Obama announces more key administration posts
President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Rocco Landesman, Nominee for Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. more >
Meeting of the Nordic Culture Ministers: 6 May 2009, Reykjavik
The Ministers of Culture from the Nordic countries met in Reykjavik to discuss the reform of Nordic co-operation in the cultural sector, which had been implemented two years ago. more >
How a Saharan refugee camp launched an international film festival
Dakhla, an isolated refugee camp in the Sahara, is not the most likely setting for an international film festival. And yet, last week, this desolate camp in south-western Algeria was transformed into a gala of screenings, workshops and concerts attended by an array of internationally acclaimed actors and film-makers. more >
Policy dialogue launched at first-ever EU-China Cultural Industries Forum
The European Commission and the Chinese authorities are launching a policy dialogue on culture and organising at the same time the first ever EU-China Cultural Industries Forum, which takes place in Shenzhen (China) on 15 May 2009. The aim of this event is to reflect on how to foster cooperation in the cultural industries, while sharing mutually beneficial Chinese and European experiences in this area. more >
Creating A Scene
Desperate to attract a burgeoning creative sector, ‘creative clusters’ are the new economic drivers of Europe, but are they the answer? more >
Culture Ministry organizes Sana'a international gathering for plastic arts
The 2nd session of Sana'a International Gathering for Plastic Arts is to be launch here on Sunday, organized by Ministry of Culture, and will last till May 24th with the participation of 13 Arab countries and China. more >
Georgia welcomes back film crews
Less than a year after it was at war with Russia, Georgia is planning to capitalize on the international attention it has since earned to promote the Caucasian country as a low-cost co-production location. more >
Yemen prepares Tarim City to be Islamic Culture Capital 2010
Yemeni government represented by Culture Ministry began preparing Tarim historical city in Hadhramout governorate to host activities of Islamic Culture Capital 2010. more >
Norway celebrates Eurovision win on National Day
Hundreds of Norwegians sang along to Alexander Rybak's winning song "Fairytale" as they walked in the country's traditional National Day parade celebrating the Norwegian constitution. Norway's minister of culture, Trond Giske, promised that Norway would put on a lavish show next year but without spending as much as Moscow, which splashed out 24 million euros ($32.5 million) this year. more >
UK's games industry demands action to stop brain drain
Increasing numbers of the UK's best videogame designers are being lured abroad in a costly brain drain which the UK industry says the government has done far too little to stop. more >
Former Head Finance BKVB suspected of fraud
The former head of finance of the Fonds voor Beeldende Kunsten, Vormgeving en Bouwkunst (Fund for Art, Design and Architecture) is suspected of stealing €15.5 million from the fund which distributes subsidies to artists on behalf of the Dutch Ministry for Education, Culture and Science. Around €12 million was immediately recoved, but police are still trying to trace the rest of the money, as well as the suspect himself. As most of the money has been recovered, the payment of subsidies to artists is not in danger. more >
A producer for the N.E.A.
President Bush’s chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Dana Gioia, was well-liked, even though (perhaps because) the mission he set out to fulfill was a mild, essentially centrist one. President Obama’s choice, Rocco Landesman, a Broadway producer and theater owner, will undoubtedly provide a bolder vision for the endowment and national arts funding. more >
AU countries will take part in panafrican festival
48 member states of the African Union (AU) announced their participation in the 2nd Panafrican Cultural Festival which will be held in Algeria from the 5th to the 10th of July 2009. 32 countries confirmed their participation by sending the lists of their delegations, indicated the Minister of Culture, Mrs. Khalida Toumi in Algiers. more >
Azerbaijan and Cuba signed a culture agreement
Signing of a co-operation agreement in the area of culture has been signed in Baku today between the Ministry of Culture & Tourism of Azerbaijan and Ministry of Culture of Cuba. more >
Delay in proposed Tory arts funding sparks criticism.
Five months after the Harper government created a $25- million fund that it said would put Canada on the map as a ``cultural capital'' of the world, critics are frustrated that there are still no new details or federal support to better enable Canadian artists to perform on the international stage. more >
Eventfinder chief executive on Ministry's $3m site
Alison Mau interviewed Eventfinder (eventfinder.co.nz) chief executive Michael Turner on TVNZ's Breakfast program on Thursday to discuss the Ministry for Culture's spending on a website, nzlive.com, that has cost the New Zealand taxpayer $3 million so far, with published plans to spend another $3.2 million over the next 4 years. more >
EU grants 25 M euro to the Bulgarian ministry of culture
The ministry of culture will receive 14 million euro for the securing of suitable and effective state cultural infrastructure, contributing to the development of sustainable urban areas. more >
Group to bolster US cultural ties
A society that promotes and supports cultural exchanges and understanding between Bahrain and America has been established. more >
Nominate a cultural policy actor of the month
The Compendium wants to give recognition and visibility to cultural policy actors who have introduced new ideas that led to changes in your country or on the European level. more >
Heritage museum planned in Karachi
Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Ms Sassui Palijo said on Sunday that the government planned to construct a museum in Karachi to promote historical and cultural heritage of the province internationally. more >
A California arts funding bill reaches crucial stage
Arts institutions in California need all the money they can get at this point, and a new bill currently making its way through the halls of Sacramento is poised to help. If it can only make its way out of committee, that is. more >
Eurozine conference held in Vilnius
The 22nd European Meeting of Cultural Journals from 8 to 11 May 2009 was a resounding success, with over eighty representatives of cultural journals from Iceland to Bosnia, Ireland to Belarus meeting in Vilnius to discuss the topic of "European Histories". more >
Poland’s Minister of Culture at USC
During a brief afternoon ceremony inside Dean Cutietta’s office, Minister Zdrojewski decorated the Dean with the Gloria Artis gold medal. This highly prestigious award recognizes the most outstanding individuals for their contributions to Polish culture and is usually bestowed upon the recipient upon the initiative of the Minister of Culture or other high government officials. more >
President of KUNA announces resignation due to a “political audit”
University president decides to reduce the pressure on KNUA, while the culture sector criticizes the trend of using audits as means to evict progressive personnel. more >
La UNESCO Celebra la Diversidad Cultural del 11 al 22 de mayo de 2009
A través de una variedad de eventos culturales organizados en torno al Día Mundial de la Diversidad Cultural para el Diálogo y el Desarrollo (21 de mayo) en la Sede y en muchos otros lugares del mundo, la UNESCO pretende resaltar menos el valor intrínseco de tal o cual producción que la fecundidad de su diversidad. more >
UNESCO Celebrates Cultural Diversity from 11 to 22 May 2009
The numerous cultural events held on and around the World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (21 May) at UNESCO Headquarters and elsewhere in the world are meant to underscore not only the intrinsic value of specific cultural productions, but also and above all the fertility of their diversity. more >
Appreciation award opens to applicants
Emirati writers, artists and researchers have been invited to submit entries for the fourth annual Emirates Appreciation Award for Arts, Sciences and Literature. The award aims “to stimulate the intellectual, cultural and creative people in the UAE, to highlight and honour them, and motivate the younger generations to improve knowledge of science”, said Bilal al Budoor, executive director for culture and arts at the Ministry of Culture. more >
Culture minister expects deep changes in artistic activity
The Culture minister, Rosa Cruz e Silva, said Tuesday in Luanda that her department will do everything to provide regular activities for national artists, by creating proper conditions to spread all the artistic modalities countrywide. more >
Funding issues for English filmmakers in Canada
In Quebec, we are privileged to have a strong film industry that caters to both languages. However, the English language film scene is lost amidst the larger francophone productions that are released every year. It is no surprise that most of the funding and allocation of money is granted to Le Cinema Quebecois. more >
Minnesota libraries gain $4.25 million for arts and cultural programs
Thanks to some savvy lobbying and enlightened legislators, public libraries in Minnesota will get $4.25 million for arts and cultural programs in the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, as well as the fiscal year after that. The sum, which an advocate said should at least triple such programming, represents nearly ten percent of the $44.5 million allocated in the first year by the legislature; nearly half of the total will go to the State Arts Board. more >
Recommendations from the Third Annual National Arts Policy Roundtable
Redford Center Founder Robert Redford and Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, have announced policy recommendations resulting from the third annual Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtable, entitled The Arts and Civic Engagement: Strengthening the 21st Century Community. more >
Chilean President Bachelet opts for culture
Bachelet is doing everything possible to put Chile's culture on the map, on a small scale in her own country, with programmes like Creando Chile en mi barrio, which started in 2007. This year the over-all culture budget was increased by 38.6%, while an additional 126% was added to this specific project. more >
Message from Mr Koïchiro Matsuura on the occasion of World Day for Cultural Diversity
The annual celebration of 21 May as World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development provides an opportunity to reaffirm UNESCO’s constitutional mandate to preserve “the independence, integrity and fruitful diversity of the cultures” of its Member States and promote the “democratic principles of dignity, equality and mutual respect” through education, the sciences, culture and communication. more >
Nocturnal display: Museums in Armenia offer free late evening entrance as part of international campaign
Last weekend art lovers in Yerevan and other towns in three provinces of Armenia had a chance to visit different museums free of charge till midnight thanks to the ‘Museum Night’ campaign. more >
Thousands of booklovers gather in Tehran International Book Fair
Tehran International Book Fair was held in May during 11 days in Tehran Mosalla Site with hundreds of foreign publishers from 75 different countries. more >
Plan to boost creative arts approved
In an effort to transform Taiwan into a major artistic and design center, the Executive Yuan approved a plan May 14 to develop the 'cultural and creative industry' in Taiwan. more >
Michelle Obama, administration's new Minister of Culture?
The heads of New York's most prestigious cultural institutions are in no doubt that she intends to play an active policy-making role in the arts world after they were summoned to meet her last week. more >
Michelle paints herself as the queen of arts
The US first lady is carving out a role as an unofficial culture secretary just months after her husband took office more >
Tarim, Capital of Islamic Culture 2010
The countdown has begun as the ancient town of Tarim in Hadramout prepares itself to become the Capital of Islamic Culture 2010. The Ministry of Culture is expected to declare its cultural program to celebrate the occasion soon. more >
Central Highlands to host International Gong Festival
The inaugural International Gong Festival will be held sometime between July and September in the Central Highland province of Gia Lai. The festival will celebrate the Central Highlands’ gong culture, which was recognised by UNESCO as a unique part of the world’s oral and intangible heritage in December 2005. more >
Culture minister inaugurates library
The Angolan minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, inaugurated Saturday in central Bié province, a district library to cater for local residents. Speaking to the press, after the inauguration ceremony, the minister advised the youths, especially the students, to make a good use of the site for research and exchange of experience, with a view to increasing their knowledge. more >
Swedish Minister takes anti Pirate Bay stance
Lena Adelsohn-Liljeroth, the Swedish Minister of Culture held a speech before the Swedish Society of Popular Music Composers (SKAP) yesterday evening. While she was speaking she also commented on the verdict in the Pirate Bay trial and the sentences handed out to the defendants. more >
EU states concerned over Google library plans
EU competitiveness ministers meeting in Brussels on Thursday are expected to ask the European Commission to take a closer look at Google's plans to create a digital library amid fears that European intellectual property rights are being breached. more >
Culture Ministry builds King Ndunduma statues
Two statues in honour of King Ndumduma shall be built this year by the Ministry of Culture in the Embala do Ecovongo region, 20 kilometres to the south of Kuito city, capital of southern Bié province. more >
Egypt's Unesco hopeful in book burning row
Farouk Hosny has been Egypt's top cultural official since 1987. Doubts still surround the prospects for Egypt's candidate to lead Unesco, the UN's cultural arm, despite his public apology for past anti-Israeli remarks. more >
UAE's Ministry of Culture promotes country's heritage at New York int'l book fair
The Ministry of Culture, Youth '&' Community Development aims to promote UAE innovation and creativity on the global stage through its participation at international cultural and artistic events such as the New York International Book fair, said Bilal Bodoor, Executive Director for Cultural and Arts Affairs. more >
Sorry, Melina. The Elgin marbles should stay put—or at least find their true price
Despite the efforts of the Greek minister of culture, Miss Melina Mercouri, the return of the Elgin marbles to Athens has mercifully not become a British election issue. The marbles are not going back and it is hard to conceive of any circumstance in which they ought to—least of all in response to the garbled nationalism of Miss Mercouri. more >
PRACTICS
The European project PRACTICS, has just launched its four Cultural Mobility Contact Points, in Spain, in the Netherlands, in Belgium and in Wales. These pilot CMCPs aim at providing information of a legal and general nature to facilitate the circulation of artists and cultural operators of all artistic disciplines in or to these countries. more >
Spring plenary meeting in Bratislava
From April 23 to 26, the members of IETM met in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, for the Spring Plenary Meeting of the network. Almost 500 professionals of the performing arts field, from forty different countries, were there to exchange their opinions and practices on the topic ‘Culture and Education’. more >
Bill to boost state arts funding is put on hold until next year
It's "wait till next year" -- again -- for a bill in the state Legislature that would have provided a boost of about $30 million a year for the California Arts Council and raised the state's per-capita arts funding from last in the nation to the middle of the pack. more >
Meeting of ALBA Culture Ministers
The Culture ministers from the member countries of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) regional integration and cooperation bloc met to assess multilateral projects of integration.
more >
Asuncion’s Declaration
Cultural Diversity Coalitions that took part at the '1st Meeting of Mercosur’s Coalitions' which took place in Asunción, Paraguay on May 20-22, 2009, agreed on a number of actions. more >
Declaración de Asunción
Las Coaliciones para la Diversidad Cultural participantes del ¨ I Encuentro de Coaliciones del MERCOSUR¨, realizado en la Ciudad de Asunción, República del Paraguay, los días 20, 21 y 22 de mayo del 2009. more >
New boss, no names - Officials walk into shock of their lives
Everyone is a little nervous the day a new boss joins, but the bureaucrats at Shastri Bhavan weren’t expecting to find their nameplates yanked off their office doors. A thief, not a bureaucratic shuffle — always a possibility when a new minister takes over — was responsible. more >
Four indigenous movements awarded Musgrave Medals
The Institute of Jamaica on Thursday presented Special Musgrave Medals to four of Jamaica's indigenous movements - the Maroons, Rastafari, Kumina and Revivalist. The groups, according to the Minister of Culture Olivia Grange, "represent the richness, vibrancy and dynamism of our forebears, as they sought to maintain their African heritage while in distant, foreign lands". more >
Venezuela distributes free books and movies
Throughout the past week, the Venezuelan Ministry of Culture distributed free books, movies and documentaries. The government's program called the Culture Mission, aims to promote readership by publicly distributing 2.5 million books nation-wide. more >
Venezuela Distributes Free Books and Movies, Promotes Cultural Development
Such promotion of cultural activity is the task of the government's program called the Culture Mission, and a new National Reading Plan, which aspires to promote readership by publicly distributing 2.5 million books nation-wide. more >
Vietnam plans to outlaw dancing in karaoke clubs
Busting a move in a karaoke club may soon get you busted in Vietnam. Government officials are currently pushing for a ban on dancing in the country’s increasingly popular singing establishments. more >
Ministry under fire for failing to preserve heritage
National Assembly Standing Committee on Culture expressed dissatisfaction over the insufficient efforts made by the Ministry of Culture to preserve National Heritages as it has been observed that most of the Historical Buildings are in dilapidated condition and directed the Ministry to ensure their proper maintenance to preserve them. more >
June 2009
Decade of French-Macedonian cultural cooperation
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the French-Macedonian cooperation in field of cultural and historical heritage. A series of events to mark the anniversary will include a conference of mayors at the Museum of Macedonia. Culture Minister Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska, French Ambassador Bernard Valero and Skopje Mayor Trifun Kostovski will make introductory address at the conference. more >
The UNESCO International Literacy Prizes
Applications to the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2009 should be submitted no later than 30 June.
Every year, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes reward excellence and innovation in the field of literacy throughout the world.
more >
Narayansamy made MoS culture
V Narayansamy, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Planning, has also been given charge of Culture Ministry. There is no Cabinet Minister for Culture Ministry. In the previous UPA government, Ambika Soni was the Minister for Culture when it was clubbed with Tourism. The Ministry of Culture has now been separated from Tourism. more >
50,000 Norwegian books available on the net
The Norwegian National Library has just made 50,000 Norwegian books accessible on the net - at no charge and perfectly legal! The service, Bokhylla.no was officially opened by Minister of Culture Trond Giske. more >
Africa Day website launch
To coincide with Africa Day on 25 May, the ARTerial Network launched is Arts in Africa website at the Goethe Institute in Johannesburg, with Lupwishi Mbuyamba, Executive Director of the Observatory for Cultural Policies in Africa (OCPA) as the guest speaker. more >
Cunningham to play star role in creation of new arts funding body
One of Scotland's leading traditional musicians is to play a huge part in forming the nation's new arts funding body. Phil Cunningham, the multi-instrumentalist and composer, perhaps best know for playing the accordion, has been appointed to the board of Creative Scotland Ltd, the company that is planning the £3m merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen into Creative Scotland. more >
Int'l festival of intangible cultural heritage in Chengdu
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sichuan Provincial Government and the UNESCO, the 13-day festival includes the Tian Fu Road Show staged in the festival's opening ceremony. The road show had a length of 1,400 meters. The teams represent cultures that are included in the protection list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and they are the living fossils of human civilizations. more >
Cultural profile to increase in the education sector
A strategy that aims to strengthen the role of Pacific culture in and through all levels of education is a step closer to completion after a group of specialists met recently to examine it. more >
How the Economy Is Shaping Artists' Lives, Livelihoods and Creative Choices
Nearly 700 artists responded to the Artists and the Economy Survey, which invited them to discuss how the recession is affecting their income, creative work and well-being. more >
Presentación de Iberescena en Portugal
El pasado día 5 de junio se realizó la presentación del Programa Iberescena dentro del marco del 32º Festival Internacional de Teatro de Expressao Ibérica (FITEI) de Oporto. more >
Presentation of Iberescena in Portugal
Iberescena was presented within the 32nd International Theater Festival of Iberic Expresssion (FITEI) that took place in Oporto. more >
All is set for the opening of the New Acropolis museum
A frenzy of preparations are taking place in Athens where in two weeks the new Acropolis museum is going to have its inauguration. more >
Helping hand
An Italian team of experts prepared the strategy for the development and management of cultural tourism in Bulgaria, to support the activities of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture and other Bulgarian stakeholders, including Bulgaria’s State Tourism Agency. more >
Ignatieff woos Quebec with arts vow
Little by little, Michael Ignatieff is unveiling his strategy to win in Quebec, and last night he said he will restore arts funding that all but sunk the Conservatives here last fall. more >
Luanda governor defends more divulgence of cultural heritage
provincial governor of Luanda, Francisca do Espírito Santo, defended on Thursday here the need for more diffusion and information to citizens about the existing cultural heritage in Luanda. more >
Mussolini is dead; we are still here!
The British Council now operates in 110 countries worldwide. Its residence abroad has not always been a smooth one. Neil Kinnock (Lord), chair of the British Council, argues, that the institution is independent of the British government in its operations and approximately 12.6 billion Br or 70pc of its annual turnover income is self-generated. more >
Deputy minister of Culture in Huambo for sector's evaluation
The deputy minister of Culture, Cornélio Calei, started this Monday morning a four-day work visit to Huambo Province, aimed at evaluating the state of the sector in this region of the country. more >
Travel writers hit out at 'exclusive' WHS/Penguin deal
The British Guild of Travel Writers has questioned W H Smith's decision to sign an exclusive arrangement with Penguin that will see only its 'foreign' guides available for sale at WHS' travel outlets. Guild chairman Melissa Shales said the decision could damage rival publishers and called for a boycott of Penguin's guides and WHS. Guild member, and travel writer, Hugh Taylor, who has has written to Scotland's Culture minister protesting the move, said he would no longer work for Penguin. more >
Treasure hunter Odyssey ordered to give booty back to Spain
Did an American treasure hunter plunder Spain’s cultural heritage? Or should private companies have a right to profit from historic vessels sunk in international waters? more >
2011 to be the European Year of Volunteering
The European Commission has decided to propose that 2011 be designated the "European Year of Volunteering". The Council is expected to endorse this decision, after the European Parliament has been consulted, by the beginning of next year. more >
The role of culture in boosting creativity and innovation in Europe is further recognized at EU level
The Ministers of Culture of the 27 Member States recognize that a strategic investment in culture, as well as in cultural and creative industries is vital for strengthening a dynamic creative society and creating jobs in the European Union. more >
Foreign minister of Azerbaijan receives chief secretary of national council of ministry of culture, arts and heritage of Qatar
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammmadyarov received the Chief Secretary of the National Council of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Qatar Mubarak Bin Nasir Khalifa, the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan reported. more >
Information Ministry names spokesman
Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Hazza, assistant undersecretary for internal information, has been appointed the spokesman of the Ministry of Culture and Information. “The appointment was made to unify the ministry’s source of information as well as to reply to media queries on public matters,” the Saudi Press Agency said quoting a statement by the ministry.
more >
Egyptian candidate for Unesco job hits back in Jewish book burning row
The Egyptian politician who is favourite to take over at the helm of the United Nations' education body has defended himself against charges of anti-semitism after he called for the burning of Israeli books.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Farouk Hosni, Egypt's minister of culture, said his words had been taken out of context.
more >
Notebook of sketches by Picasso worth £7m stolen
A notebook containing 32 sketches by Pablo Picasso, valued at about €8m (£7m), vanished yesterday from the Picasso Museum in central Paris. more >
The value of arts (funding)
The recession has squeezed state budgets across the country, and different governors have taken different approaches to how they treat the funding of their state arts agencies. Citizens can look at how leaders are treating the arts during the recession to gauge how the arts might be valued in their states (or at least by their leaders). more >
House Subcommittee Sets Budgets for Arts Groups
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior has approved a bill that sets the annual budgets for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities at $170 million each for the 2010 fiscal year. more >
Review to cut costs and 'refresh' Opera Australia
At Opera Australia, they are calling it a "renewal process" but maybe it's a rebirth. Since Dr Ziggy Switkowski took over as OA chairman last year, the company has, in his words, "embarked on a process of engaging with the community" and is "seeking fresh perspectives". more >
El A.B.C. de la 'Ley Fanny Mikey'
Desde hace 20 años, María Eugenia Penagos, directora del Círculo Colombiano de Artistas (Cica), ha luchado por la ley sobre derechos de autor. Solo hasta ahora ve una luz en el camino. more >
The Basics of ‘Fanny Mikey’s Law’
María Eugenia Penagos, Director of the Colombian Artists’ Circle (CICA), has been fighting for over 20 years to create a new copyright law. Only now has she seen the light at the end of the tunnel. more >
'Smear' row poet to open festival
A poet who resigned from a prestigious post over an alleged smear campaign against a rival is to open this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival. Ruth Padel is to speak about her great great grandfather Charles Darwin. She is among writers and politicians from 45 different countries taking part in the festival from 15-31 August. more >
French court to pirates: three strikes and ... then what?
France's highest legal authority has ruled as unconstitutional a government plan to cut off, without trial, Internet users accused of copyright infringement. more >
Obama Plays It Safe With the Arts
Now that President Obama has picked Mr. Leach for NEH and Rocco Landesman, a successful Broadway producer, to head the National Endowment for the Arts, the Obama cultural team is complete. more >
Meeting of Mercosur’s Ministers of Culture
Ministers of Culture gathered to discuss the implementation of Mercosur Cultural’s seal, Mercosur Cultural’s projects report, and the cultural policy and legislation of Mercosur member states. more >
Reunión de ministros de Cultura del Mercosur
Ministros de Cultura del Mercosur están reunidos para tratar la aplicación del sello "Mercosur Cultural", el informe de proyectos del Mercosur Cultural, y la política y legislación cultural de los Estados partes y asociados del Mercosur. more >
Thailand returns 7 stolen artifacts to Cambodia
Thailand on Friday handed over seven pieces of Cambodian artifacts stolen by illegal smugglers upon request of the Cambodian government. It is a positive gesture from Thai side in friendship and cooperation, said Hor Nam Hong, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation.
more >
A new generation gets on board for the arts
WANTED: Women under 50 with an interest in the arts and a desire to "give back" to the community to join the boards of the nation's arts companies. Oh, and while handing over wads of your cash to said company will be happily accepted, it's no longer a precondition of your appointment. more >
Fete de la Musique brings free music throughout downtown
A free musical experience is what the city of Kalamazoo will offer pedestrians who venture downtown on June 21, when the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo presents "Fete de la Musique". "Fete" is an international music event which was launched in France in 1982 by the French Ministry of Culture. Also known as World Music Day, "Fete" is held in over 100 countries worldwide each year every June 21, the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. more >
Plans adopted for Hilandar restoration
Serbia's Republic and Provincial Institutes for Protection of Culture Monuments, the National Library of Serbia, with support of a group of Greece's leading experts in the field, are all taking part in the reconstruction works at Hilandar, ravaged in a fire five years ago. more >
The new European Parliament - Perspectives, challenges and opportunities
The recent European elections and the joyful result of the Greens might change the cultural order within the European institutions. more >
Charities struggling
A quiet crisis is unfolding in nonprofit circles across the country, and the issue is particularly acute in wealthy Southwest Florida, where charity is a central part of life and major donors have been hit hard by the economic downturn. Big declines in charitable giving are forcing nonprofit organizations from the YMCA and Easter Seals to the Florida Studio Theatre to cut jobs and programs. more >
Going cuckoo over crime
An artistic collaboration between Malaysia and Singapore delves into crime, violence ... and perhaps some deeper issues. more >
Iran’s “Ashura” puppet show to go on stage in Italy
Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs Mohammad-Hossein Imani-Khoshkhu met with Italian deputy culture minister last week and proposed to stage Behruz Gharibpur’s opera puppet show “Ashura” in Italy. The two parties discussed boosting artistic and cultural relations and joint projects in preserving Iran’s cultural heritage. more >
Conference of Parties to the Convention on Cultural Diversity
The Second Ordinary Session of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions met in Paris on 15-18 June. more >
Don't forget the cultural economy
Could the creative industries provide innovative models which will make this sector not just resilient in the current economic climate, but allow it to flourish? more >
NEA reports decline in arts audiences for 2008
Audiences for the arts in the U.S. continue to decline and age at significant rates, according to a report released Monday by the National Endowment for the Arts. But the Internet holds out hope, as more people are going online to experience culture. more >
All talk, no action on arts promises
Despite all the promises in the 2020 summit, it seems the arts have again been sidelined in our schools. more >
German culture minister slams own government for inaction over piracy
We talk about governments reaching agreement with ISPs and the music industry over what to do about online piracy, but perhaps we should make sure governments agree with themselves first. German minister for culture Bernd Neumann has criticised his own ministry of justice for not doing enough to combat illegal file-sharing. more >
Ministry of Culture awarded ISO certification for integrated management
The Ministry of Culture becomes the first government institution in UAE to obtain ISO's integrated certification in a single installment. The award is considered a testimony for the ministry's dedicated efforts to develop governance performance. The ministry had embarked upon an eighteen-month long concerted work to improve the standards in every aspect of its functioning. more >
Warning to Treasury over peril of cutting arts funding
Shadow culture minister Ed Vaizey is to tell the Treasury that cutting arts funding is "more trouble than it's worth". more >
PetitionOnline.com goes down under attack: Countless petitions silenced for now
Allison Crowe, Canadian musician, is one of numerous artists and academics impacted by UK's controversial new anti-terrorist and immigration laws. Voices of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, petitioning online via the grassroots PetitionOnline.com, are silenced as the site tries to resolve internet attacks from unknown sources. more >
Korea to create 3,000 culture and tourism service jobs
The Korean government said Tuesday it will create some 3,000 new social service sector jobs in the fields of culture, art and tourism this year as part of efforts to fight rising unemployment amid an ongoing economic downturn, according to Yonhap News. more >
Culture Ministry wages war on web?
Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage has prepared an amendment the media law obliging all web sites register with the government. more >
Arts summit to look at diversity
Topical issues like cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in a globalised world will be under the spotlight at the fourth triennial World Summit on Arts and Culture (WSoAC), which will be hosted in Africa - in Joburg - for the first time. more >
SA first African country to host world arts summit
The fourth triennial World Summit on Arts and Culture (WSoAC) will be hosted in Johannesburg this year – the first time the event will be hosted in Africa. more >
Bahrain looks to heritage strongholds
Bahrain is hoping to secure UN protection for several ancient sites to save them from private developers and preserve the makings of a lucrative tourism industry, writes Digby Lidstone. more >
Police raids hit four pirate gangs in Turkey
Turkish police have conducted major anti-piracy operations against four organised criminal syndicates that effectively collapsed due to the numbers of arrests made and illegal product seized. more >
Culture minister Follett joins calls for backstage
Minister for culture Barbara Follett has added momentum to Equity’s bid for “better and healthier” working conditions for West End actors, branding backstage facilities in historic theatres “shameful”. more >
Iran censors newspapers amid unrest
With street demonstrations continuing in Tehran, Iranian authorities expanded censorship, banning the publication of two newspapers. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the authorities to lift the bans and to allow international reporters to return to the country. more >
At the art of a resurgent Wales
As a new survey reveals that, in spite of the recession, more people than ever before are attending and taking part in arts events, Dai Smith, chairman of the Arts Council of Wales, argues that it’s proof more money needs to be invested in the sector. more >
Colombian charity music to kids' ears
More than 100 children, ages 6-17, study music at a small conservatory named Proyecto Desepaz. The children come from some of Cali's humblest families, who have rarely, if ever, set foot in a theater or heard of Bach or Beethoven. more >
New Acropolis Museum the perfect home for Elgin Marbles
Workmen were putting the finishing touches yesterday to Ancient Greece’s newest and most extravagant showcase, the New Acropolis Museum, due for a fanfare-filled inauguration today. But conspicuously absent are the very relics which the €130m futurist building was expressly designed for: the Elgin Marbles. more >
Ministry of Culture, Emirates Writers Union issue a book on Al Quds as capital of Arab Culture 2009
In a drive to mark Al Quds as capital of the Arab Culture 2009, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development and Emirates Writers Union, have jointly issued anthology of Palestinian Poet Motawakil Tah. more >
Angola in Euro-African meeting for co-operation
Angola participates since this Monday until the 26th June, in Maputo, Mozambique, in the first Euro-African Campus for Cultural Co-operation, which is to discuss, among other subjects, migration and culture in both continents. more >
World Arts and Culture Summit for SA
The fourth triennial World Summit on Arts and Culture, taking place in Newtown, Johannesburg from 22 to 25 September, will explore ways in which the arts can help to bridge social and cultural divides in a post-9/11 world. more >
The Resources Centre of Banlieues d'Europe has opened!
The Banlieues d'Europe Resources Centre is in particular addressed to artists, actors in the cultural and social field, and university researchers, but also to officials of public policies and local councillors at local, national European level, and also to any curious and interested person. The collection consists of around 3000 documents (books, guides, annuals, reports, press communiqués, websites, flyers, programmes, magazines, CDs, DVDs) in different languages. more >
German film fund to invest $56m in digital expansion
The German Federal Film Board (FFA) is planning to invest $56m (€40m) to help speed up the development digital cinema. more >
France names new Culture Minister
Frederic Mitterrand, nephew of late President Francois Mitterrand, to replace outgoing Minister Christine Albanel. more >
Frédéric Mitterrand adds colour to Nicolas Sarkozy rainbow cabinet
Frédéric Mitterrand, the nephew of the late socialist president François Mitterrand, has been appointed France's culture minister in a highly symbolic move by Nicolas Sarkozy. more >
Coping with the financial crisis: a creative response
It is important to recall that the creative economy is omnipresent in our daily lives, providing stimulus for our happiness and well-being. Every individual in any part of the world consumes creative products every single day through education or work, as well as in moments of leisure and entertainment. more >
Scots government unveils £5m recession fund for arts
The Scottish government has announced details of a £5 million package of funds aimed at helping the arts and cultural sector through the current economic downturn. more >
Arts projects compete for £3m funding
The Scottish Book Trust, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop and Edinburgh College of Art are in the running to secure a £3 million arts funding prize for Edinburgh. more >
Deputy Minister of Culture dismissed
Under a June 24 decree of Armenia's Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan Gagik Gyurjian was relieved of the post of Deputy Minister of Culture, reports RoA Government's press service. more >
You can make a difference in tough economic times
Tamara Real: In the past week, several important reports have been released that give a somber, yet thought-provoking, picture of the state of the arts and arts funding in the United. States. As business people, you may think this information irrelevant - but make that assumption at your own risk. more >
£300,000 annual blow to new arts funding body
Scotland's arts funding body is to lose its charitable status at a cost to the arts world of around £300,000 a year, it has emerged. more >
Cross-strait cultural summits on horizon
Top governmental cultural agencies on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are expected to meet in September in Beijing and October in Taipei for cultural summit conferences. more >
French govt reworks 'three-strikes' law
The "three-strikes" saga continues in France following the Constitutional Council's recent decision canceling the sanction side of the bill (Billboard.biz, June 10), with the government attempting to find a way around the legal ruling. more >
Turkish novelist cleared of inciting religious hatred
An Istanbul court has acquitted the Turkish novelist Nedim Gürsel of inciting religious hatred with the publication of his novel The Daughters of Islam. more >
Heritage minister pledges 5 years of stable arts funding
Saying the cultural sector needs "stability," Heritage Minister James Moore has announced a five-year funding package for the arts. more >
Romanization of Korean officially changed
Minister of Culture and Tourism Park Jie Won announced that the government had changed its official system of Romanization for the Korean language. The new system, developed by the MCT's National Academy of the Korean Language, is in largely a system transcription as opposed to transliteration, and does not use the diacritical marks used in the system in place since 1984. more >
UNESCO, Norway join hands to preserve Pak culture
Norwegian Ambassador Robert Kevile on Monday said Norway and Pakistan would carry out mapping of tangible and intangible cultural assets in NWFP, focusing initially on seven districts, in collaboration with UNESCO. more >
Millions of dollars renewed in arts funding
Cultural community relieved as Heritage Minister unveils $500-million over five years for key programs. more >
Why Richard Florida's honeymoon is over
The urban guru arrived two years ago as the toast of the town. Today, his critics argue he is a glib salesman and elitist. How did such a sweet marriage go wrong? more >
Helen Clark’s legacy to the arts
Helen Clark’s legacy to the arts, and will it survive her? While Helen Clark’s status as a Prime Minister will be debated for some time to come, her choice of the arts portfolio perhaps best illustrates her claim to a personal legacy. more >
Nelson Fernandez OBE
Nelson Fernandez, former director of cultural operations at Visiting Arts, has been awarded the OBE in recognition of services to the Arts in the Queen's 2009 Birthday Honours List. more >
July 2009
Over 200 participants attended the Euro-African Campus for Cultural Cooperation
The first Euro-African Campus for Cultural Cooperation was held in Maputo, Mozambique, on 22-26 June 2009. The event gathered over 200 participants from both Africa and Europe, including artists, cultural managers, policy-makers, public officials and students, who explored the present state of and the potential for furthering cultural cooperation between both continents, as well as the integration of cultural aspects in development strategies. more >
Culture is ignored at the peril of development, high level panel of cultural experts warns
Commonwealth Foundation cultural panel claims the arts are not just the 'icing on the cake'. more >
There’s still plenty of growing to do!
The economic downturn is certain to hit small arts organisations. But there are strategies that can help you survive – and even grow. more >
Museum literacy for people with low educational level
Museum professionals, specialists on audience policies, researchers and policy makers from 9 countries, around 50 participants in total, met on 24 June in Brussels to explore new paths to include people with low schooling level in museum audiences. more >
Portugal - Organização da oferta dos cursos de ensino artístico especializado
O Ministério da Educação (ME) procedeu à organização da oferta dos cursos de ensino artístico especializado, criando os cursos básicos de ensino especializado de dança e de música e aprovando os respectivos planos de estudo. more >
Portugal – Specialized art courses offered
The Ministry of Education organized the offer of specialized art courses by creating the specialized teaching basic courses for dance and music and by approving the corresponding study plans. more >
Blog: How to solve the arts funding crisis?
Only the most wildly optimistic or hopelessly deluded could possibly believe that the future funding climate looks anything other than grim. But it is good to see the National Campaign for the Arts launching its Manifesto for the Arts, in anticipation of the election next year, and emphasising the contribution the arts make to the country. more >
Public art sell-offs heading into troubled waters
Should museums and galleries be allowed to sell-off their works? As part of an effort to raise £15 million for a new museum devoted to the Titanic, Southampton City Council has decided to trawl through the 3,500 works of art owned by its outstandingly good Art Gallery and send a selection of them off to the open market. more >
National foundation heads met in Anchorage
The board of directors for United States Artists met in Anchorage last week, visiting Alaska art venues, meeting with artists and arts boosters, and participating in two panel discussions on Monday. more >
Can artists save the world?
The environment is this year's big theme across the arts. Here's how Britain's greenest cultural avengers plan to save the world. more >
Industry expresses concern at plans to give public a voice in arts funding
Arts practitioners have raised concerns about the government’s plans to give the public more say in how funding is allocated, warning that such a move would favour “populist” art work at the expense of “quality, diversity and risk taking” in the sector. more >
Panaf 2009 opens in Algiers
The second edition of the Pan African Cultural Festival, otherwise called Panaf 2009, last Saturday evening, officially opened at the Sofia Square on Hivert Street in Algiers, capital of Algeria. more >
Youth theater in Armenia fears “Ministry-orchestrated merger”
The staff of a youth theater in Yerevan have accused Armenia’s Ministry of Culture of devising a scheme to merge their state-run theater with another one that lacks the “state status” (and, therefore, the benefit of state budget funding). more >
Expert meeting on finalizing the new cultural policy profile
The new cultural policy profile that UNESCO is framing will address the challenges of sustainable development peach through a dual approach: one, to develop the cultural sector per se, and two, to ensure that culture has its rightful place in all development policies. more >
Needed: A Federal Arts Policy
There is frequent discussion about the validity of federal funding for the arts in this nation; most recently, the inclusion of $50 million for employment in the arts in the stimulus package was the source of heated debate. more >
Artistic road to utopia may break down regional barriers
Australia and Japan are developing together a Utopia Project that would present an arts Olympics every two years in an Asia-Pacific centre. more >
Move to protect performers from unscrupulous managers
Legislation to protect musicians, singers and actors from unscrupulous managers is being considered by the NSW Government. more >
Crackdown forces Iran’s artists to mute anger over election
Iran-based artists -- many of whom campaigned for opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, and signed declarations backing the demonstrators -- are now adopting a low profile, after a few were said to have suffered beatings and arrests. Their caution contrasts with the fierce criticism voiced outside Iran by filmmakers such as Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
more >
Bulgaria History Museum Head ready to become Minister of Culture
The Director of Bulgaria's National History Museum, Bozhidar Dimitrov, said he was ready to become Minister of Culture in the future government of Sofia Mayor Borisov's party GERB. more >
House hears of upcoming 400th anniversary events
With the celebration of Bermuda's 400th anniversary in full swing, Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation Neletha Butterfield discussed a number of upcoming events in a statement to the House of Assembly. more >
King County gets nearly $1M in fed funds to support arts jobs
Thirteen arts groups, the city of Seattle, and King County will split nearly $1 million in federal funding to support jobs in the arts industry. more >
Plans to resurrect Leith Theatre scaled down
Campaigners seeking to reopen Edinburgh’s Leith Theatre have been forced to alter their multi-million pound proposals after failing to secure a £3 million arts funding prize. more >
State, city get new round of federal arts funding
Indiana and Indianapolis arts agencies will receive more than a half-million dollars in federal stimulus money to help save jobs at local organizations, the National Endowment for the Arts announced today. more >
World heritage sites to be seen in digital 3D
Some of Scotland's world heritage sites are to be digitally documented in an international 3D scanning project. more >
Converging pathways to new knowledge
Converging Pathways to New Knowledge is a LabforCulture initiative considering the future of knowledge building and knowledge sharing within a new digital paradigm. more >
UAE presents unique experiences in heritage preservation
Abdul Aziz Al Musallam, Head of Cultural Heritage Committee in the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth '&' Community Development, stated that the UAE makes great effort to maintain and preserve cultural heritage and the ministry issued Nabati poems narrating UAE culture and history. more >
Launch of project website
'Artists moving & learning' (October 2008-0ctober 2010) analyses the impact of mobility of artists in Europe from an educational and Life Long Learning perspective. more >
Ministry of art
In a meeting with Culture Minister Limor Livnat last week, artist Philip Rentzer, head of the plastic arts division at the Israel Culture and Arts Council, proposed an idea for legislation to purchase works of Israeli art for government bodies, using taxpayer money. more >
Puttnam urges UK film industry to be bold online
Lord David Puttnam this week urged the British film industry to be bolder in engaging with audiences online – or risk losing out on many of the opportunities being created by the digital revolution. more >
Artists want Cabinet-level 'arts czar'
For some in the art world, watching the Obama administration’s approach to the arts so far has been an exercise in keeping expectations in check and a game of wait and see. more >
Exclusive: Cats to return to West End
Equity is to launch a campaign to reintroduce theatre cats into London’s historic theatres, as part of the union’s ongoing bid to improve actors’ working conditions in the West End. more >
Culture Watch Europe – a cultural governance observatory created in spring 2009.
The Council of Europe has called to life its cultural governance observatory “Culture Watch Europe” which is an information and exchange platform for culture and cultural and natural heritage. The platform unites and links various existing services and tools, which makes it possible to monitor developments, recognise trends, and practise exchange. more >
Artists hold applause for Obama
In Barack Obama, the arts community believed it had found a kindred spirit — literary and urbane, a president who would restore culture to its proper national place after what many perceived as an eight-year exile under his predecessor. more >
Deal with banks eases debt fears for MOT
Michigan Opera Theatre has reached a critical deal with its banks to cut its loan payments in half for the next 18 months, resolving a year-long cash flow crisis that threatened to force the company into foreclosure or bankruptcy. more >
Has politics lost the art of culture?
Only five MPs have the passion to be Culture Secretary, says Tate director more >
CCA to hold 5th cross-strait forum on economy, culture
The Council of Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education, and Army Committee will gather to discuss topics such as improving the cultural bond cross-straits and work to exchange educational ideas. more >
In the arts: Kennedy center chief calls for national arts policy
In a commentary in The Huffington Post, Michael Kaiser, president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, calls for a federal arts policy to replace what he calls a “helter-skelter approach” to cultural financing. more >
“I will not look after the interests of cultural corporations”, interview with Jorge Coscia, new Argentinean Culture Secretary
Before taking on his new position, Coscia talked to El Clarín about his projects and made positive remarks about José Nun’s administration. more >
“No trabajaré para los intereses de corporaciones de la cultura”, entrevista a Jorge Coscia, flamante secretario de cultura de la nación
Antes de asumir, Coscia conversó con Clarín sobre sus proyectos y rescató la gestión de José Nun. more >
Blog: What about an Arts Czar? What about a Federal Arts Policy? Hummm...
The "arts czar" idea is still buzzing about. Of course, the actor Kal Penn was appointed to the White House Office of Public Engagement, and we will have Rocco Landesman heading up the NEA, and Jim Leach heading up the NEH. But certainly, that's a far cry from what a number of people were lobbying for, which was a cabinet level position in the executive branch, replete with its own brand new agency. more >
Cash for Desart
Central Australian Aboriginal art centres are the big winners from the federal government's latest arts funding package, which divides $9.3 million between 86 organisations. more >
Heritage conservation to get a boost in 2009-2010
Conservation of heritage sites will get a boost in 2009-2010, Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanaswamy, who holds the ad hoc charge of culture, told the Rajya Sabha Thursday. more >
Lack of films prompts ministry cancellation of national festival
Cinemagoers and filmmakers alike call for more government investment in the sector as plans for biannual National Cinema Festival are nixed. more >
New rules for translation funding
After almost a year of deliberations, the Department of Canadian Heritage has finally come up with a plan for disbursing $5-million in funds for French-English translations - through the Canada Council for the Arts. more >
Arts festivals keep sponsors despite economic downturn
Some of Australia's arts festivals seem to be bucking the global financial trend by continuing to attract significant corporate sponsorship. more >
Richard Morrison misses US orchestras at the Proms
If the recession doesn’t kill off international touring, it looks as if government officials around the world — prominently including those in our own dear Home Office — are determined to do the job instead. What will be the consequences? more >
Blog: Stopping culture at our borders
There are no words in the thesaurus of insult that quite do justice to the UK Border Agency and the minister for borders and immigration, Phil Woolas. So let's just agree that new rules barring artists from visiting this country and so enriching our culture are some of the most contemptible ever devised, even by this narrow-minded apology for a government. more >
How to classify intangible cultural heritage
Ideas were recently floated on classifying intangible cultural heritage by the public and the law makers.
The public considered it necessary to classify intangible cultural heritage, which covers such things as special dances, ethnic music and special art, throughout the country, but the law makers decided evaluating and listing were sufficient with classification.
more >
China to open its entertainment industry to Taiwanese
China’s government plans to allow Taiwanese to set up and run entertainment businesses on the mainland, an official said at talks between the two sides. more >
FNC expects support culture test
Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council said he expects a proposal, to raise awareness of local culture among expatriates, would receive strong support from the government and understanding by residents. more >
National dialogue TV soon
A new National Dialogue TV may go on air soon, said Minister of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Al-Khoja, making the case for fair, healthy and more vigorous debate in society.“Those in charge of the official media should be fair to the new digital media that have forced the official mass media to allocate space for dialogue, differences in views, and diversity,” Al-Khoja said. more >
Rules of transportation of culture valuables through border confirmed in Azerbaijan
The Azerbaijani customs committee ratified the Rules of transportation of culture valuables through customs border of Azerbaijan.The committee reported that the rules were confirmed by agreement with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and they were registered by the Ministry of Justice. more >
The art of political avoidance
In Israel, all art may be political, but there’s a reluctance to linger too long on sensitive issues – no wonder its theatre moves swiftly on to the next hot topic. more >
Winter school on networks and advocacy
The Arterial Network’s first (southern hemisphere) Winter School on arts advocacy and building civil society networks was held in Cape Town from 31 May-10 June. The event – funded by the European Union and HIVOS – was a major success with seventeen countries representing all five African regions. more >
Cultural, creative industries thriving and maturing
Cultural and creative industries have grown substantially since the government launched a promotional project in 2002, said the Council for Economic Planning and Development(CEPD). more >
Don't cut arts funding plea as festival gets underway
The arts are an intrinsic part of the fabric of life and should not be the first area to cut when times get hard, Druid Artistic Director Garry Hynes said at the launch of the 32nd annual Galway Arts Festival in
the city last night.
more >
2009 Orient Global Freedom to Create Prize: International Prize for Artists on the Frontlines Enters Second Year
Those artists who work on the Forgotten Frontline to promote social justice and inspire communities have just under one month to submit their entries in this year’s Orient Global Freedom to Create Prize. more >
How advocacy, fund-raising can uplift culture
The problems facing Nigeria's cultural sector are multi-dimensional. Few of them were the subject of debate at the quarterly Art Stampede of the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA). more >
Estonian theatres threaten to start closing in 2010
Estonian theatres stated that if the State will cut its subsidies by another 15% in 2010, it will threaten the survival of smaller theatres while bigger ones might be forced to lower their professional standards. more >
ICACD 2009 Call for Papers
The Secretariat for the International Conference on African Culture and Development (ICACD) invites you to submit abstracts / presentation ideas for ICACD 2009. more >
World heritages in Vietnam need closer cooperation
Vietnam has seven natural and cultural world heritages recognised by UNESCO. Preservation and improvement of these heritages is necessary to advertise Vietnam’s image to the world. However, local governments haven’t effectively cooperated to connect these heritages.
more >
El primer borrador de la nueva Ley de Cultura ya está listo
240 representantes de artistas y gestores culturales trabajaron durante dos días en un documento consensuado con propuestas para el nuevo órgano legal. more >
First Draft of the New Culture Law
Artists and cultural administrators worked for two days on a document, agreed by consensus, with proposals for the new Culture Law. more >
Irish gov't agency: Cut arts funding
The Irish government's department of finance recommended late last week to shave €37 million in arts and culture funding, including cuts that would drastically affect the Irish Film Board. more >
Culture minister opts for setting up heritage protection policies
Minister of Culture and Information Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa has underlined the significance of setting up policies for the protection and registration of physical heritage and spreading public awareness of their importance. more >
The Culture Crash
Risky investments have endangered New York's leading arts institutions. more >
7 acres of land allocated for arts and culture centre
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has allocated seven acres of land in Shakarparian area for the establishment of National Centre for Arts & Culture to promote cultural activities in the country. more >
Council will decide on proposal to release $1M to arts groups
Arts organizations and patrons are set to come out in force for tonight's City-County Council meeting, in which $1 million worth of city arts funding will be up for discussion. After the Capital Improvement Board voted in May to suspend arts funding, the Arts Council of Indianapolis was forced to amend its annual grant list. "Proposal 234" was the outcome. more >
Theatre chief says plans for cutbacks in arts 'incredible'
An impassioned defence of arts funding was made at the weekend by the chairwoman of the Arts Council and the artistic director of Druid Theatre. more >
Carnival enthusiasts clash with Arts Council
Carnival enthusiasts have expressed their concern at the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, who they claim was seeking to impose its own ideas on what carnival should be. more >
$90m support for festival
Despite the harsh economic climate, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) has managed to source $90 million in sponsorship this year - $35 million more than last year. more >
Artists Find Backers as Labels Wane
With the structure of the music business shifting radically, some industry iconoclasts are sidestepping the music giants and inventing new ways for artists to make and market their music — without ever signing a traditional recording contract. more >
Dawn of a new era for Arts Alive
The annual Arts Alive Festival is set to move into a dynamic new era with the appointment of leading South African brand solutions company, Zanusi. more >
We need the support of businessmen
In Yemen, the government doesn’t pay attention to plastic art, its concerns or the difficulties hindering its progress. Ismael Al-Ghabiri of the Yemen Times met with plastic artist Hakeem Al-Aqel, advisor to the Minister of Culture for Fine art Affairs, and conducted this interview. more >
Coscia appoints his staff
The new Culture Secretary of Argentina, Jorge Coscia, is designating the new national director of his cabinet, while he decides who will be the two new Culture Undersecretaries, in Cultural Administration and Cultural Industries. more >
Coscia nombra a su equipo en cultura
El flamante secretario de Cultura de la Nación, Jorge Coscia, comenzó a designar a los nuevos directores nacionales de su gabinete, mientras define los nombres de los dos subsecretarios del área, en Gestión cultural y en Industrias culturales. more >
Artistes to strike over allowances today
Artistes who travelled to Algeria for the 2nd Pan African Festival have threatened go on strike on landing at Entebbe Airport today, if the gender, labour and culture ministry does not pay them allowances for representing the country at the festival. more >
National Symphony Orchestra
It was achievement enough that the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra managed to survive the darkest days of the war, when it struggled for supplies and electricity, when its members fled for safety abroad and those who remained practiced in secret for fear of offending militants who considered music un-Islamic. more >
For New Leader of the Arts Endowment, Lessons From a Shaky Past
Although it may be hard to remember now, there was a time when the National Endowment for the Arts seemed to be on solid footing, both financially and politically, and could spend its days quietly financing artists and arts groups at its discretion. more >
£100m funding black hole threatens major arts projectsover budget shortfall
Culture department accused of 'hopeless management' over budget shortfall. more >
Crazy copyright law set to cause chaos in S.Korea
Netizens of South Korea could find themselves at the mercy of a copyright infringement firestorm today, as a tough new copyright law takes effect. A prominent social networking site is sending warnings to its customers about their behavior, noting that far reaching penalties include 6 month Internet disconnections. more >
What's more important: sport or culture?
Rugby is our national passion - but our culture is more important. more >
Garry Hynes issues a ‘call to arms’ to defend the arts
Garry Hynes, leading Irish theatre director, said this is “a time of great peril for the arts” given the drastic economic downturn and the recommendations of An Bord Snip, which, if implemented, could seriously hurt the arts in Ireland, and particularly in Galway. more >
Bullish creative industries and the bear market
The creative industries idea is better than even its original perpetrators might have imagined, judging from the original mapping documents. more >
Calls to abolish Irish arts ministry greeted with anger by cultural leaders
A report recommending that the Irish Republic’s department of the arts be abolished, its functions transferred elsewhere and overall funding cut by €37 million has shocked and angered those involved in the sector. more >
New CEO for Arts Council
Mr Benson Puah has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Arts Council (NAC), taking over from Mr Lee Suan Hiang from Aug 1. more >
Viral mobility - share your experiences
With the spread of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, OTM reports on how a global pandemic is affecting international cultural mobility and launches a call for experiences. more >
A book is a place
Publishing history is being rewritten and reading will never be the same. more >
Renzo Piano plans discussion highlights needs in arts field
It was billed as a discussion on the Renzo Piano plans for City Gate and the Opera House site, which indeed it was, but it turned out mostly to be a litany of complaints from arts practitioners about the inadequacies of theatres in Malta and the need for government funding. more >
Tories succeed in luring actors and artists away from Labour’s table
In the early 1990s John Smith began the “prawn cocktail offensive” to reassure a nervous City that Labour could handle the economy responsibly. Now his heirs in Opposition are targeting the Left-leaning Arts world in the same way, attempting to break down decades of suspicion with copious glasses of chilled white wine. more >
Ministry of Culture decides to cut disputable scenes at Acropolis Museum
The Greek Orthodox Church has protested fiercely against a scene depicting angry priests in robes, destroying the Parthenon’s ornaments in the VIII century A.D. The Holy Synod has successfully urged the Minister of Culture - Antonis Samaras – to cut the above mentioned scenes from the film. more >
Soros: In revolutionary times the impossible becomes possible
From the mid-1980s, Hungarian-born investor and philanthropist George Soros pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into foundations in Eastern Europe dedicated to promoting the idea of the "open society" and challenging the region's Soviet-backed regimes. Here, writing exclusively for CNN.com, he describes how the work of his foundations ultimately contributed to the collapse of communism. more >
Teaching Georgians how to make money from arts
Georgia’s Ministry of Culture is reporting a decline among its 230 museums nationwide. In 2006, about 472,000 visitors were recorded. That number dropped to 446,000 the next year. More recent figures have not been made available. more >
Theatre needs cultural entrepreneurs as well as artists
The British Council's award for enterprising spirit in the performing arts is a reminder that business sense is more important than ever more >
Zoe Wanamaker demands equal pay for actresses
Zoë Wanamaker, the actress, has joined the chorus of female performers demanding more money to match the pay packets of their male counterparts. more >
Israeli-Palestinian Movement “Combatants for Peace” wins the Euro-Med Award for Dialogue 2009
“Combatants for Peace”, a civil movement jointly established by Palestinian and Israeli individuals, has been officially announced as the Winner of the Anna Lindh Euro-Med Award for the Dialogue between Cultures 2009. more >
Report reveals woman low participation in culture and media sectors
A human rights report has called for cultural and creative corporations and the Ministry of Culture to expand woman's participation in the cultural and media issues and to give her more opportunities enabling her reaching the decision-making positions in a number of Yemeni cultural and media institutions. more >
Controversial sponsors in Venice
Agenda is asking whether billboard advertisements such as the Sisley ad on the Bridge of Sighs and Swatch on the Museo Correr covering cultural monuments in Venice to fund renovation work are an inspired idea or a step too far. Visit the poll created by Agenda and have your say in the debate. more >
The most popular digital tools used by art organisations
How do art organisations respond to the challenges faced by the development of online networking platforms? What are the most popular digital tools and social networks? The results will show you, as a museum professional, the current trends of online activity as a part of communications strategies and it will help you anticipate the potential of online tools for the future. more >
Beijing to host festival of Asian, European art
China will invite artists, art groups and scholars from 45 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) members to an art festival in Beijing from Sept. 2 to 8, the Ministry of Culture announced Tuesday. more >
Gov't rejects culture minister's resignation
The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has refused to accept the resignation of the culture minister to avoid facing Parliament's vote of confidence for his Cabinet. The Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad-Hassan Saffar-Harandi submitted his resignation to the president on Monday following the president's "oral notification" of his dismissal and the announcement by a caretaker for the ministry. more >
Ministry cuts museums’ entrance fees, but will it achieve intended purpose?
A new initiative by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism aims to help bring visitors in. Eighty-three museums under the auspices of the ministry in 43 Turkish cities have free admission as of July 15. Under the new initiative, all Turkish and foreign tourists are now able to visit these museums and historical sites for free. more >
Mount Rushmore to get laser treatment
The stoic faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln will never know what hit them.
This fall, crews from Scotland and California will shoot laser beams at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial as part of a project to create a digital three-dimensional model of the iconic mountain carving from all angles.
more >
Maasai music on iTunes? U.N. agency works to help
The Maasai people of Kenya have enlisted the United Nations to help turn their songs, dances and stories into copyrighted assets, a model that could create new income for indigenous groups worldwide. more >
10th International Hall and Colloquium of Digital Art
The Hall, to be opened on 3 November 2009 proposes to continue showing current work in that field and to boost the exchange and reflection among the creators and specialists related with this new artistic expression. more >
The Obamas: An Opening in the Arts
In Act One of their administration - the well-lit, heavily reviewed and widely watched opening months - Barack and Michelle Obama have positioned themselves actively in the arts. more >
Deputy Culture minister works in Bié province
Angolan deputy minister of Culture, Cornélio Calei, is expected this Friday in Kuito city, central Bié province, to assess activities carried out by the sector in this region. more >
Moore restructuring Canada Music Fund
Heritage Minister James Moore has announced an increase in the Canada Music Fund, the federal government's main fund to support the music industry, but changes are coming in the way the fund distributes its money. more >
Swedish Presidency EU - Göteborg Conference
The conference in Göteborg on 29-30 July concluded with a panel discussion on the theme: ‘Promoting a creative generation – does the EU have a role to play?’ and a speech by Henrik Selin, Counsellor for Cultural Affairs at the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the EU in Brussels. more >
August 2009
OTM Virtual Mobility research - please contribute!
