International News in December 2009
Show all of 2009
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
Azerbaijan maintains active cooperation with Europe’s art and cultural circles
Today Azerbaijan heads the committee of culture ministers of the Islamic countries. 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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >