International News in May 2010
Show all of 2010
Interview with new head of NCCA
Arts Awake interviewed the new executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Malou Jacob. Let us share with you her vision for the Commission. more >
Copyright for Creativity – A Declaration for Europe
The development of new technologies underpinning the knowledge economy calls for a review of the copyright aquis. Together, we need to create greater incentives to maximise creativity, innovation, education and access to culture, and secure Europe’s competitiveness. more >
Copyright para la Creatividad – Una Declaración para Europa
El desarrollo de las nuevas tecnologías que sustentan la economía del conocimiento exige una revisión del acervo de los derechos de autor. Juntos, tenemos que crear más incentivos para maximizar la creatividad, la innovación, la educación y el acceso a la cultura, y asegurar la competitividad en Europa. more >
Nigerian Government, African Union Commission sign MOU On culture conference
The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Union Commission on the hosting of the third session of African Union Ministers of Culture Conference holding in Nigeria in October. more >
Building bridges through music
On Monday 17 May at the Lowy Institute, an audience heard five important voices in Australian cultural life examine the role of music in promoting understanding between nations and communities. more >
Digital Agenda: Commission outlines action plan to
Implementing the ambitious Digital Agenda for Europe unveiled today by the
European Commission would contribute significantly to the EU's economic
growth and spread the benefits of the digital era to all sections of society.
more >
Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations: Irina Bokova emphasizes need to invest in cultural diversity
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, emphasized the positive nature of humanity’s great cultural diversity as she addressed the Third Forum of the United Nations’ Alliance of Civilizations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Forum, held on 28 and 29 May, focused on the theme of Bridging Cultures, Building Peace. more >
Irina Bokova subraya la necesidad de invertir en diversidad cultural en el Foro mundial de la Alianza de Civilizaciones
La Directora General de la UNESCO, Irina Bokova, subrayó el carácter eminentemente positivo de la gran diversidad cultural de la humanidad en el tercer Foro de la Alianza de Civilizaciones de Naciones Unidas, que se celebra el 28 y 29 de mayo en Río de Janeiro (Brasil) con el lema de “Acercar las culturas, construir la paz”. more >
Welcome to Researching Cultural and Creative Industries in London (RCCIL)
RCCIL is an independent database of research on cultural and creative issues relevant to London. It aims to make research more accessible to policy-makers, academics, and service-providers working in the field. more >
Francesco Bandarin, new UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture
Francesco Bandarin (Italy), Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre since 2000, is UNESCO’s new Assistant Director-General for Culture. more >
Bruneian Sultan reshuffles Cabinet, appoints first woman deputy minister
Deputy Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah is now Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. more >
Dealers hang art levy out to dry
EIGHT days before it takes effect, the federal government's art resale royalty scheme has been branded a "catastrophe", with gallery owners angry and uncertain about how it will affect their business. more >
Do black artists need special treatment?
Segregating artists in the name of 'diversity' does them a disservice – as the complex multicultural narrative behind Yinka Shonibare's fourth plinth artwork demonstrates. more >
Is austerity good for the arts?
Josie Rourke, artistic director of the Bush theatre, and Observer writer Sean O' Hagan discuss whether funding matters. more >
Political agreement: 'Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture'
The "Memorandum of Understanding" of the new "Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture" (NDPC) was signed during Nordic Council of Ministers' "International Cultural Forum”, which took place in St. Petersburg/ Russia on 20 and 21 May. Those involved in the world of culture, the creative industries, cultural institutions and officials from eleven countries met there to discuss opportunities to help move the creative economy forward in the region encompassed by the Northern Dimension. more >
Revue in the culture house
The new Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, called on stakeholders in the culture community to meet on June 15 for a review of the Culture Policy. Although launched about 22 years ago by Babangida regime, the Cultural Policy has only been implemented in parts, as successive governments refused to formalize its implementation strategy. more >
Irish Arts Council calls on government to follow Broadway model
Irish Arts Council chair Pat Moylan has called on government to copy the example of Broadway as a means of creating jobs and promoting economic recovery. more >
Simon Brault: Cultural crusader
Simon Brault has fought on the side of arts and culture for over three decades. He continues the good fight in his new book, No Culture, No Future, an impassioned manifesto that argues for the importance of the arts in society.
more >
World music's great visa fear
Intimidating forms, biometrics, illegal immigration paranoia – Robin Denselow on why new visa rules might take Britain off the world music touring circuit. more >
£19m cuts for Arts Council England
Plans announced on Monday as part of the £6.2bn cuts hit Arts Council England worst, with the new government demanding savings of £19m (4 per cent) from its budget within the next financial year. more >
Arts and sport must step up to the plate and trim by 3%, despite frontline fears
Museums, theatres and festivals set to feel the pinch while London 2012 organisers given reduced budget. more >
Culture, tourism closely linked
As this year’s Crop Over season moves into high gear, undoubtedly so too will discussions on our culture. more >
Freedom to Create exhibits in Afghanistan
An exhibition of photo-documentary works from the 2009 Freedom to Create Prize tours to the Queen’s Palace complex in Bagh-e-Babur (or Babur Gardens) in Kabul, Afghanistan. more >
New political agreement strengthens cultural co-operation in Northern Europe
Culture and the creative industries in Northern Europe can now look forward to new growth opportunities and greater political attention. This is the result of a brand new agreement, the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture, between the EU, Russian, Norway and Iceland. more >
Promueven la cultura como herramienta para el desarrollo
Para fortalecer las capacidades de profesionales de origen interdisciplinario con nuevas herramientas e incrementar las capacidades del sector cultura, nace el proyecto I + D en cultura, que impulsa el Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INAC) en conjunto con la Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) y la Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos (OEI). more >
UNESCO invites project proposals on peace and dialogue
UNESCO is calling for project proposals within the framework of The Power of Peace Network (PPN). Submitted projects should be related to the promotion of peace and dialogue, have realistic objectives, and be technically feasible. more >
600 museums offer free summer admission to military
The National Endowment for the Arts is inaugurating a new program Monday to give active military personnel and their families free admission all summer to hundreds of U.S. museums, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Phillips Collection. more >
The struggle for Philippine art - then and now
Operational costs are the basic necessities which funding institutions nearly always shy away from, preferring instead to back output-type undertakings such as events or publications. more >
2010 will be a rich cultural year says Minister
Major cultural events scheduled in 2010 and the celebration of the centennial of the birth of emblematic Tunisian artists, were the focal point of a press conference held on Saturday in Tunis, by Mr. Abderraouf El Basti, Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation. more >
Arts and the new coalition government
After a decade of scaling new heights, the UK's arts institutions have been bracing themselves for drastic cuts. This week culture secretary Jeremy Hunt gave his inaugural speech. The Guardian asked leading figures for their response more >
At NEA, a daring idea to help artists rise again
Current NEA chairman Rocco Landesman, a no-nonsense former Broadway producer, has openly floated the notion of reinstating those individual artist fellowships. more >
Call for proposals for cultural projects by the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture
The European Commission (E.C.) has announced that the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) is calling for proposals for cultural projects. The Fund is a non-profit organization providing direct financial aid to independent artists and cultural institutions in Arab countries. more >
Everyone Else Outsources, So Why Can't The Arts?
In Columbus, Ohio, a number of arts groups are doing what American businesses started doing a long time ago: outsourcing. The recession hit nonprofits hard, and now these organizations have no choice but to become more efficient. So they're handing over the "back office" to the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, or CAPA. more >
Exploring the art blogosphere
As internet media sources continue to expand, art blogs have gained popularity and offer a unique form of content development. Three art bloggers supply insights into this dynamic platform, their online habits, and the differences between blogs and traditional content distribution. more >
Govt taking steps to revive film industry
Federal Minister for Culture Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani has said that the present government is endeavoring for revival of film industry and strong measures would be taken for its survival. more >
Kennedy Center Receives $22.5 Million Gift
The commitment, which includes $2.5 million over five years for the institute's operating costs, will help ensure the continued training of current and future arts leaders in the United States and around the world. The other $20 million will be used to create an endowment for the institute. more >
New U.K. Govt Won't Repeal Digital Economy Act
The U.K. government has outlined its coalition agreement - and there is no proposal to repeal the recently passed Digital Economy Act, which includes measures to tackle piracy. The music industry will welcome the development, while small venues will also be cheering the pledge to "cut red tape to encourage the performance of more live music...". more >
Davey demands ‘rational arguments’ for arts funding
Arts Council England chief executive Alan Davey has called on the cultural sector to help it make a “rational” argument to government about the importance of funding for the arts, in order to avoid heavy cuts in this autumn’s spending review. more >
How do you define 'artist'?
The question of what is art has long occupied theorists and philosophers, but the issue of who or what is an artist is no less vexing. more >
Hunor Kelemen: Europe 2020 Strategy has to value culture and creativity
Europe 2020 Strategy must fully value the potential represented by culture and creativity, said Minister of Culture and National Patrimony Hunor Kelemen in his address to the European Union Council on Education, Youth, Culture, held in Brussels. more >
Better deal for continental art development
A new era for intense arts and culture development has dawned on the African continent with regard to strategic position on networking between countries and resource mobilisation. more >
Blog: Council, coffees, catalogues, cards, corporate
Jeremy Hunt, the new Minister for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport was out of the blocks and on to the telly with impressive speed, appearing on Newsnight on Wednesday when the kiss on the coalition cheek was still wet. Maybe such zest just happens when you stick the word "Olympic" into a job title? He's certainly wasted no time in thinking about cutting the arts budget. more >
Council, coffees, catalogues, cards, corporate
Jeremy Hunt, the new Minister for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport was out of the blocks and on to the telly with impressive speed, appearing on Newsnight on Wednesday when the kiss on the coalition cheek was still wet. Maybe such zest just happens when you stick the word "Olympic" into a job title? He's certainly wasted no time in thinking about cutting the arts budget. more >
Abel sends protest note over ‘stolen’ artifacts
Papua New Guinea is prepared to challenge United States institutions and individuals in international court over millions of kina worth of “stolen” artifacts and national cultural property rights, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Charles Abel said. more >
DAKAR BIENNIAL OPENS
Created in 1992, Dak’Art aims to support not only young artists but also emerging critics and curators. Another goal is to develop artist residencies and professional contacts with other biennials, since artists across the continent suffer from a general lack of financing and institutional infrastructures to support exhibitions. more >
Denmark co-hosts workshop on role of cultural industry
Participants from cultural and governmental organisations are focused on the cultural industry in the two-day workshop "Cultural Industry: Its Role in the Economy and a Suitable Policy Framework for Its Development in Viet Nam" held in Ha Noi yesterday. The workshop is expected to provide a reference for Vietnamese policy makers to develop supportive policies and mechanisms for arts and culture. more >
Exporting arts is key, says chief of Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland will concentrate on places rather than sectors and forge alliances with countries such as America and India, its new chief executive has revealed. more >
Global cultural awareness a necessity: Ahmadinejad
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday that “awareness of international cultural norms is essential for the survival of a nation and the development of human accomplishments.” During the closing ceremony held yesterday morning at the International Book Fair, he added, “As the human body needs air to survive, the human spirit also requires a cultural breathing space.” more >
Is our culture dying for games to become the next art form?
Are video games art? Is that even an interesting question? And how long does it take a new cultural form before people start to take it seriously? more >
MORE THAN 4,000 PROTEST CULTURAL CUTS IN FRANCE
More than four thousand demonstrators marched last week in Paris against cuts to French cultural budgets. Another day of protest is planned for June 15. more >
No govt can ban cultural activities
NO government or institution has the right to gag the freedom of expression in any form and shape especially in an independent and democratic country. Participants in a seminar on Friday added that any attempt to do so was tantamount to gagging of democracy; therefore, it became a political issue and it should be taken to the masses since that’s the most important forum to be involved. more >
Pope Benedict XVI in Portugal: Discourse No. 3 - Cultural Center of Belém
I am very pleased to meet you, men and women devoted to research and expansion in the various fields of knowledge, and worthy representatives of the rich world of culture in Portugal. more >
Wantage MP Ed Vaizey named as Culture Minister
WANTAGE MP Ed Vaizey was tonight appointed as a minister in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in the new Government. Until last week's General Election Mr Vaizey had been a Conservative Party shadow minister for culture, responsible for the arts and broadcasting policy, since November 2006. more >
Blog: What impact will Jeremy Hunt, the new culture secretary, have on the arts?