On-the-move.org is on a new research mission in 2009 to sample the fast evolving environment of virtual mobility in the contemporary performing arts. more >
Bureaucrats should never call the tune for the arts
Tell a pop fan that U2 and Bruce Springsteen should amalgamate because there's really no difference between them, and the sound they'd make together would be more efficient, and you would rightly be regarded as a lunatic. more >
World Summit to explore cultural diversity
At the 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture in September the theme will be Meeting of Cultures: Creating Meaning through the Arts. more >
Ammar Al Nuaimi stresses role of Ajman in UAE cultural scene
Ajman Crown Prince and Chairman of Ajman Executive Council HH Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, has been briefed about the programmes and future plans of the Department of Culture and Information in Ajman for year 2009 to 2012. more >
Bristol professor appointed a Commissioner of English Heritage
Professor Ronald Hutton has been appointed the Historical Commissioner of English Heritage by Barbara Follett, the Minister for Culture. more >
Iraq to officially censor books
The Iraqi Ministry of Culture has just taken the unexpected step of launching a program of official censorship of books imported from abroad. The new rule also applies to books published within Iraq, as publishers are required to obtain authorization before printing. more >
Chinese cultural industry maintains growth via government-supported loans
A list of 15 cultural enterprises has been submitted to the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim) via the Ministry of Culture for a huge amount of bank loans to support development of China's cultural industry. more >
Ministry rejects plan to hire folk artists on permanent basis
The National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, Lok Virsa’s proposed plan of hiring folk artists on permanent basis has been turned down by the Culture Ministry on the ground that the institute could not generate enough funds for regularly paying these entertainers. more >
Mo' money, same problems for Canadian hip-hop artists
The Canada Council for the Arts wants to support more hip hop, but the artists are still stinging from past rejections. more >
Stearns: Money went to 'obscene' art
U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, joined by 50 fellow congressional Republicans, has fired off a scathing letter to the head of a federal arts agency, expressing outrage that taxpayer money went to groups that produce "objectionable and obscene movies, plays and exhibitions." more >
Artistes' coalition battles Culture Minister, to meet with President, National Assembly
The Coalition of Nigeria Artists rose from their extra-ordinary meeting on August 3, 2009, where they deliberated on the recent developments in the culture sector. In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, certain far-reaching decisions were made regarding the arraignment of the directors-general of the Nigerian Film Corporation, Mr. Afolabi Adesanya and his counterpart at the National Gallery of Art, Mr. Joe Musa. more >
In Moscow, new homes planned for contemporary art
Last Friday Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeev green-lighted a $100 million proposal to build a museum of contemporary art in Russia’s capital. The project’s instigators, Mikhail Mindlin and Leonid Bazhanov, serve as heads (executive director and artistic director, respectively) of the National Centre for Contemporary Art, an institution founded in 1992 and headquartered in Moscow. more >
Treasury partly to blame for British arts funding crisis?
The £100 million ($164 million) funding crisis at Britain's Department for Culture, Media and Sport that is threatening expansion projects at the British Museum, Tate Modern, and the British Film Institute's new center may not only be due to internal mismanagement. Word has it that the Treasury is also to blame for tightening budgets. more >
Summit Views #1
A weekly column on the build-up to the fourth World Summit on Arts and Culture in September. more >
Understanding art and culture in Iraq-Kurdistan
Andrew Mitchelson of the Live Art Development Agency reports back on his research trip - part funded by VA - to Iraq Kurdistan earlier this year and the contemporary art scene that is thriving there against all the odds. more >
Visiting Arts trip to Washington, D.C.
Yvette Vaughan Jones reports back from Capitol Hill on culture and cultural diplomacy under the new US administration. more >
Bureaucrats should never call the tune for the arts
We all lose if a recession is used as an excuse to impose mediocrity and tighter state control, writes Emer O'Kelly. more >
Culture ministry to handover 126 archaeological sites to Sindh govt
The ministry of culture has decided to hand over 126 archeological sites, except Mohanjo Daro, to the government of Sindh by the end of August this year. The process of transferring the sites will commence from Makli Hill, Thatta which is on the World Heritage Site list and it is expected that the provincial government will address the long standing problem of encroachment at the site. more >
Malta Arts Fund
The Malta Arts Fund, launched on August 7 2009, aims at supporting artists and arts organisations in fulfilling and realizing their potential and in advancing their skills and level of professionalism, and consequently contribute to strengthening local artistic practice and cultural development. more >
Arts funding for the circus
As we struggle around the country offering our audiences a brief respite from the changing winds of fortune I have noted with some concern the response of the arts community to the proposed funding cuts. As the newest arrival to the table we are hoping that the minimal funding which circus receives is not seen as an easy target by our more well-off cousins. more >
Should taxpayers fund the arts?
With the news that opera will receive £2.4m in recession support from Arts Council England as part of their first round of Sustain funding, is it not time that the state stopped funding a form of entertainment that appeals only to a small section of the population? more >
The Artist Formerly Known as Dissident
Artists have a duty to dissent—even against Obama. more >
Free Night of Theater Builds Future Audiences
A new study by Shugoll Research shows that Theatre Communications Group’s Free Night of Theatre program is bringing new audiences to the theatre. more >
New Endowment Chairman Sees Arts as Economic Engine
Now that the Broadway producer Rocco Landesman is officially chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts — he was confirmed on Friday — his straight-talking style, Missouri roots and affinity for baseball and country music are expected to give him a leg up with many legislators. more >
Ministries 'at odds' over new IP rights agency
The government is working toward a coordinated policy and approach to protect intellectual property rights in Bangladesh, and wants to bring all related agencies under one roof. more >
Ministry of Culture to merge folklore arts training project with 'Summer in My Country' programme
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development is considering the idea of merging the nationwide folklore arts training programme with the recently launched 'Summer in My Country' project. The 'Summer in My Country 2010' will make room for adequate training of the young generation on the traditional arts and the heritage, which was launched as a separate project under the name 'Our generations and the Folklore Arts'. more >
Cultural Massacre
In such a difficult moment for our society, when we are facing an economic crisis and the violence of an all-out war, social instruments that help social inclusion and transformation are mutilated. We cannot be impassive when facing this cultural massacre. more >
Masacre cultural
En un momento tan difícil para toda la sociedad, cuando enfrentamos una crisis económica y la violencia de una guerra sin cuartel, los instrumentos sociales que nos ayudan a la trasformación y la inclusión social son mutilados. No podemos quedarnos impávidos frente a esta masacre cultural. more >
Ministry of Culture pledges to promote confidence and authority of creative artists
Promoting Bulgarian culture abroad is among the major priorities pledged by Bulgaria’s new Minister of Culture, internationally acclaimed sculptor, Vejdi Rashidov. Another ambitious goal Vejdi Rashidov has set himself, is taking Bulgarian art out on the market, after being state subsidized until now.” You can’t have ten theatre companies making excellent productions, playing to packed houses and earning the upkeep of another financially failing 40 companies”, commented Vejdi Rashidov. more >
Archaeologists find cache of tablets in 2,700-year old Turkish Temple
Excavations led by a University of Toronto archaeologist at the site of a recently discovered temple in southeastern Turkey have uncovered a cache of cuneiform tablets dating back to the Iron Age period between 1200 and 600 BCE. more >
Evolution and Creation: Australia’s Funding Bodies
In numerous conversations with street-level practitioners, the recurring theme is that the cultural funding and policy making system is broken. more >
NAVA Now
In the 1980s, at the grey dawn of economic rationalism, the term 'Arts Industry' started to be used by economists to argue the value of the arts, as a way of indicating to a cost-cutting Australian government that culture could make money. more >
Minister of Culture meets Iranian Ambassador
Minister of Culture , Arts and Heritage H.E. Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari met on Tuesday with h.e. Abdullah Sohrabi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran accredited to Qatar . Aspects of cultural cooperation between the two countries and means of boosting them were discussed during the meeting. more >
Obama stimulates his friends' art groups
Our editorial of today discusses the many regrettable and forgettable arts groups that are receiving small stimulus grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. What is less commonly known is the connection that several of these groups have to President Obama's 2008 campaign. more >
Mecca cities of art and prosperity
Art museums and creative projects to revive a nation's economy modelled after the success of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Can Bangkok emulate Bilbao in terms of creative ideas towards becoming a "Creative City"? more >
Obama drops cautious arts policy
In his first year, President Barack Obama has marshaled the largest infusion of cultural funding in decades — despite a few stumbles. more >
New NEA Chair Rocco Landesman produces paroxysms and purrs
Following his confirmation by Congress as the new chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, former and probable future Broadway producer and theater owner Rocco Landesman made it evident that the epoch of tiptoe-through-the-tulips NEA leadership is over, and good riddance to it. more >
Arts Alive back on Joburg billing
This year’s Arts Alive International Festival offers a jam-packed schedule of dance, poetry, art and music – a line-up sure to entice all Joburg culture vultures. more >
Northern Ireland’s Arts Council launch drama bursary
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has launched a new bursary to enable the region’s professional actors to develop their skills. more >
Coup or conspiracy in the culture house?
EFCC’s swooping of parastatal heads on allegation of misappropriation of funds and subsequent arraignments in courts without regards to due processes only but point to the fact that there is either a conspiracy from some quarters to achieving some selfish agenda or that the actions are intended to carry out a clean sweep exercise in the Ministry with the aim of replacing present professional administrators with political cronies. more >
Cuts won't blunt edge of the Fringe
With 90 shows to stage, and less money to do it with, this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival will still thrive, says its artistic director, Róise Goan more >
Ministry of Culture reduces 200 positions
The Ministry of Culture, Religious Affairs and National Patrimony will reduce 200 positions, thus saving two million lei for the state budget, said Minister Theodor Paleologu at Victoria Palace on Wednesday. He said that institutions subordinated to the Ministry carrying out complementary activities would merge together. more >
Shaikha Mai receives Italian Ambassador
As part of the continued engagement with several ambassadors in Bahrain and building bridges of cultural cooperation, the Minister of Culture and Information Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa received today the Italian ambassador to Bahrain Enrico Padula. During the meeting both sides reviewed means of further bolstering cooperation between the two countries in the media, culture and heritage fields. more >
Arts Groups Issue Call to Congress for Health Care Reform
Americans for the Arts and a coalition of 20 national arts organizations, together are calling on Congress to fully recognize the rights of individual artists and arts groups in the health care reform debate. more >
Ticio believes his administration has been positive
The Minister Ticio Escobar is pleased with the results accomplished after one year as Head of the National Culture Secretary. “These were even more than what was expected”, he pointed out. more >
Ticio considera positiva su gestión frente a Cultura
El ministro Ticio Escobar manifestó estar satisfecho por los resultados alcanzados en este primer año de su gestión al frente de la Secretaría Nacional de Cultura "que fueron, incluso, muchos más de los esperados", según resaltó. more >
Arts alliance speaks out on health care
An alliance of American nonprofit arts organizations has banded together to ask Congress for help in securing affordable health care for the cultural sector. more >
Creative Scotland 'coming soon'
Transition director Richard Holloway said: "I can safely say Creative Scotland will come - and soon." more >
Disproportionate Granting of Funds to Visual Arts
The National Arts Council of Namibia (NACN) has disbursed an amount of N$1.3 million to Namibian artists this year. more >
Theatre angels delight in allowances
Investing in the arts should be big business given sell-out runs at the International Festival of many productions, including The Last Witch and Faust, and with tickets for scores of Fringe shows, not least Rhys Darby and Denise Van Outen, hard to come by. But when it comes to backing the arts, UK tax laws are positively medieval compared with other countries. more >
Can art put new heart into our seaside towns?
For many of Britain's faded resorts, art and architecture are now seen as the path to renewed prosperity, while others are trying a humbler, homegrown solution. more >
PANAF: A celebration of African culture
For two weeks in July 2009, Algiers, the capital city of Algeria, was a beehive of activities as it hosted thousands of people gathered for the second edition of the Pan-Africa Festival of Culture (PANAF). more >
Culture is a concept in permanent construction
It has been one month since Breni Cuenca was appointed as Culture Secretary. An interview with Ms Cuenca. more >
La cultura es un concepto en construcción
Un mes fue el retraso en su nombramiento y también un mes es el que Breni Cuenca lleva en su cargo al frente de la recién creada Secretaría de Cultura, ente que pasó a sustituir al extinto Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y el Arte (CONCULTURA). more >
UCLA considers shutting down arts library
One of this city’s largest cultural resources, the arts library on the University of California, could fall victim to drastic budget cuts the school has begun making across its departments.The library contains more than 270,000 volumes in several fields, including art, architecture, design, film, television, and theater. more >
Arts Chief to See What Plays Peoria
Rocco Landesman, who was confirmed this month as the new chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, has accepted an invitation to visit Peoria, Ill., an offer proffered in response to public comments he made about the city. more >
Cultural institutions stagger out of recession
Now that "recovery" has replaced "recession" as the favourite R-word of financial prophets, it's time to ask whether Toronto's cherished but vulnerable cultural institutions can manage to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start all over again after a year of living dangerously. more >
Culture, power and development, the social dimension
History shows that culture is a form of power, which does not always transform itself in a process of social development. more >
Animation Expo success
The 5th China International Animation Game Expo, which took place in July at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, was an overall success according to InterGame sources. more >
Saudi radio to start broadcasting in Turkish from 22 August
The Minister of Culture and Information, Dr Abdulaziz bin Mohieddin Khojah has approved that Saudi Radio starts broadcasting in Turkish language next Saturday [August 22]. more >
Asian countries seeking ways for cultural development as crisis lingers
The development of Asian culture during the present global downturn is the focus of a ministerial round-table meeting involving 17 countries, a major part of the 11th Asian Arts Festival. more >
We must develop arts
Authorities should strive to clear the injustice caused to art if they are to develop and promote the arts sector in the country. more >
Pérdida de rango perjudicará los planes de Cultura
La Secretaría de Cultura corre el riesgo de perder su rango en caso que mañana la Cámara de Senadores apruebe, durante su sesión ordinaria, el proyecto de ley presentado por el diputado de Patria Querida Sebastián Acha, que estipula la reducción de su categoría actual a la de viceministerio. more >
To lose the current rank would be detrimental to the Culture Secretariat’s plans
Paraguay’s Culture Secretariat is running the risk of losing its rank if the Senate’s Chamber passes, on its ordinary session, the bill presented by Patria Querida’s Deputy, Sebastián Acha, by which its current rank would be lowered to Vice ministry. more >
Asian Ministers join forces to raise cultural interest
Top cultural ministers from 17 Asian countries are discussing ways in which they can promote culture and the arts, despite economic difficulties. more >
French library denies ‘Google seduction’ claims
France’s national library has been forced to deny rumours that it has sold out to Google over digitization, and thus ended protracted resistance to perceived cultural imperialism. more >
International Festival of Authors gets Scottish funds
Toronto's International Festival of Authors (IFOA) has received a monetary gift through a new partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival to the tune of £50,000 ($90,000 Cdn) to promote Scottish writers. more >
Macedonia, Czech Republic sign cultural cooperation agreement
Macedonian and Czech ministers of culture - Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska and Vaclav Riedelbauch respectively, signed Wednesday an agreement on cultural cooperation between both ministries for 2009-2011. more >
Reedited works of Óscar Ribas made available to Angolans
A collection of 15 books authored by writer Óscar Bento Ribas (born in Luanda in 1909) re-edited by the Ministry of Culture, through the Angolan Institute of Book and Disc (Inald), was published this Wednesday. Re-editing these books permits to spread them all over the country, in the libraries and trading ways. more >
Cultural Policy of Non-Western Countries: Nicaragua
The arts are not always in a prominent place on the political agenda in Africa, Latin-America and Asia. Nevertheless, an increasing number of governments recognise the importance of culture in itself and in connection to social and economic development. more >
UAE envoy meets Romanian minister of culture
UAE Ambassador to Romania Yaqoub Al Hosani has received Romanian Minister of Culture Theodore Ballego. They reviewed measures for concluding a bilateral cultural agreement. more >
Ministro de Cultura de la isla califica de vergonzosas amenazas contra Juanes
El ministro cubano de Cultura, Abel Prieto, calificó hoy de vergonzosas y lamentables las amenazas de muerte que ha recibido el cantante colombiano Juanes por haber anunciado un concierto para el 20 de septiembre en La Habana. more >
United We Serve: Share Your Story
Americans for the Arts is happy to announce the launch of a new web portal dedicated to promoting community service opportunities for arts groups, arts volunteers, and artists nationwide. more >
Are we really solving problems or just creating new ones?
Our Ministry of Culture delivered a piece of bad news to our teenagers - again. This time it's a new regulation on the time per day that each teenager in Thailand is allowed to access online games. Apart from shouting, "No, you can't do this," our cultural authorities could perhaps also promote "Do you want to try this?" as well. more >
Historic processes take place in South Caucasus
Interview with Alexander Bozhko, Ukraine's Ambassador to Armenia, on what has changed in the South Caucasus since the hostilities last August. Amongst changes highlighted, last November, in Odessa, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Armenian Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs signed a cultural cooperation program for 2008-2012. more >
Government art cost taxpayers £500,000
The Government Art Collection has spent £556,911 of taxpayers money on new artworks in the past year, including £14,000 on a piece of art made from old lightbulbs for an embassy. more >
Female artists need to be encouraged – Khoja
Women deserve to have an opportunity to work in the field of graphic design in media, public relations and marketing companies, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, said here Saturday. more >
Senate body for preserving archaeological sites
The Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism has made a passionate plea for preservation of our historical and archeological sites, which are presently in a bad shape due to years of neglect. "We need to make a determined effort in this regard otherwise our precious treasure will be soon lost", it observed. more >
First ASEM Culture and Arts Festival to open in Beijing
The first Asia-Europe Meeting Culture and Arts Festival is to open on September 2nd in Beijing. The theme of the week-long event is "Sharing Diversity and Innovation" and it's aimed at bringing out the diversified Asian European culture in music, dance, film, theatre, exhibition and publications. more >
Scottish laser pioneers lead way in preserving world heritage treasures
British scientists are to begin work on a revolutionary project to record three-dimensional models of world heritage sites so that they can be re-created if they fall victim to climate change, natural disaster, war or terrorism. more >
Graffiti offers structure for Brazilian youth
"Graffiti artists in Brazil take the time to make special works of art, usually with a social or political message. That is why we are organizing a life-size open air exposition." more >
Plan to set up think tank to project culture
Ministry of Culture is planning to set up a think tank on culture to advise the government on preserving and projecting the rich culture as an effective instrument to counter the tendency of intolerance. more >
Seminar: 'The Culture Sector Today'
On September 10 and 11, 2009, Cartagena de Indias will be the venue for the most important cultural seminar of the year “The Culture Sector Today”. more >
Seminario: ‘El Sector Cultural Hoy’
Hasta el próximo viernes (4 de septiembre) estarán abiertas las inscripciones para participar en el evento del Ministerio de Cultura que durante el 10 y 11 de septiembre del presente año, tendrá a Cartagena de Indias como epicentro del seminario internacional más importante del año denominado ‘El Sector Cultural Hoy’. more >
Minister encourages cultural agents to promote entertainment houses
The Angolan minister of Culture, Roas Cruz e Silva, Tuesday in Luanda, encouraged cultural agents to combine efforts to recover and change the image of entertainment houses in the country. more >
Cuba will create new international cultural awards
The intellectual Miguel Barnet, president of the Cuban National Union of Writers and Artists (UNEAC), announced the creation of several awards with the purpose of strengthening the projection and the international visibility of the organization. more >
NEA budget 'should double' says New NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman
In a frank and wide-ranging interview with the Chicago Tribune, new NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said that he plans to focus his oft-beleaguered federal agency's efforts on both the role of the arts in K-12 education and on promoting the arts as an economic engine for cities and towns. more >
South Africa hosts World Summit on art
Johannesburg, South Africa will host the world from September 22 to 25 for this year’s World Summit on Arts and Culture. more >
China seizes nearly 5.5 mln illegal publications in six months
China's Ministry of Culture said 5.48 million illegal publications had been confiscated during the first six months of the year, in a nationwide crackdown ahead of National Day celebrations starting Oct. 1. more >
September 2009
Antisemita o proisraelí, etiquetas que carga el candidato egipcio a la UNESCO
El ministro de Cultura egipcio, Faruk Hosni, defiende su controvertida candidatura para dirigir la UNESCO, combatiendo acusaciones de antisemitismo en el extranjero y en su país ataques que lo tachan de muy conciliador hacia Israel. more >
Creando sentidos a través de las artes / 4 Cumbre Mundial de las Artes y la Cultura (Sudáfrica)
El tema del 4 Cumbre Mundial de las Artes y la Cultura (Sudáfrica, 22 Septiembre 2009) es “Encuentro de Culturas: Creando sentidos a través de las artes“. more >
Unesco: le candidat égyptien à la direction générale dans les feux de la controverse
Le ministre de la Culture égyptien, Farouk Hosni, défend sa candidature controversée à la tête de l'Unesco en bataillant contre les accusations d'antisémitisme qui pèsent sur sa campagne à l'étranger, et les attaques, à domicile, le jugeant trop conciliant envers Israël. more >
How will Mitterrand handle artists’ resale rights dispute?
The dispute between Christie’s and French art market players over the thorny issue of “droit de suite” is one of the first challenges facing France’s new minister for culture, Frédéric Mitterrand. more >
Ministry of Culture demands pro-lifers pay back money used for march
Brazil’s Ministry of Culture is demanding that pro-lifers who were involved in the Third National March for Life this past Sunday in Brasilia pay back the public funding they were given for the event. more >
Publishers angry over increased paperwork against pirated books
Law-abiding publishers have to go through the ordeal of preparing and obtaining 13 documents and certificates in order to obtain tax stamps from the authorities while pirated book publishers continue to operate unhindered. more >
Positive reactions to new French minister for culture
The appointment this summer of Frédéric Mitterrand—TV showman, film producer, writer, gay activist and nephew of the last socialist president, François Mitterrand—as the new minister for culture has been greeted with enthusiasm by French cultural groups. more >
Arts groups, artists face second year of state budget cuts
Faced with declining tax revenues, many states are slashing their arts funding for a second consecutive year, dealing a serious blow to arts groups and individual artists, the Associated Press reports. more >
Countries meeting on Kankurang Masquerade
The National Council for Arts and Culture with their Senegalese counterparts together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, held a joint steering committee meeting between the Gambia and Senegal on the UNESCO Sponsored Kankurang Project. more >
Curtain rises on culture links between China and Spain
Spain hopes to sign a framework agreement next year with China to promote the movie industry and the arts in the two countries, said Spanish Culture Minister Angeles Gonzalez Sinde. more >
Government of Canada supports Aboriginal Arts training
Over the next three years, the En'owkin Centre will receive a total of $720,000 for its National Aboriginal Professional Arts Training Program. more >
Mohammed bin Rashid meets Emirati intellectuals, artists
Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, received at his Za'abeel Palace here last night a number of Emirati intellectuals, artists, poets, comedians, who paid him a courtesy call on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. more >
The Eiffel Tower welcomes Turkey
The question of Turkey's accession to the EU has not been decided. However, that of Turkey in France is off to a good start: until March 31, 2010, no fewer than 400 cultural events are programmed, under the aegis of the Foreign Ministry and the French and Turkish Ministries of Culture. more >
Top culture official hails Berlin challenge to Google
Germany's top culture official, who has fought the Google Books settlement, voiced satisfaction Wednesday that Berlin had filed a court challenge in New York to the book digitization project. more >
A new act to empower the National Art Council
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritages has taken measures to amend the current act on Art Council and established a more empowered new body. more >
Arts Council England announces new national leadership team
Arts Council England today announced the members of its new Executive Board – the streamlined national leadership team that will lead the re-structured organisation from April 2010. more >
Agreement between the Algerian Ministry of Culture and the INRAP with the support of the World Heritage Centre
The agreement, unprecedented in Algeria, allowed archaeological diagnostic works before construction began of the Algiers subway station, Place des Martyrs. more >
How music can restore a nation’s pride
A festival in Bucharest shows how classical music can leap over the barriers of language and history. more >
New Lanark World Heritage Site...in 3D!
A team from Historic Scotland and Glasgow School of Art is creating detailed 3D virtual models of Scotland's five World Heritage sites, as well as five International Heritage Sites — known as the Scottish 10. more >
European Commission says O.K. to dirty movies for British kids
To the horror of British parents—and, one expects, to the delight of many pubescent young Brits—the U.K. law prohibiting the sale of violent or pornographic videos to children has been effectively rendered inoperative by a bureaucratic snafu. more >
Interstices - new website www.interstices-conseil.fr
Interstices has just launched a website that lists experiences and good practices on the management of cultural diversity and interculturality. more >
Curtain falls on arts funding
Alberta's culture minister says arts and non-profit groups funded through gaming and government grants can expect up to a 20 per cent cut in money. more >
Hackney Council “vandalizes” Banksy mural
The council removed an eight-year-old mural from the side of an apartment building, claiming that they did not differentiate between street art and graffiti. more >
Hosseini to helm Iranian Culture Ministry
Mohammad Hosseini was appointed the 8th Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance after the approval by Iran’s Majlis on Thursday September 3. more >
China sets new rules for music sold online
China's government ordered a cleanup of the country's online music market that will require music sites to seek approval from censors for all foreign songs they distribute on the Internet. more >
Minister or Legislator? That's the question
Group of Ministers, including Minister for Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik (elected to represent the Demokrat Party for Bali), must decide by September 10, 2009 if they want to be legislators or try their luck at remaining in the Presidential Cabinet. more >
An Egyptian for Unesco
An “affaire” is brewing as the French return from the beaches that may even relegate the Bruni-Allen talk. It concerns the Egyptian culture minister, his candidacy to head the Paris-based United Nations cultural agency Unesco, and his past talk of burning Israeli books. more >
Lab planned to restore damaged art works
The Ministry of Culture is establishing a Rs33 million laboratory for restoration of damaged artworks. more >
Cumbre Mundial de las Artes y la Cultura, en Sudáfrica
Del 22 al 25 de septiembre, participantes de todo el mundo se reunirán para explorar, debatir y compartir experiencias y buenas prácticas sobre el tema central de esta cuarta Cumbre Mundial de las Artes y la Cultura: Encuentro de culturas: la creación de sentido a través de las artes. more >
Boletín Gestión Cultural Nº 19: Observatorios Culturales
Los observatorios nacen en una sociedad en que la información y el conocimiento se erigen como los principales motores del desarrollo político, social, cultural y económico de un país; y adquieren un papel esencial en la toma de decisiones en el diseño y evaluación de las políticas. more >
Conferencia Mundial sobre Conflictos Culturales en Johannesburgo
Museum Africa, en Johannesburgo, es la sede donde la FICAAC (Federación Internacional de Consejos de Artes y Agencias Culturales) organiza la Cuarta Cumbre Mundial de las Artes y la Cultura, del 22 al 25 de septiembre de 2009. Las ediciones anteriores se llevaron a cabo en Canadá, Singapur y Gran Bretaña. more >
Cultural Administration Bulletin Nº 19: Cultural Observatories
Observatories arise in a society that considers information and knowledge as the main driving forces of a country’s political, social, cultural and economic development; and they acquire an essential role in decision-making related to policy design and evaluation. more >
Small record labels concerned over federal funding change
The federal government’s elimination of the Canadian Musical Diversity element of its Canada Music Fund has owners of small, non-mainstream record labels wondering if their days are numbered. more >
World Conference on Cultural Conflicts in Johannesburg
Museum Afrika in Johannesburg is the venue where the IFACCA (International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies) is organising its fourth world conference on art and culture from 22 to 25 September 2009. Previous editions were held in Canada, Singapore and Great Britain. more >
Culture Ministry has always been accused of liberalism and censorship
Former culture minister Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi warned the new minister Mohammad Hosseini against the two accusations of liberalism and censorship the culture minister encounters. more >
Conference on ‘children and young people in the new culture and media landscape’
The Swedish presidency organised a public conference on ways to promote children and young people access to the new culture and media and, as a consequence, the emergence of a ‘creative generation’. Webcasts of the plenary discussions, keynote speeches and reports of the working groups are available. more >
Tokelau leader says new flag is symbol of developing national identity
Tokelau’s Ulu or leader, Foua Toloa, says the development of a flag and national symbol are all part of supporting a national identity. more >
Tax free era for Irish artists may end
For decades Irish-based writers, musicians and visual artists have been exempt from paying income tax on their earnings under the Republic's tax laws. more >
Texas senator warns Obama against 'politicization of the NEA'
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) issued an open letter Wednesday asking President Obama to "take the necessary steps to ensure that the NEA and the American arts community it supports remain independent from political manipulation by the White House." more >
Blog: Is this really peer review? Arts Council seeks theatre assessors
The Arts Council is recruiting 150 theatregoers to help them make funding decisions. But can we rely on their reports? more >
Cultural Policy Research Award winner announced at ENCATC international conference in Barcelona
An international jury will announce the winner of the Cultural Policy Research Award 2009 (CPRA) on 22 October at the ENCATC International Conference in Barcelona. more >
Artists’ tax-free status in Ireland could end
Since 1969, being a writer, musician, or visual artist in Ireland has carried a distinct advantage: exemption from paying income tax on earnings. But if the country’s Commission on Taxation has its way, that special treatment will end. more >
China to reveal details of stimulus plan for culture sector
China's Ministry of Culture (MoC) is likely to release its detailed stimulus measures to accelerate the development of commercial cultural activities in the next week, said Liu Yushu, head of the Department of Cultural Industries with the ministry. more >
Musicians mourn loss of diversity fund
The elimination of the Canadian Musical Diversity fund will marginalize artists working in jazz, folk, traditional and contemporary classical music that do not have a large commercial following, musicians say. more >
Tourism and culture should have different ministries
The Association of Indonesia Tourist Guides (HPI) suggested President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono separate tourism and culture in different ministries in his next five-year cabinet. more >
China to begin reviewing all song lyrics for ‘inappropriate’ content
Song lyrics found to be vulgar, violent, or in otherwise poor taste are now facing removal from Chinese Web sites, the Chinese Ministry of Culture has announced. more >
If you like the arts, then pay for them yourself
Many citizens are more concerned that the state provide health care when they need it, guard their security and see that their children have schools to go to. They have less concern for what goes on or is displayed in temples of the arts. more >
10 more sites in Pakistan may be included in World Heritage List
Ten more ancient sites in Pakistan are likely to be included in UNESCO's World Heritage List, local newspaper DAWN reported Monday. more >
Americans for the Arts responds to inaccurate Washington Times editorial
A Blog posted by Bob Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts aims to point out "inaccuracies and fabrications" in a Washington Times editorial titled “Inartful Politics” that was originally posted on its The Water Cooler blog and was preceded by a number of other blog posts by the writer that were equally unfounded. more >
Doha to host slew of art events in ’10
Doha will be hosting 70 events in the first three months of 2010 as the city takes its seat as the Arab Capital of Culture next year, an official said. more >
National Library’s heritage building in Kolkata to be used for cultural activities
The National Library, Kolkata, the largest library in India, and an institution of National Importance has shifted most of its collections from the heritage building Belvedere to the newly constructed Bhasa Bhavan located at the same complex. more >
Statement from Americans for the Arts in regards to inaccuracies published by The Washington Times
On September 10 and 11, 2009, The Washington Times posted a series of unfounded blog posts and an inaccurate editorial on its website. Americans for the Arts urges the editors of The Washington Times to reconsider their mistake and ask them to also print this clarification in its entirety when the editorial is published. more >
French Assembly Adopts Anti-Piracy Bill
The French National Assembly has adopted the sanctions side of the three-strikes Creation and Internet bill to tackle illegal file-sharing. more >
Culture ministers of Islamic countries to meet in Baku
Azerbaijan will host a meeting of culture ministers of Islamic countries in October. more >
Blog: It's time to applaud the Arts Council
Bashing the organisation is easy, but it has come a long way. I'm optimistic about its plans for a panel of theatre assessors. Andrew Haydon comments on the Arts Council recruitment of a panel of 150 theatregoers. more >
Arts summit to build bridges
The World Summit on Arts and Culture is expected to "have a catalytic impact on the arts and culture sector in South Africa and across the African continent". more >
Obama makes key appointments to Committee on the Arts and Humanities
A prominent movie and television producer, a New York theater producer and a high-ranking university arts scholar are headed to Washington to join the president's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. more >
Culture and Society
The culture ministers of Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina signed a declaration on co-operation to protect cultural diversity. more >
Kim Cattrall takes shot at B.C. arts funding cuts
Kim Cattrall — the Courtenay-raised actor who played sexy Samantha on the HBO series and subsequent film Sex and the City — certainly sent a message to the B.C. government during her acceptance speech at the Canadian Walk of Fame gala in Toronto this past weekend. more >
Former Culture Minister dies at 77
Kim Sung-jin, who served as minister of culture and communication between 1975 and 1980 under former President Park Chung-hee, died of an illness, Thursday. He was 77. more >
How much is enough?
It’s time for the arts to put its own figure on the value of the arts and to make a more robust, coherent case for their continued funding, argues Stuart McLaughlin, of Business2Arts more >
Portrait of the artist as an older man – this time with a pension
Creative types have their strengths, but not usually in financial planning. more >
Creative industry as revenue generator, by AIG Frank Imuokhuede
Nigeria's creative industry has yet not been fully tapped to yield its best for the nation's economy. One man who feels keenly is AIG Frank Imuokhuede, a former editor of Nigeria Magazine and Director of Culture at the Ministry of Culture. more >
Unesco Elections: Controversial Egyptian Farouk Hosni set to win
It came as a surprise to no one. The controversial Egyptian Minister of Culture jumped into the lead after votes, for both the first and second rounds of elections for a new Director General of Unesco, were counted. With 22 votes on Thursday and 23 on Friday, Farouk Hosni led eight other candidates including former Austrian foreign secretary and European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldneras and Bulgaria’s Irina Bokova Gueorguierva. more >
Call for investment in the arts
London mayor Boris Johnson and two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey have called for continued investment in cultural attractions during the downturn. more >
World summit on arts and culture kicks off
Movers and shakers in the arts scene will take part in the fourth world summit on arts and culture which starts Tuesday. more >
How Helpful Is Cultural Diplomacy?
While other countries have been active exporters of their arts -- China and Great Britain come to mind -- the United States government has been reticent to invest in this form of diplomacy. more >
Report shatters myths about cultural activities
People of color are far more likely to participate in some cultural activity during the course of a year than are white people. Ditto families with children over childless couples. more >
U.K.-Based Businesses Slash Spending on Arts, Survey Reports
Businesses in the U.K. are cutting spending on the arts, and aren’t planning to increase it until 2011, according to a survey by the London-based nonprofit organization Arts & Business. more >
Curtain rises on the 4th World Summit
The first ever World Summit on Arts & Culture to take place in Africa opens tonight at the Alexander Theatre, Braamfontein, Johannesburg. more >
Editorial: Singling out the arts
Filling Pennsylvania's budget gap with a new tax on the arts unfairly singles out a community that already is struggling. more >
Hodge returns to government
Downing Street has announced that Margaret Hodge will return to DCMS as minister for culture, creative industries and tourism. more >
Worlds beyond our own
Annabell Lebethe: Academy-award winning film Tsotsi were part of a corporate social investment project which donated a soccer field to the community. Here is an example of two of the country's youngest actors -- who have achieved remarkable feats for the cultural community -- and their contribution to Soweto was a soccer field. more >
70 countries gather for Summit
Almost 450 delegates from 70 countries are meeting at Museum Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg for the 4th World Summit on Arts & Culture. more >
Culture experts gather in Joburg
How can we embrace our differences to build a multicultural world? Experts from around the world are thrashing out this and other issues at the World Summit on Arts and Culture. more >
Bulgarian Who Is to Lead Unesco Advocates Political Pluralism
The Bulgarian diplomat who defeated the Egyptian culture minister in a close vote on Tuesday night to become the first woman to lead Unesco is a 57-year-old mother with two grown children, an expert in arms control and the daughter of an influential family who came of age during the cold war. more >
Independent artists angry over lost grants
Federal Heritage Minister says the policy reforms ‘have long been called for by people in the music industry'. more >
New NEH Chairman Takes Aim at the Cultural Wars
Jim Leach has roots as a Republican from the heartland. more >
Fiji Arts Council - “Understanding the values of diversity and authenticity of tourism in a globalising world”
History and culture is a significant part of Fijian identity and this is often clearly demonstrated through a diverse range of local art forms. more >
Music grant is a lifeline for musicians
Heritage minister James Moore is making a big mistake cancelling the Canada Council's Specialized Music Recording Grant. more >
Egypt and UNESCO: other reasons behind the defeat
The uproar over the defeat of Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouq Husni in the elections of the UNESCO director-general has not yet subsided. These elections have truly reflected the size of the chasm between the north and the south, one that cannot be concealed by giving some speeches and words or by watching the hugs and kisses among leaders. more >
Policy changes to promote culture industry
The plan for boosting the Chinese culture industry released by the State Council Saturday includes major projects for cultural development, which aim at expanding domestic demand, creating new jobs and promoting economic development, said a spokesman for the State Council answering reporter's questions Sunday. more >
Festival boss bags our theatres
One of Australia's most respected arts figures has launched a veiled criticism of Adelaide's theatres, saying they are in danger of becoming outdated. more >
Irish arts world launches unified bid to fight €37m of cuts
A national campaign has been launched by the Irish arts community aimed at protecting the sector from across-the-board cuts of €37 million recommended by a government-appointed committee. more >
Culture and EU Structural Funds: a success story? Invitation to participate
Together with the Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services (CSES), the ERICarts Institute is currently conducting a study for the European Commission on the Contribution of Culture to Local and Regional Development as part of European Cohesion Policy and our aim is to involve as many people with practical experience in the field as possible. more >
Over 1,000 EU stakeholders and policy makers at the European Culture Forum in Brussels
Culture cooperation and intercultural dialogue was discussed in Brussels on 29 and 30 September at the European Culture Forum, attended by more than 1,000 culture sector experts and policy makers from across Europe and beyond. The Forum, one of the headline events of the 2009 European Year of Creativity and Innovation, took stock of progress towards the goals of the European Agenda for Culture, which was launched in May 2007. more >
The new European Union Prize for Literature puts twelve emerging European authors in the limelight
In the Flagey Theatre in Brussels, 12 emerging European authors received the new European Union Prize for Literature during a ceremony attended by 800 people from the European cultural scene. more >
Tango on UNESCO world heritage list
Tango was declared part of the world's cultural heritage by the United Nations on Wednesday and granted the international seal of approval Argentina and Uruguay have long sought for the dramatic dance and its sensual moves. more >
October 2009
Minister stands down for family
East of England Minister Barbara Follett will stand down at the general election for family reasons. The MP hit the headlines earlier this year when it was revealed she claimed more than £25,000 expenses for security measures and £500 to repair a rug. more >
The creative industries and cultural arts in China
A thriving creative industry market is emerging, which shows that the cultural arts in China are booming. more >
Launch of Fitzcarraldo Foundation newsletter
Fitzcarraldo is the leading Italian center on cultural, arts and media management and policies, based in Turin and active worldwide for the past 20 years. On the 1st October 2009 the Foundation launched the first edition of its newsletter. more >
Distinctive voices of local identity
Last week, federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett announced that Australia had at long last ratified the UN Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. more >
OIC and European ministers responsible for culture to continue intercultural dialogue in Baku
Culture Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference OIC, as well as several European countries will meet in Baku to continue discussions on intercultural dialogue launched in Dec. 2-3, 2008. more >
October is National Arts and Humanities Month
Be one of the thousands of communities and millions of people throughout the United States who celebrate every year. more >
Arts Council chief in plea over long-term funding
The arts are in grave danger of being left behind as the economy begins to recover from the recession, the chief executive of Arts Council England has claimed. more >
"Culture is this continent's driving force"
"Culture is this continent's driving force" - The closing words of the European Culture Forum went to Wim Wenders, in a speech delivered by Marion Döring, Director of the European Film Academy. Mr Wender's speech was a passionate call to revolutionise communication on Europe by focusing on its cultural wealth. more >
Ministry of Culture approves strategic plan
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development has approved its strategic plan for the year 2010 after a long meeting which was attended by the H.E. Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, executive directors and heads of department. more >
Ministry of Culture endorses Customer Service Charter
Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development HE Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, signed Saturday the Customer Service Charter. more >
Cayman represented at World Summit
Mr Bould considered the Johannesburg Summit provided an invaluable networking exchange between the world’s leaders in cultural policy making and management, which took place at the same time as the Arts Alive festival and South African Heritage Day. more >
Narratives of community and hope: museums and ethnicity
MuseumsEtc is calling for essay submissions for an edited book that will examine museum approaches to the representation of ethnic minorities. We are interested in essays that discuss the forms of cultural participation in the museum as a narrative and interpretative space. more >
Second Arterial Network Biannual Conference takes place
After its launch on Gorée Island in Senegal in March 2007, the Arterial Network hosted its second Biannual Conference at the Goethe Institute in Johannesburg from 19-21 September 2009. 114 delegates from 28 African countries as well as a further 17 participants from mainly European countries attended the two-day event, more than double the number of delegates and countries that attended the founding conference. more >
Arts minister disputes Irish opera merger plan
An Irish Arts Council plan to merge the republic’s three existing opera companies into a single national company based in Wexford has run into trouble, with arts minister Martin Cullen, himself an opera fan, publicly disagreeing with it. more >
Ins and outs
Barbara Follett, a junior minister for culture and the East of England, has announced her intention to stand down at the general election to spend more time with her family. more >
Is France doing enough to save its historic buildings?
The Emir plans a multimillion-dollar renovation on the 17th century Hotel Lambert which has been approved by French Culture Minister Christine Albanel, despite opposition from historical preservationists, who say the $60 million renovations would be "disastrous." more >
The 6th International Conference on Cultural Policy Research - Call for papers now open!
Call for papers now open! All those interested in presenting papers at ICCPR 2010 are requested to submit a proposal (in English) of their paper by December 14, 2009. more >
Lahore Arts Council to host international moot
The Lahore Arts Council (LAC) will host an International Literary and Cultural Conference in the second week of November. more >
Louisiana to host World Cultural Economic Forum
The upcoming Louisiana Cultural Economy Summit will include 75 countries and 12 ambassadors. more >
Cirque du Soleil founder leads out of this world broadcast for water
Canadian space tourist Guy Laliberte’s “Poetic Social Mission” into space was transmitted live to the world Friday night, with help from an international, star-studded cast preaching the value of one of our planet’s most precious resources — water. more >
Appointment of Tavakkoli as deputy culture minister denied
Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance denied the appointment of actor of minor movies and TV series Hushang Tavakkoli as the Deputy Culture Minister for Artistic Affairs. more >
'Devastating' cuts to B.C. literary groups
British Columbia's publishing industry is reeling after what are being described as “massive” cuts to the province's literary organizations. more >
Antiquities Council cuts ties with Louvre
Egypt this week severed cultural and artistic ties with the Louvre museum in Paris until the French government returns artifacts taken decades ago from a tomb in Luxor. more >
Arts funding down, but sales tax plan eliminated in Pennsylvania budget proposal
Arts funding is down, but arts groups will celebrate what is not in the state budget. A proposal to begin imposing the state sales tax on ticket sales for an array of live performances was dropped. more >
Boris Johnson ‘broke rules’ by proposing ally for top London arts job
Boris Johnson has been accused of breaching rules on public appointments after trying to appoint a key ally to a top London arts job, The Times has learnt. The Mayor of London tried to install Veronica Wadley, former editor of the Evening Standard, which championed his campaign for the mayoralty, to run the Arts Council in London. more >
Cultural co-operation forum held
Participating countries in the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum have pledged to dedicate their efforts to providing an environment conducive to the development of cultural and creative enterprises and industries, Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing says. more >
Merkel praises Mueller for Nobel Literature win
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other German officials praised author Herta Mueller, 56, for winning the Nobel Prize for Literature on Thursday, highlighting her efforts to ensure that the cruelties of communist dictatorship were never forgotten. more >
Scottish Gaelic, as spoken in Brussels
Scotland’s 60,000 Gaelic speakers will be able to use their mother tongue if they want to communicate with European Union officials in Brussels and Luxembourg, and ministers can speak the language in meetings with their continental colleagues. more >
Stolen artefacts return to Kabul
It was a moment that went a long way to putting Afghanistan and its cultural heritage back on the map. In a small space in a once bombed-out building on the southern edge of Kabul, Afghan dignitaries and western diplomats squeezed past each other to see into the display cases: bronze age digging implements, pieces of carved marble and elaborate metal goods spanning Afghanistan's rich history. more >
What would the Conservatives do for the arts?
Jeremy Hunt and Ed Vaizey have been charming the cultural world for three years – but would a Tory government really dare to subsidise the arts? more >
France to return antiquities to Egypt, ending row with Louvre
The French Ministry of Culture said Friday that five ancient wall fragments would be returned to Egypt to end a row that had suspended the country's ties with the Louvre Museum. more >
Space-directed show has a universal message
Guy Laliberté's Poetic Social Mission into space was transmitted live to the world last night, with help from an international star-studded cast preaching the value of one of our planet's most precious resources. The two-hour show, titled Moving Stars and Earth for Water, was broadcast on TV and the Internet via Laliberté's charity foundation, Onedrop.org. more >
Arts budget boost welcomed
The Arts Council of Wales has welcomed an extra £2.2m allocated to the Assembly Government's heritage budget. more >
Australia chosen to host 5th International World Summit on Arts and Culture in Melbourne
Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, has warmly welcomed the recent announcement that the Australia Council for the Arts will host the 5th International World Summit on Arts and Culture in Melbourne in October 2011. more >
Australia’s National Arts and Disability Strategy
Arts Minister Peter Garrett and the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Bill Shorten, today commended the Cultural Ministers Council for endorsing the National Arts and Disability Strategy at their national meeting. more >
China bans foreign ownership of online gaming operations
China has banned foreign investment in online games operating in the country. more >
Culture Minister to participate in OIC annual meeting in Azerbaijan
Minister of Culture Mohammad al-Maflahi headed for Azerbaijan on Monday to participate in the annual meeting of the Culture Ministers of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to be held in the capital of Baku during 13 – 15 October. more >
SoundOut a strategic conversation
Community funder ASB Community Trust is turning technology to its advantage and getting first-hand feedback from those in the know on how to maximise the impact of arts grants. more >
UK artist shrugs off critics of Trafalgar piece
The sometimes scathing reviews of British artist Antony Gormley's public art installation in London's Trafalgar Square are just proof, he says, that it's been as challenging for audiences as he hoped it would be. more >
Consultative Council of Cultural Strategy for Muslim World meets in Baku
The ninth meeting of the Consultative Council in Charge of Implementing the Cultural Strategy for the Muslim World will be held on 9 and 10 October 2009 in Baku, Azerbaijan on the occasion of the nomination of Baku as the Asian region's capital of Islamic culture for 2009. more >
Indigenous market enters era of the code
With the release of the finalised Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct, encrusted with high principles and complex reporting provisions, Peter Garrett's grand architecture for the Aboriginal art market is at last visible in its entirety. more >
Cullen Announces New Investment Venture In Irish Arts And Culture
Martin Cullen T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism has announced a new 3-year corporate investment venture in Irish arts and culture between Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Ireland's Business to Arts organisation. more >
Action to protect newly-recognised intangible culture
Vietnam has snapped into action to protect two of its indigenous art forms after they were recently recognised by UNESCO as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. more >
OIC announces Sharjah as Capital of Islamic Culture for 2014
Ministers of culture of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) have accepted nomination of Sharjah as capital of Islamic Culture for the year 2014 in recognition of remarkable contributions for preserving, promoting and disseminating culture at local, Arab and Islamic levels. more >
Vietnam to launch international film festival
The city of Hanoi is set to celebrate its 1000th anniversary with the opening of Vietnam’s first international film festival in 2010. more >
Young filmmakers: Turkey does not have a policy on cinema
The Turkish cinema industry has recently experienced one of its richest periods in terms of movie production in various genres, and the number of moviegoers in Turkey is on the rise. more >
Doha named 2021 Islamic culture capital
The sixth Islamic Conference of the Culture Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), meeting the Azerbaijani capital Baku, yesterday approved Doha as “Capital of Islamic Culture for 2021”. more >
President Ben Ali ‘s electoral program stresses importance of culture
Among the items included in President Ben Ali’s electoral program, culture is one of its main components. more >
Se lanzó el Sicsur en Ecuador
Se presentó en la ciudad ecuatoriana de Quito el sitio web Sicsur (www.sicsur.org) que contiene información cultural y documentos de diez países de América del Sur. more >
Sicsur launched in Ecuador
The Website Sicsur (www.sicsur.org) has been launched in Quito. It contains cultural information and documents of ten South American countries. more >
World's oldest submerged town dates back 5,000 years
Archaeologists surveying the world’s oldest submerged town have found ceramics dating back to the Final Neolithic. more >
Gov't plans to provide NT$1b to promote creative industries
The Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA) plans to subsidize NT$1 billion in discounts on student tickets for performances by local arts and cultural groups to help foster cultural and creative industries. more >
Bahrain blocks access for popular TV receivers
The Ministry of Culture and Information has ordered all Bahrain ISPs to block access to Dreambox TV receivers that allow customers to view channels that "breach public morality" and encourages the illegal broadcasting of paid television channels. more >
Extra arts funding 'a PR stunt' say Tories
Conservatives have refused to back a multi-million Government plan to save major arts projects, dismissing it as "a PR stunt". more >
Laos, Thailand expect further co-op in cultural conservation
Laos and Thailand expected to boost further cooperation in cultural conservation for the sake of the national socio-economic development of the two countries, the Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported Monday. more >
Spielberg stumps for arts funding at Liberty Medal ceremony
As you may have known, Steven Spielberg is the 2009 Liberty Medal Recipient, and was awarded his medal by none other than President (and previous Liberty Medal recipient) Bill Clinton last Thursday. Spielberg used his acceptance speech as a kind of bully pulpit on behalf of arts funding more >
European Union’s Strategic Alliance with Latin America
The European Commission devised a new policy to consolidate the strategic alliance between the EU and Latin America. more >
La Asociación Estratégica con América Latina de la Unión Europea
La Comisión Europea ha presentado una nueva política para consolidar la Asociación Estratégica entre la UE y América Latina. more >
A clash of cult and culture in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, a Protestant cabinet minister has made some waves with his announcement that his conscience will not allow him to attend ceremonies in a Catholic church. more >
Saraswathi pension scheme for artistes
A pension scheme for artistes who have dedicated their lives for the progress of the arts called ‘Saraswathi’ is to be introduced. more >
The art of good health
There has been a huge growth of interest in the Republic in the area loosely described as art in healthcare settings. more >
Arts Council chief warns against cuts in arts funding
Alan Davey says government risks losing money as well as creativity if arts funding is cut. more >
Ministry awaits return of 290 stolen artefacts
The Ministry of Culture is endeavouring for return of over 290 stolen artefacts from Italy and UK that were recovered two years back. more >
Boris Johnson could appoint cultural adviser as interim head of arts body
Munira Mirza, the mayor's cultural adviser, is in the running to become temporary chair of the Arts Council London until Johnson can appoint Veronica Wadley. more >
NEA's Rocco Landesman: no more culture wars
The first eight weeks of Rocco Landesman's tenure as head of the National Endowment for the Arts have not been easy. more >
Sharjah makes capital out of its culture
The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) last week chose Sharjah as the Capital of Islamic Culture five years hence, a decision widely hailed as recognition of the emirate’s efforts in establishing itself as a cultural centre for the region. more >
NEA's Landesman plans visits to Memphis, Nashville as part of 'Art Works' tour
Memphis and Nashville will be on the travel itinterary of National Endowment for the Arts chair Rocco Landesman in November as part of his "Art Works" Tour announced Wednesday. more >
$1m Maori art trademark for chop
A trademark used by some of Maoridom's elite artists will be scrapped, a move criticised by some of those who set it up. more >
Going to the artists for a proper appreciation
Rocco Landesman, the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, announced Wednesday that he is taking a whistle-stop tour of the country to "spotlight all the ways that art works." more >
Ministry unveils $100,000 grants programme for cultural arts
The Cultural Legacy Fund was established to celebrate Bermuda's 400th birthday and showed a "tangible commitment to the development and promotion of culture in Bermuda." more >
2012 Olympics will feature an artistic side
After receiving more than 2,000 entries in its open call for art works to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012, the Arts Council has announced 12 lucky winners, who will have access to £5.4 million ($8.8 million) in funding for their projects. more >
Campbell commits cultural genocide
"What the government is doing is cultural barbarism and vandalism of the highest order.” Scott Watson, curator of UBC’s Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, isn’t the only outraged member of the BC arts community. Social groups, students and the general public are speaking out against drastic arts funding cuts outlined by Premier Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal Government. more >
Internet cut-off for French download pirates to start within months
France's Constitutional Council has finally given the green light to the government's plans to cut off internet access to repeat illegal download offenders, widely viewed by both supporters and opponents as the most draconian legislation yet devised in the battle against copyright piracy. more >
Reviving the NEA: A Chat with the New Chair
At Symphony Space on Manhattan’s Upper West Side Wednesday night, Rocco Landesman, two months in the job as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, was interviewed by Frank Rich of The New York Times. more >
Support for new creative talent in Scotland as Starter for 6 gets £1m
A programme to support creative entrepreneurs north of the border has received £1m backing from Creative Scotland’s Innovation Fund.The extended Starter for 6 programme will be delivered by Scotland's Cultural Enterprise Office. more >
U.S./France investigation explores the future of publishing
The powerful economic and technological forces transforming modern publishing, and the comparative perspectives in France and the U.S., will be the focus of an investigative exchange between the two countries organized by the French-American Foundation in collaboration with the French Ministry of Culture. more >
Winner of the Cultural Policy Research Award 2009 announced
Davide Ponzini is the winner of the 6th Cultural Policy Research Award 2009 (CPRA). The prize, worth €10,000 for the best proposal in comparative cross-cultural research in Europe, is a joint initiative of the European Cultural Foundation along with the Swedish Riksbankens Jubileumsfond in partnership with ENCATC. more >
Britain offers great art a true sanctuary
One of the world's greatest ballerinas says we should treasure our lack of political interference in the arts. more >
Culture minister happy about 2009 edition of Coopearte
The Culture minister, Rosa Cruz e Silva, expressed last Friday in Luanda her satisfaction with the holding of the 6th edition of the exhibition of Celamar Gallery dubbed “Coopearte”, which gathered about 100 national and foreign artists. more >
DTT channels agree production investment
A professional agreement has been signed between the French Ministry of Culture and producers, TV authors and DTT channels Direct 8, Gulli, Virgin 17, W9 and NRJ12 to strengthen the channels’ investment in French production. more >
Saudi female journalist gets 60 lashes for TV show
A Saudi court on Saturday convicted a female journalist for her involvement in a TV show, in which a Saudi man publicly talked about sex, and sentenced her to 60 lashes. more >
Merkel's new cabinet
Thumbnail profiles of ministers in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's 16-member cabinet, expected to be sworn in on Wednesday. more >
Cuarta Reunión Ordinaria de la Comisión Interamericana (CIC)
La Cuarta Reunión Ordinaria de la CIC se llevará a cabo en la sede de la OEA en Washington, D.C., los días 12 y 13 de noviembre de 2009. more >
Fourth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Culture (CIC)
The Fourth Regular Meeting of the CIC will be held at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C., on November 12 and 13, 2009. more >
Cultural leaders cautioned on politics
President Yoweri Museveni has said the involvement of cultural institutions in politics is detrimental to culture and can easily cause tension among different communities. He said they will soon hold a national conference on cultural institutions to determine how they would work in harmony with government. more >
Questions on Diversity
Michael Kaiser: I have been spending a great deal of time thinking about the issue of diversity in the arts, specifically, the drive to diversify the programming and constituents of all arts organizations. more >
Arts Funding in Stimulus - State by State
The National Endowment for the Arts has posted how it has distributed nearly $50 million under the stimulus to each state, and to indepenent non-profits, for art programs. more >
Mayan City of Mirador: the world’s largest pyramid discovered!
A CNN Video features the discovery of the world’s largest known pyramid in the Lost Mayan City of El Mirador in El Peten, Guatamela. more >
Blog: A Modest Proposal: Make the Pentagon Our Very Own Ministry of Culture!
During the U.S. presidential campaign, the Obama-Biden team announced it would
would "expand cultural and arts exchanges throughout the world." And Michelle Obama recently stated that the "spouses of world leaders forge bonds by sharing the arts. ... It is a form of diplomacy in which we can all take part.'"
more >
Culture policy to take effect soon
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said a National Culture Policy approved recently by his Government is expected to be fully implemented soon. more >
Last words on the IFACCA World Summit, for now
Arts Counselling Blog: Mark Robinson, Executive Director, Arts Council England North-East. more >
Mitterrand calls for common stance over digitisation in the EU
French culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand is increasing pressure on his European Union (EU) counterparts to adopt a common stance over library book digitisation by Google or other private sector companies. more >
Saudi Filmmaker becomes Kingdom’s Cultural Ambassador
The Saudi filmmaker, director and producer of Rawad media, Mamdouh Saleh, has recently been made Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Ambassador by the British Council and the Ministry of Culture and Information. more >
New German government pledges support for film
Angela Merkel’s new government confirmed its support for the local film industry as it prepared to be sworn in on Wednesday (October 28). more >
Obama 'Most Powerful Writer Since Julius Caesar,' Says NEA Chief
Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, declared in a speech to art philanthropists in Brooklyn last week that President Obama is the world's most powerful writer since the days of Caesar. more >
Arts and Humanities Endowments to Get $167.5-Million Each in 2010
A compromise spending bill approved by Congressional negotiators on Tuesday sets the 2010 fiscal-year budgets for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts at $167.5-million each, more >
Creative Scotland launch will mean at least 33 job losses
Jobs will be lost from the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen when they merge to become Creative Scotland, according to the long-awaited business model for the new organisation which sets out its structure and operational design. more >
National arts initiative launched
A new, national initiative is under way to heighten Canadians' awareness of the arts, their accessibility to art and artists, and their “participation in and engagement with” the activities of the cultural sector. more >
Culture's challenge
Arts Minister Peter Garrett described himself as a "passionate audience member", promising to buy an Australian book, watch a local film and visit a gallery over the next month. more >
Artists to stand in silence to protest funding cuts
Dressed in grey and standing in formation, artists and their supporters will be staging public interventions around downtown Vancouver today. more >
Congress approves budget increase for Arts and Humanities Endowments
The House and Senate on Thursday passed a budget increase for the National Endowment for the Arts and for the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Interior Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2010 sets budgets for each agency at $167.5 million, up $12.5 million from last year. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law shortly. more >
We need a Michelle Obama to champion classical music
Though classical music education in the States can be appalling, at least Michelle Obama is supporting it. Who will do the same here? more >
Truszczynski new Director-General for Education and Culture
The European Commission appointed Jan Truszczyński as Director-General of the Education and Culture DG. Jan Truszczyński will provide leadership to the Education and Culture DG in carrying out its work in the areas of education, training, culture, youth, citizenship, multilingualism and sport. The Directorate-General manages a budget that amounted to € 1,406 million in 2009. more >
Peru will have a Culture Ministry
Peru's President Alan García Pérez signed the bill that will create the Ministry of Culture, the first one in the nation's history, which will now be submitted to Parliament. more >
Bill referred to Congress by the Executive to create Ministry of Culture
The executive referred to Congress the bill that creates, organizes and establishes the Ministry of Culture’s functions as the governing body of the national policy in this field. more >
Ejecutivo remitió al Congreso proyecto de ley para crear Ministerio de la Cultura
El Poder Ejecutivo remitió al Congreso el proyecto de ley que crea, organiza y establece las funciones del Ministerio de la Cultura como ente rector de la política nacional en la materia, luego de que el presidente de la República, Alan García firmara dicha iniciativa, en Palacio de Gobierno. more >
A pair of crucial cultural priorities
In his address to the National Press Club on Tuesday, Peter Garrett called for a debate on Australia's cultural policy between now and 2020. He asked that it be a bipartisan conversation rather than one bogged down in the culture wars debates of recent years. more >
Arts agencies to get highest funding in 16 years
The National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities are expected to receive their highest levels of funding in 16 years from a bill President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law by this weekend. more >
November 2009
Fortuyn to Van Gogh: Minister of Culture?
A journalist has revealed that murdered Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn asked filmmaker and journalist Theo van Gogh whether he would accept the post of Minister of Culture. more >
National Archives is under-resourced - historian
Historian Dr Melissa Ifill says important archival materials are no longer being presented to the National Archives due to a lack of confidence in the institution’s ability to preserve records, and that a lack of funding and adequate staffing has affected the res-toration work of the archives. more >
World's oldest submerged town, 5,000 years old
Archeologists say the world's oldest submerged town, located off the southern Laconia coast of Greece, dates back to 5,000 years ago. Final Neolithic ceramics found during the five-year study project showed that the city of Pavlopetri was at least 1,200 years earlier than previously thought. more >
Advance Australia online
Australians have an opportunity to shape the nation's official cultural policy. more >
Georgia's culture ministry declines to list a mosque in Azerbaijani-populated village as cultural and historical monument
Georgian Ministry of Culture refused to include a mosque in Fakhrali village populated by Azerbaijanis in the list of cultural and historical monuments, resident of Fakhrali village Adil Nabiyev said. more >
Iran's leading holocaust denier named Deputy Minister
Mohammad Ali Ramin, who is said to have shaped the views of Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad on the Holocaust, has been appointed deputy culture minister for media affairs. Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust a "myth." more >
Toronto unveils billboard tax for art
The City of Toronto has released a draft bylaw regulating outdoor advertising and introducing a new tax on billboards for art. The bylaw will be voted on at the PGM Committee on Nov. 4th at 1:30pm. Aiming to beautify and increase freedom of expression in public spaces, Beautifulcity.ca has advocated for this city building idea since 2002. more >
Zahi Hawass: Vice Minister of Cultur
The President of Egypt has appointed Dr Zahi Hawass to be the Vice Minister of Culture for Egypt. Hawass comments: I saw how happy people were when I got the Louvre to return the tomb paintings of Tetiky, and when I asked for the return of the Nefertiti bust from Berlin. I hope these people continue to support my work to preserve Egypt’s history. more >
Obama enlists Hollywood names for arts committee
A year after President Barack Obama's election, the White House is enlisting "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker, Forest Whitaker and others from Hollywood and beyond to help push the president's arts initiatives. more >
Why isn't comedy funded by the Arts Council?
Standup comedy can be as inspirational – and expensive – as any other art form, yet it attracts almost no public money. Things need to change. more >
He produces controversy
Veteran Broadway theater producer Rocco Landesman, off to a rocky start in his new gig as chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), demonstrated at a meeting of arts funders in Brooklyn two weeks ago that he had no plans to change his act. more >
Chinese agencies fight for control of Web game
Chinese regulators are fighting over the right to oversee "World of Warcraft," a popular online game, in a bizarre battle that has thrust bureaucratic rivalry for control of the Internet into the open. more >
Film agency for Wales announces new board appointments
Peter Edwards, the Chairman of the Film Agency for Wales, has announced a new Board of Directors for this pan Wales organisation. more >
Arts Council outlines decision process
Arts Council England has published the criteria it uses to make decisions about which organisations to fund regularly for the first time. more >
ArtStarts in Schools showcase sidelined
The dismal economic climate continues to rain down on local arts groups. ArtStarts in Schools has announced it’s cancelling next year’s spring showcase as a result of uncertainty regarding provincial arts funding. more >
City of Culture 2010
There was little interest in the European City of Culture scheme when Greek Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri, introduced it in 1985, but over the years it has proved a catalyst for real cultural uplift. Whirling dervishes will be doing their speedy thing as Istanbul begins a year-long programme of events embracing its unique status as the city where Europe and Asia meet. more >
Creative Scotland reveals business model
Creative Scotland 09 has unveiled its eagerly anticipated business model, setting out the structure and operational design of the new cultural development body, which is due to be formed in the first half of next year. more >
CS meets UK Culture and Tourism Minister
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, met with the UK Minister for Culture and Tourism, Margaret Hodge today (November 4, UK Time). They discussed strengthening arts and cultural links between Hong Kong and the UK and shared experiences on the promotion of art and culture. more >
Culture Ministry pursues cineastes’ recent concern
Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Javad Shamaqdari is pursuing the recent statement released by cineastes warning against the marginalization of Iran’s independent cinema. more >
Major cabinet reshuffle in Guinea Bissau
President Bacai Sanha of Guinea Bissau on Thursday reshuffled his cabinet, slashing the number of ministers from 21 to 16, according to a PANA report Friday. However, the number of secretaries of State was increased from 10 to 12. The new list of ministers includes Artur Silva, Minister of Culture, Education, Science, Youth and Sports. more >
National Cultural Canons as a Cultural Policy Response to Globalisation?
Discussions on identity, the nation-state and cultural policy as well as questions addressing globalisation and nationalism are often presented as closely interrelated. more >
Upton welcomes report on economic value of the arts
Labour Party Spokesperson on Arts, Sport and Tourism Mary Upton TD has welcomed the publication of a report commissioned by the Arts Council which has highlighted the economic value of the Arts to the economy. more >
White House removes controversial painting
The White House generated discussion and debate last month when it released the list of works it borrowed from public collections to hang in its residential space. more >
Afinan la personalidad jurídica del Conaculta
Darle personalidad jurídica, evitar la duplicidad de funciones, equipar la infraestructura cultural, concretar proyectos internacionales, digitalizar la riqueza cultural y conservar y proteger el patrimonio cultural y artístico de México, son algunos de los retos que se ha impuesto Consuelo Sáizar al frente del Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (Conaculta), institución a la que llegó hace 8 meses. more >
Conaculta’s Legal Status is Refined
This article outlines the challenges set by Consuelo Sáizar for the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes (Conaculta), an institution she has been chairing for over eight months more >
Better conditions for creative industries soon
The Ministry of Culture and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Ghana Association of Phonographic Industries (GAPI) and the Business Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund have taken concrete initiatives that promised better conditions for players in the creative industries soon. more >
39th Congress of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore and Traditional Art
The 39th Congress of the Consejo Internacional de Organizaciones de Festivales de Folklore y de Artes Tradicionales (CIOFF) (International Council of Organizations of Folklore and Traditional Arts will be hosted in Havana, Cuba, from November 8th to 15th, 2009. more >
Cuts to arts budgets would lower Britain's earning power
In a speech this week to the Labour campaign group Progress, the Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw warned about the threat to the arts should the Conservatives come to power: the independence of the creative sector would be swept away, polemical plays denied funding, the BBC emasculated, and Rupert Murdoch allowed to establish a British Fox News. more >
More security for art councils
Following the increasing security threat to public buildings, the Punjab Arts Council (PAC) will purchase security equipment and deploy additional security guards at nine art councils across the province, the council’s board of governors said in a meeting on Saturday. more >
A Moveable FEAST
A new movement is spreading across the nation that combines grassroots arts funding with sustainable agriculture. It's called "FEAST," or "Funding Emerging Art with Sustainable Tactics." more >
Steps taken to develop culture
State Minister for Cultural Affairs Advocate Promod Mankin, MP, said Bangladesh has a glorious cultural heritage and the present government took various steps to develop its culture and patronise organisations to expand cultural activities in the country. more >
Traditional dance, music and theatre highlighted
Traditional dance, music, and theatre were the main attractions at the ceremony of prize giving to the winners of the 2009 edition of the National Culture and Arts Award, held Tuesday in Luanda. more >
Union Ministry of Culture introduces visiting fellows in art, culture & heritage scheme
The Ministry of Culture introduces, with the approval of the Prime Minister in his capacity as the Culture Minister, a scheme named as the “Visiting Fellows in Art, Culture & Heritage” scheme. This Scheme is being introduced to invigorate and revitalize the various institutions under the Ministry of Culture which have vast ‘treasures’ in the form of manuscripts, documents, artifacts, antiquities and paintings. more >
Obama adds star power to arts panel
The committee's 25 members -- an eclectic list that, besides performing artists, includes business executives, educators, arts organization trustees, lawyers and political supporters -- were sworn in Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C. more >
China sets up animation, performing arts, cultural communication giants
China established a state-owned cartoon conglomerate, a performing arts group and a big cultural communication company Thursday. more >
Culture consumption has declined
Forty-four per cent of Romanians spent nothing on cultural activities in first half of 2009, a study made public by the Ministry of Culture shows. The study reveals consumption of culture has dropped alarmingly this year. more >
Official concerned about training of cultural actors
Provincial director of Culture in southern Huíla province, Maria Marcelina Gomes has expressed worry about the lack of vocational training of staff in domains of choreography, scenic arts and music, leading to the poor quality of the final product. more >
Sweden finances more culture in schools
Every year the Swedish Government spends 55 million SEK (approximately 175 SEK per pupil) on cultural initiatives at school. more >
New partnership to support Scottish museums announced
Museums Galleries Scotland and The Collections Trust are delighted to announce a new partnership which celebrates a shared vision for Scotland’s museums and galleries. more >
UBS circus backing wins award from U.K. Arts & Business Charity
UBS AG, Switzerland’s biggest bank by assets, won a U.K. philanthropy award for backing a circus training center in London. more >
B.C. should restore arts funding, committee says
The British Columbia government should reverse its controversial cuts to arts funding in its next budget, says the province's all-party finance committee. more >
Exitoso Congreso del CIOFF en La Habana
Como una reunión constructiva y exitosa calificó el tailandés Udomsak Sakmunwong, presidente del Consejo Internacional de Organizaciones para Festivales Folclóricos y Artes Tradicionales (CIOFF), la realización en La Habana del 39 Congreso de ese organismo. more >
Successful CIOFF Congress at La Habana
Udomsak Sakmunwong (Thailand), President of the International Council of Folkloric Festival and Traditional Arts Organizations (CIOFF), described the 39th Edition of this Congress as constructive and successful. more >
Dominican Republic names new Culture Commissioner in US
Dominican Carlos Humberto Sánchez Morel was sworn in as the new Culture Commissioner in a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture in New York. more >
S.D. receives little arts funding
NEA grant allocation shocks local leaders. San Diego is California's second-largest city in population, but not when it comes to bringing home arts funding. The much-smaller cities of Monterey, Oakland and Santa Clarita squeezed out more federal stimulus dollars for the arts than San Diego. more >
Carthage Theatre Days holds conference on "What Future for Theater in the World?"
Within the framework of the 14th edition of the Carthage Theatre Days (JTC) an international conference was held on Monday under the theme "what future for the theatre in the world?". In his opening address, Mr. Abderraouf El Basti, Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation stressed the importance of Theatre in Tunisia. more >
Creative artistes move to secure their interest
Creative artistes in the country have initiated steps that will help secure their investments in the creative industry at all levels. more >
Creative minds say arts fight not only for funds, but relevancy
More than 250 people attended s Saturday forum on "The Arts and the Economic Crisis," attracting an audience of artists, nonprofit leaders, students and teachers from the tristate region and beyond. Common themes emerged from the sessions, but the biggest issue speakers returned to again and again was not economics; it was a question of relevance. more >
German official: Europe needs plan to handle 'orphan works' texts
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief culture adviser welcomed Monday the removal of German books from search giant Google's project to create a world online library, and said Europe must solve the "orphan works" dilemma on its own. Google has included the content of 10 million books in its search engine, including many "orphan" books which are still covered by copyright law although the authors are dead and their heirs practically unfindable. more >
Helping NI bands costs almost £1m
Almost £1m has been spent on funding bands in Northern Ireland over the last four years. The money was awarded for instruments, equipment and tuition. The figure was released by the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, in response to a question from North Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay. more >
How to contribute to our cultural policy
What Happens when the Federal Government puts a call out to the public to make suggestions about a cultural policy? more >
Orange signs agreement with French cinema organisations
Orange cinema series guarantees a minimum investment of €80mn over three years in French and European cinema. more >
Greek film awards axed
Greek industryites who pulled their pics from the Thessaloniki Film Festival in a dispute over the country's outdated film funding laws have forced the cancellation of next Monday's Greek State Film Awards. more >
B.C. Arts Council can't write cheques to arts groups
Has the B.C. Liberal government diluted arm’s-length funding of culture by taking away the B.C. Arts Council’s ability to write the cheques to arts organizations? Under the Arts Council Act, the B.C. Arts Council must “allocate the money appropriated annually for the Council by the Legislature”. more >
Live on the Web: Forum on how to measure artists' economic impact
In the arts, composers, writers, painters, sculptors and performers grab all the glory, but they also serve who sit and wonk. And we, the people, are invited to watch 'em in action Friday as the National Endowment for the Arts presents a live webcast of its daylong Cultural Workforce Forum. more >
Expedite Bill on cultural leaders
President Yoweri Museveni told cultural leaders on Wednesday that a Bill that will regulate relations between them and the central government has been approved by cabinet. more >
Medieval Armenian church in Georgia collapses
A major section of a 14th century Armenian church in Tbilisi collapsed Wednesday evening, after years of neglect by the authorities to repair the historic structure, reported the Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church on Thursday. more >
Heritage minister says arts groups shouldn't rely on one source for funding
Arts groups need to diversify their sources of funding to ensure they remain financially viable, said Heritage Minister James Moore . more >
Private sector patron of the arts?
The Jazz Fest, the Cirque du soleil, and other big name events get the big name recognition - as well as the sponsorships and funding that often go along with it. But what about smaller events and people like authors and dancers who often get left out in the cold? more >
Everyone a winner with an arts lottery
While there has been an enlightened belief among many well-heeled corporations and individuals that the arts deserve to be supported, the growth of the art prize has occurred in direct contrast to the paucity of Federal Government assistance. more >
Heritage minister says arts groups shouldn't rely on one source for funding
Arts groups need to diversify their sources of funding to ensure they remain financially viable, Heritage Minister James Moore said Friday. more >
Art for whose sake?
Now that cuts are very much on the agenda the Irish arts scene is finally attempting to fight its corner – with rather less success than the trade unions, it has to be said, but it’s not public uninterest that has sealed the fate of culture funding, its the arts’ shilling for government that has done the damage. more >
Contemporary art institute splits critics
The recent opening of a State-run contemporary art institute has divided those in the art world. While many have welcomed the long-awaited governmental recognition of the genre, others are concerned that formal acceptance will see an end to creativity and freedom of expression. more >
Language no barrier to literary prize
A Swiss-German author for whom English is a second language has made it to the shortlist of Scotland's most prestigious literary award. more >
Australia invests $1.6 million for regional arts
Arts Minister Peter Garrett today announced funding of more than $1.6 million under the Regional Arts Fund for arts and cultural activities throughout regional Australia. more >
A Survey Shows Pain of Recession for Artists
A major new survey of American artists and how they are weathering the economic downturn has found that slightly more than half experienced a drop in income from 2008 to 2009, a blow to an already struggling group, two thirds of whose members reported that they earned less than $40,000 last year. more >
Rocco Landesman: How Art Can Help Save the Economy
The chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts on the importance of having an author as president. more >
Azerbaijan creates database of cultural legacy entities
The Ministry of Culture & Tourism of Azerbaijan has singed a decree on creation of database of non-material cultural legacy entities of Azerbaijan. The Ministry reports that the decree aims to support, storing and recognizability of cultural legacy of Azerbaijan. The database will consist of special portfolio to cover achievements of masters of arts and folklore, NGOs and private organizations in the area,” the MCT reports. more >
China's state-owned cultural institutions reshuffled
The launch ceremony of three state-owned cultural group companies—China Oriental Entertainment Group Company Ltd., China Culture and Media Group Company Ltd. and China Anime Group Company Ltd. was unveiled Thursday, chinanews.cn reported. more >
Minister of Culture, Joan Manuel Treserras, shares the view that Felix Millet should be in prison.
Tresserras said he was not surprised by the amount stolen in the case Millet -31.6 million euros, according to various audits. In any case, the minister stressed that the embezzlement that has occurred in Palau is an exceptional case. more >
Should we be funding opera?
The incoming Opera Australia artistic director has slammed Australia's orchestras and opera companies as "conservative and predictable". Terracini's admissions actually fall well short of the mark and remind us that Australia is long overdue for a serious discussion about cultural priorities. more >
Venezuela Int’l Book Fair spreads access to culture
The fifth annual Venezuela International Book Fair opened in the capital city on November 13. Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez was the featured speaker at the fair’s opening ceremony. more >
The ARTerial Network connects African artists
With its motto 'act locally, impact globally' the ARTerial Network connects more than one hundred artists and cultural organisations in Africa together. The exchange of information and lobbying are needed to strengthen the African art sector. What has the network done for art organisations on the African continent? Five views from five countries: Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Egypt. "The power lies in the collective voice." more >
Archive of NEA Cultural Workforce Forum now available for viewing
If you visit this site, you’ll be able to watch the entire webcast of last week’s Cultural Workforce Forum at the National Endowment for the Arts, complete with the slides of the presenters. more >
Compensation planned for return of relics
In a bid to encourage overseas collectors to return to China its ancient relics, the country plans to offer "reasonable compensation" in exchange for the antiques, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) has said. more >
Digital Economy Bill: Join the debate
The Government’s Digital Economy Bill has just received its first reading in the House of Lords, but already it’s causing consternation among industry figures and consumers alike. The purpose of the Bill is to “strengthen the nation’s communications infrastructures”, equipping the UK to “compete and lead in the global digital economy”. more >
Edinburgh fringe fees frozen for second year
Edinburgh Festival Fringe has frozen its participation fees at 2008 levels, despite warnings from the city council that arts organisations across the city face a 4% cut in funding in 2010. Previously, fees had been rising at about 4% annually. more >
Tamara Rojo's leap of faith. She is one of the Royal Ballet's finest dancers. Now Spain wants her back.
Spain is exceptional among developed countries in having no national ballet. The Spanish government suggested it would fund a ballet company if Rojo came home to run it. However, Rojo has attached one absolute condition to her acceptance of the government's offer: Spain must change its system of arts funding. more >
War book “Da” wins Iran’s most lucrative literary award
The War narrative “Da” won the top prize from the Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Awards, which is Iran’s most prestigious and lucrative literary award. The top winner receives 110 Bahar Azadi gold coins worth over $270,000. more >
Caribbean Coalition for Cultural Diversity formed
A Caribbean Coalition for Cultural Diversity has been established to advocate cultural positions of the region relating to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. more >
Arts Council England invests £200k in comms despite savage staff cuts
Arts Council England shortlists agencies for lucrative PR campaign in wake of staff cuts. more >
Iranian director wins Freedom to Create prize
The Freedom to Create Prize has been awarded to the Iranian film director who created the 2001 film Kandahar. more >
Minister of Culture and Information unveils plan
Last week, Marie Laurence Jocelyn Lassegue met with the press corps to unveil a series of initiatives, to improve transparency in goverment. She also said that the government plans to open some cultural centers in Champs de Mars, having purchased Rex Theatre and the old Triumph Theatre. more >
Cultural council to set up offices in China
Taiwan's new culture minister Emile Chih-jen Sheng on Thursday said that his council is considering setting up offices in China. more >
Financiación de las artes multidisciplinarias – Informe de la FICAAC
La Federación Internacional de Consejos de Artes y Agencias Culturales (FICAAC) publicó recientemente su informe D’Art No. 38 sobre los enfoques existentes de financiación de las artes multidisciplinarias. more >
Multidisciplinary Arts Funding – IFACCA Report
Lab for Culture article on IFACCA's 38th D’Art report about the existent approaches to funding multidisciplinary arts. more >
President Barroso unveils his new team
José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, today announced the portfolios responsibilities for the next Commission. Amongst the team, Androulla Vassiliou has been nominated Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth of the European Commission, replacing Maros Sefcovic. more >
Moroccan Parliament debates arts budget increase
Access to the arts should be a "basic right" for all Moroccans, not a luxury, according to Morocco's minister of culture, Bensalem Himmich. more >
Saving the paintings as the floods rise in the gallery
‘SOME AMAZING saves” have resulted from the emergency conservation work continuing at UCC’s Glucksman Gallery in Cork, where director Fiona Kearney has marshalled a team to rescue items damaged in the flood waters. more >
Charter for Innovation, Creativity and Access to Knowledge
We invite all citizens to make this Charter theirs, share it and put it into practice. We invite all governments, multinationals and institutions urgently to listen to it, understand it and enforce it. more >
UNESCO World Forum on Culture a success
The UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries was a huge success. The UNESCO Director-General, Mr. Matsuura, opened the World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries with forward thinking comments about how globalization can also work in the favor of cultural enterprises. more >
Hey Mr Garrett! Time to get off our arts and do nothing
Australia needs a national cultural policy like a fish needs a bicycle. more >
Mexican writer, José Emilio Pacheco, wins the 2009 Premio Cervantes
Mexican writer, José Emilio Pacheco, has been named as the winner of the Spanish top literary prize, the Premio Cervantes for 2009. The award, given by the Spanish Ministry for Culture, is worth 125,000 € more >
One hundred days and counting
Indonesia's Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik, has revealed 11 key program for his department during the first 100 days of his second term as a cabinet minister. more >
Vancouver's 2010 Olympic Legacy is beginning already
The Olympic legacy is being felt even before the 2010 Winter Olympics have begun. Cuts in the Arts and the closure of popular tourist attractions shows how tight money is. The funding the British Columbia Arts Council receives from the Provincial Government is being slashed by 82%. more >
December 2009
Reunión con el equipo local del nuevo proyecto de Fomento de Empresas Culturales y Creativas FOMECC Perú
Del 28 de noviembre al 4 de diciembre una delegación de Interarts visitó Ayacucho para encontrarse con los responsables locales del proyecto FOMECC Perú, que se inicia ahora bajo la coordinación de Interarts y con la colaboración de la Municipalidad Provincial de Huamanga y el apoyo de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID). more >
New Project to Promote Cultural and Creative Companies in Peru (FOMECC)
Between November 28 and December 4, Interarts visited Ayacucho to meet with the those in charge of the local project FOMECC Peru. The project is run by Interarts in collaboration with Huamanga’s Provincial Municipality and supported by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID). more >
Networks – the evolving Aspects of Culture in the 21st Century
The Third World Culturelink Conference was held in Zagreb from 13th to 15th November 2009, bringing together Culturelink Network's members, researchers, artists, professionals, and many others who perceive networking as one of the most intriguing phenomenon of contemporary culture. more >
Breathing new life into landmarks
Over time, buildings can become renowned attractions that serve as sources of national pride or major eyesores that rub people the wrong way. Now, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is working on major preservation and renovation efforts tied to two highly important modern structures. more >
British museums loosen their grip
Starting in January, the British government will allow for the return of objects in British collections that were stolen under the Nazis. more >
Critics worried Olympic artists will be censored
Only weeks after Victoria was touting the 2010 Winter Games Cultural Olympiad as a showcase for the province's artistic community in the wake of arts funding cuts, civil liberties groups are asking Olympic organizers (VANOC) to remove what they're calling propaganda clauses from artists contracts. more >
Gonzalez-Sinde: "He will not cut internet for citizens"
The Minister of Culture, Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde, appeared before reporters before entering the Senate floor to “reassure” the public and insist that the Spanish Government has no plans to cut internet access to end user. more >
Scotland's Alex Salmond demotes under-fire minister Fiona Hyslop
In a straight swap, Hyslop has been given the junior post of minister for culture and external affairs – taking her out of Salmond's cabinet – and her job has been handed to Mike Russell, who until today combined the roles of minister for constitutional reform and culture minister. more >
Fringe director wary of Expo 2017
The head of Edmonton's Fringe Theatre festival says he's worried the proposed Expo 2017 could hurt the city's established arts events. more >
New restrictions on illegal downloads in Spain
Spain’s Minister of Culture, Ángeles González-Sinde, has revealed before the Senate that the proposed Sustainable Economy Law also has provisions of closing web pages containing illegal downloads or P2P links without a judicial order. more >
Paris: Museum strike update
Many museums across Paris are now closed while union workers try to rumble with the Ministry of Culture. Employees walked off the job at the Pompidou Center to protest cuts in government spending. Today the strike spread to dozens of other important museums. more >
Nordic Culture Forum in Berlin
The forum took place in the joint Nordic embassies in Berlin on 23 and 24 November 2009. Around 100 artists and culture professionals, politicians and administrators took part in the event opened by the Icelandic minister of culture Katrin Jakobsdóttir. more >
Blog: The Obama Arts Policy Platform - Part 3 – Publicly Champion the Importance of Arts Education
Blog of the Perfomring Arts Workshop: What this boils down to is arts education advocacy, also a new initiative at Performing Arts Workshop. The Obama Policy statement shares this goal, but what does this actually mean for arts education nationwide? more >
New culture officials sworn in
About 12 new national directors and office heads of the Ministry of Culture were sworn in last Wednesday, in Luanda, in ceremony led by the incumbent minister, Rosa Cruz e Silva. more >
Suicide attack kills gov officials
The Minister of Culture & Higher Education, Prof. Ibrahim Adow, Minister of Education, Mr. Ahmed Wayel and Minister of Health, Ms. Qamar Aden were among those killed in the deadly hotel bombing. The Minister of Sports, Mr. Suleiman Olad, is part of scores of others wounded in the attack. more >
Turkish Culture and Tourist Office gets new Director
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey has appointed Nihan Bekar as the new Director of the Turkish Culture and Tourist Office in New York. In this role Bekar is responsible for overseeing the country’s tourism marketing strategy in the United States and Canada. more >
Yuille-Williams must quit as ambassador
Chairman of the Indo-Trinbago Equality Council (Itec) Devant Maharaj has called on Joan Yuille-Williams to resign as an ambassador in light of the revelation of the award of $46 million in “secret” scholarships, during her tenure as Minister of Culture. more >
2010 should be good year for arts
The main boost for the arts was disclosed by the Minister earlier this week, when he stated that the long-awaited and much-promised Cultural Industries Bill has been approved by Cabinet and is set for debate and ratification in Parliament next month. more >
A copyright violator in Denmark wants authorities to arrest him
A citizen of Denmark Henrik Anderson decided to check the force of the copyright laws in the country and copied some DVDs anyway, a whole bunch of them. Having uploaded the contents of 100 discs to his computer (for personal use), he's asking to be arrested. The Anderson case shows the public the paradox of contradictory laws and selective enforcement. more >
Simon Brault's got the cultural community all abuzz
The head of the National Theatre School has spurred debate on the direction of arts policy with his new book. more >
Free admission to historic Scotland sites
Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution Michael Russell has announced a weekend of free entry to 47 Historic Scotland sites. more >
Blog: Slang does not make literature 'relevant'
Slang does not make literature 'relevant'. Particularly when wielded by those who don't really understand it, it's an insultingly cheap bid to get down with the kids more >
Minister of Culture Tours NICH
Hon. Manuel Heredia is on a countrywide tour of all NICH-managed projects and sites. This includes archaelogical sites managed by the Institute of Archaelogy, Museums and Houses of Culture managed by the Museum of Belize as well as the venues managed by the Institute of Creative Arts. more >
Say no to cuts to BC arts funding!
Prominent British Columbians and Canadians speak out against the cuts. To learn more about the cuts,
and why we publicly fund culture in this country to ensure access to culture for all, click here.
more >
Noted Cuban Cultural Centre to Host Regional Event
The Casa de las Americas cultural institution will host from December 14 to 18 the second Meeting of Young Artists and Writers from Latin America and the Caribbean that will bring together young intellectuals from different countries in the region. more >
The art of turning cultural policy on its head
Simon Brault's participation theory has top minds lining up to hear more. The head of the National Theatre School and vice-chair of the Canada Council for the Arts has stirred quite a few top cultural minds, both in Canada and abroad, to re-think the direction of cultural policy with his recent book, Le facteur C: L'avenir passe par la culture. more >
Bibliography on organized networks
It's hard to be in a university in the 21st century -- or much of anywhere in the 21st century -- and not recognize what Manuel Castells succinctly argues, that networks matter now. more >
UNESCO to Hold Seoul Conference
The 2nd UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education, the largest global event in the field, will take place in Seoul in May of next year with some 2,000 participants coming from here and abroad. more >
2009 ICACD Awards Announced
At the recent 2nd International Conference on African Culture and Development (ICACD 2009), held in Accra, Ghana, the inaugural ICACD Awards were announced. more >
ARS BALTICA conference - summary
On 26th November 2009 ARS BALTICA conference: cultural policies for the Baltic Sea Region was held in the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdańsk. more >
Australia bars North Korean artists from exhibition
The sixth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, includes something previously unseen in Australia: artwork commissioned from artists in North Korea, but at the last minute the artists' visa applications were rejected, and each received a notice saying that their "presence in Australia is or would be contrary to Australia's foreign policy interests." more >
Obama drops cautious arts policy
In his first year, President Barack Obama has marshaled the largest infusion of cultural funding in decades Though still far less than arts advocates contend is needed, they have high hopes this president could transform cultural policy, funding and arts education for years to come. more >
The anti-pirate campaign, subtitles and new strategy plans of movie industy from the Ministry of Culture
The National Film Centre and cultural ministry's “Movie Making Encouragement System” was already launched a couple of months ago. When will the new favorable conditions for foreign movie makers be executed, will the population of Georgia have to watch foreign movies with Georgian subtitles and about other initiatives? GBW put these questions and more to Nika Rurua, the country's cultural minister. more >
Yemen to celebrate Tarim as Islamic Culture Capital for 2010
Mr Najib Rhiati, ISESCO Director for Culture and Communication, arrived today in Sanaa , Yemen , to discuss with officials of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Yemen preparatory steps for the celebration of the city of Tarim as the Arab Region’s Islamic Culture Capital for 2010. more >
Arts world’s anger at ‘philistine politicians’
Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray’s reference to Fiona Hyslop’s new post as Culture Minister as a ‘non-job’ has provoked anger among Scotland’s artistic community. more >
Deputy PM of Spain has denied that the Minister of Culture, Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde, will resign
Deputy Prime Minister of Spain declined to comment on the Sinde case being overruled on Thursday by the Prime Minister, who announced that the government will not block any web page without a court order, just hours after the director of cultural industries, Guillermo Corral, said the exact opposite to a group of internet activists. more >
Scottish arts funding hard hit by economic downturn
MORE than four out of ten arts organisations in Scotland have reported a drop in income, according to a survey. The Scottish Arts Council carried out a survey of dance, theatre, music and visual arts organisations to ask how they were coping with the economic downturn. more >
No Mona Lisa, no Venus de Milo, foreign press groans as museum strike holds
Drenched, disappointed tourists outside the French capital’s landmark museums are making the news in the foreign press as a strike by museum workers dampens dreams of the ideal Paris vacation. more >
Ratings for online games urged
Young Internet users may soon find their access to violent online games unplugged. Under a system similar to film classification, the Ministry of Culture is planning to introduce a rating system for online content, including games, that would only allow players older than a certain age to join in. more >
DCMS announce Visiting Arts as new UK Cultural Contact Point for European opportunities
Visiting Arts is delighted to announce that its proposal to become the official UK Cultural Contact Point (CCP) for the European Commission’s Culture Programme has been accepted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. more >
Bolivia to consolidate Culture Revolution
The Bolivian Minister of Culture Pablo Groux said that "it must bet on culture revolution consolidation" to the beginning of Evo Morales new term of office in 2010. The Ministry of Culture will create the Unit for World Heritage Management connected directly to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). more >
Movie ban puts freedom of speech in question
The Indonesian Censorship Board (LSF) has banned Balibo, a film about a group of Australians who were murdered during the 1975 Indonesian military invasion of East Timor. Some officials, including the military, cheered the decision taken by the censorship agency saying that the movie would open up an old wound and could jeapordize the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Australia. more >
Budget 2010 via Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild Blog
The Irish Government has released its Budget for 2010, and while the predicted cuts have indeed arrived, they are not as ruthless as the McCarthy Report encouraged. Many recommendations of the report have been ignored entirely. more >
State tax clarification gives boost to art lovers
The clarification from a senior staff attorney at the Franchise Tax Board, written Nov. 25 and publicly released this week, means that funding for the California Arts Council is all but certain to increase. That’s because the ability to deduct the cost from income taxes is an added inducement to buyers. more >
ENCATC presents first findings of study on artistic mobility at policy debate in Brussels
Cross-border mobility experiences are life-long learning experiences for artists and should thus be promoted. This is the key finding of a European comparative study on the reality of cross-border mobility of artists and its impact on their professional development. more >
Dame Judi Dench fears arts cash being lost to Olympics
Dame Judi Dench has voiced fears that arts funding is being "siphoned off" to pay for the 2012 Olympics. more >
In the Arts, Bigger Buildings May Not Be Better
Now the economic downturn has reined in a lot of these big dreams and has also led to questions about whether ambitious building projects from Buffalo to Berkeley ever made sense to begin with. more >
Third World Culturelink Conference - Final Conference Report
The Third World Culturelink Conference was held in Zagreb from 13 to 15 November 2009, bringing together Culturelink Network's members, researchers, artists, professionals, and many others who perceive networking as one of the most intriguing phenomenon of contemporary culture. more >
Azerbaijan maintains active cooperation with Europe’s art and cultural circles
Today Azerbaijan heads the committee of culture ministers of the Islamic countries. more >
Arts groups creatively rebound from fund cuts, a few get packed houses
When the local arts community began to feel the pinch of the recession and received word that massive budget cuts were on the legislative table, they came together. more >
Young faces on the podium are adding verve to Britain's orchestras
Robin Ticciati has taken up his baton with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and joined a wave of new conductors galvanising the world of classical music. more >
Blog: Circus walks the tightrope of credibility
Britain is home to some of the best circus training in the world, so why are courses for circus skills still seen as a joke? more >
France to Digitize Its Own Literary Works
President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged nearly $1.1 billion on Monday toward the computer scanning of French literary works, audiovisual archives and historical documents, an announcement that underscored his government’s desire to maintain control over France’s cultural heritage in an era of digitization. more >
First Call for Requests for Technical Assistance Missions – Culture in Development: an Inter-American Information Network
The Office of Education and Culture of the Organization of American States, is pleased to announce the “First Call for Requests for Technical Assistance Missions” of the new Cooperation Fund of the project “Culture in Development: an Inter-American Information Network.” more >
Primera Convocatoria para la Solicitud de Misiones de Asistencia Técnica – La Cultura en el Desarrollo: una Red Interamericana de Información
La Oficina de Educación y Cultura de la Organización de los Estados Americanos, se complace en divulgar la “Primera Convocatoria para la Solicitud de Misiones de Asistencia Técnica” del nuevo Fondo de Cooperación del proyecto “La Cultura en el Desarrollo: una Red Interamericana de Información”. more >
France returns relic to Egypt, ending standoff
The Egyptian government had cut ties with the Louvre until the French government agreed to release objects it says were stolen more >
S.European culture ministers to meet in Turkey
The Southeast European Countries Cooperation Process culture ministers' meeting will take place on December 17under the title of 'New Policies for Preservation of Cultural Heritage'. more >
Medical camp for aged artistes
The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry will conduct a special medical camp for well-known elderly artistes on the direction of Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, a Ministry spokesman said. more >
Create. Innovate. Grow: Closing Conference of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation
The European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 is coming to an end with a closing conference organised today in Stockholm by the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency. more >
Curtain falls on Panhandle Arts Council
The Arts Council of Northwest Florida has shut down amid questions of financial improprieties, and an audit of the group is under way by the Escambia County Clerk of Courts. more >
Introduction of cultural subjects defended
Angola's deputy minister of Culture, Cornélio Caley, on Wednesday here said it is necessary to introduce courses with cultural aspects in university curricula, in order to guarantee the training of cadres in this sector. more >
Jamaica and South Africa initiate cultural ties
A cultural agreement between South Africa and Jamaica was signed Monday at a press briefing in New Kingston. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Olivia Grange, explained that the agreement is aimed at encouraging cooperation, as well as facilitating the exchange of knowledge, experience and achievements between both countries in the fields of arts and culture. more >
Talkin' about the dip
There are less art grant requests coming in, but that’s not necessarily a good sign, North Vancouver’s cultural development officer John Rice says. more >
Launch of Mobility Hub Africa
Mobility Hub Africa is a Virtual Mobility Platform offering information on the Arts and Culture in Africa such as venues, events, cultural practitioners and their projects, platforms, references, key documents and data related to travel and Mobility within Africa. more >
Creative artistes move to secure their interest
Creative artistes in the country have initiated steps that will help secure their investments in the creative industry at all levels. more >
Struggle to regulate internet continues
China is taking its time to figure out who is in charge and what the rules are going to be when it comes to the internet. more >
Minister dumps controversial copyright reforms
Minister of Culture Stefan Wallin has decided not to push forward a controversial law on copyrights which musicians, artists and writers say would have robbed them of the rights to their own material. more >
Ministry of Culture 2009 progress report
Culture Minister Paula Moreno presented her progress report for 2009, detailing the entity's achievements in several key areas, and emphasizing the role that culture has played in Colombia's social and economic development. more >
Calling on Culture Minister Yoo to step down for instigating illegal firings
In a suit raised against the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism by former Arts Council Korea (ARKO) Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Kim Jung-heun seeking the cancellation of his termination, the Seoul Administrative Court ruled that the sacking was illegal. more >
Iran threatens unlicensed films’ cast and crew with punitive action
An official from the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance threatened on Friday that they would take punitive action against cast or crewmembers who collaborate in producing films which lack the necessary licensing for filmmaking in Iran. more >
Culture Ministry to tighten copyright protection on cultural contents
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that it will tighten the copyright protection in using illegal downloaded files and promote the print-based media industry through paid services. more >
Government announces £1.3 million fund to create 200 culture jobs
Young people looking to break into the creative industries are to be given a boost, after the government confirmed £1.3 million of funding to help create 200 new jobs in the sector. They will be open to people aged 18-24, who have been claiming benefits. more >
Qatar is Arab culture capital
Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture 2009 programme concluded yesterday in a grand celebration, where the title was handed over to Qatar, which will initiate its own celebrations in 2010. more >
SHUT 'EM UP! - Too much freedom in the name of creative expression
Declaring that Jamaica's music has died, producer Mikey Barnett says the Government needs to restrict freedom of expression if the society is to survive. "There is too much freedom in the name of creative expression," Barnett told a recent Gleaner Editors' Forum. more >
Culture, sports and tourism sector reviews activities in 2009
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) held a year-end meeting in the city of Da Nang on December 28. 600 delegates from related agencies attended the meeting in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and MCST leaders. more >
Minister of Culture and Tourism releases preliminary plan of events for 2010
Abulfaz Garayev We are planning to broaden geography of holding days of our culture, said Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Garayev. more >
S Korea aims to become world's top 10 culture nations
South Korean Ministry of Culture on Thursday said it will work towards enhancing its tourism industry next year under the "Visit Korea 2010-2012" campaign, vowing to become the world's top 10 culturally developed nations. more >
Show Ponies For A Young Nation
There's a thriving, internationally recognised performance scene in Australia — but it's barely reflected in the programming of major arts companies. more >
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