He's charming, intelligent and 'gets' the arts. But there will be blood on the floor with Tory cuts. more >
Learning with the arts can change young ‘Neet’ lives
Reach the Heights was introduced last year to prevent Welsh teenagers from becoming Neets (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Here, Arts Council of Wales chief executive Nick Capaldi explains how the new arts project will help more than 7,000 young people improve their career opportunities. more >
Plan approved to enhance the performing arts for all ages
The Department of Culture and Media (Catalonia) and key industry representatives today launched the new integrated plan for performing and musical arts for all ages, with an investment of 17 billion over four years, and they want to enhance this field. (Full article available in Spanish) more >
The 2010 Freedom to Create Prize: now open for nominations
Freedom to Create announced the opening of the nomination process for this year’s prestigious Freedom to Create Prize. Participants from all creative fields are being encouraged to enter the international US$ 125,000 prize. Established in 2008, the Freedom to Create Prize is a celebration of the courage and creativity of artists around the world who use their talents to promote social justice, build the foundations for open societies and inspire the human spirit. more >
Carballo-Obregón: Cultura cambia de mando
El despacho del Ministerio de Cultura y otras de sus instituciones tienen nuevos inquilinos a partir de hoy. Aquí, un balance de la gestión de María Elena Carballo y algunos de los retos actuales que le esperan al nuevo equipo. more >
Carballo-Obregón: Culture Has a New Commander
Since May 8, after the ceremony of power transfer, Costa Rica has a new President, Laura Chinchilla Miranda. The Ministry of Culture and Youth also has a new leader, Manuel Obregón, who replaces María Elena Carballo, who was in charge during the four years of Arias Sánchez’s administration. more >
CITIZEN'S PARTICIPATION: Questionnaire about the Cultural Dimension of Europe
The Euromedinculture Citizenship project has created a questionnaire through which European citizens are invited to express their views on different topics such as: mobility of artists and cultural professionals, the social and economic impacts of cultural action, European cultural relationships with the rest of the world and the relation between education and culture. more >
Citizens may take part in the debate on the Cultural Dimension of Europe
The Euromedinculture Citizenship project aims to let European citizens express their views on the meaning of culture for the development of the European Union. The project would like to make practical proposals so that the cultural needs of citizens are taken into account in the EU integration process. more >
Government Investing in Carnival
Senator Arley Gill, the Minister of State with responsibility for Culture, has said that carnival organisers will be seeking additional private sector support to ensure Spicemas 2010 is “very successful.’’ more >
Library Week 2010 to be celebrated from May 10-14
It’s Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers nationwide. more >
The Second World Conference on Arts Education: “Arts for Society, Education for Creativity”
UNESCO and the Republic of Korea would like to invite you to participate in the Second World Conference on Arts Education in Seoul from the 25th to the 28th of May 2010. more >
Top-level art festival opens amid effort to boost cultural sector reform
China opened its largest national art festival, an influential platform for Chinese performers to showcase their latest creations. The ninth China Art Festival, held in the provincial capital, was co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and the Guangdong Provincial government. Li Changchun, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that the festival, which was initiated in 1987, had become an important platform for artists to showcase their talent and had played an active role in promoting Chinese cultural and art development. more >
What the trade wants from the new government (when it forms)
The new government must push further on a range of issues from digital piracy to VAT, regardless of who holds the keys to 10 Downing Street, key figures from the publishing industry have said. As the United Kingdom wakes up to the prospects of a hung parliament, The Bookseller asked a number of book trade leaders for what they want from a new government. more >
A delegation of the Catalan Council for the Arts and Culture (CoNCA) visits Quebec
During April, a delegation of the Catalan Council for the Arts and Culture (CoNCA) travelled to Quebec in order to initiate contacts and share experiences with the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres del Quebec, as well as with the persons responsible for several installations, centers, companies and some of the main cultural representatives of the country. more >
The artists who invest in themselves
The Artist Pension Trust could provide a nest egg for an uncertain future. If it works… more >
Who Draws the Borders of Culture?
The British Museum is Europe’s Western front in the global war over cultural patrimony, on account of the marbles. more >
'One Book, One Twitter' launches worldwide book club with Neil Gaiman
American Gods chosen as the launch book for plan to get 'a zillion people all reading and talking about a single book'. more >
Macedonia and France to sign Cultural Agreement
Minister of Culture Elizabeta Kanceska - Milevska and French Culture and Communication Minister Frederic Mitterrand Tuesday in Paris will sign agreement on cooperation in sphere of culture between two ministries. more >
Soft power, hard labour
There are a number of ways that the writer inevitably engages with the state. When the state is unhappy with what the writer has written, censorship; when the state is happy with what the writer has written, reward (grants, prizes and honours); and the state also acts as protector, through copyright and other laws relating to creative work. more >
Art royalties plan gets the brush-off
The resale royalty scheme for Australian artists has been labelled a "bureaucratic nightmare" for galleries and auction houses that will do nothing to help artists and their families. more >
Ottawa to revamp Canada Prizes
The Canada Council for the Arts will administer the hotly debated prizes as well as the $25-million endowment the government has pledged to form them. more >
Country aims to establish 'a batch of world-famous cultural brands'
China will boost the development of its cultural and media industries abroad to reduce its big cultural deficit, senior officials have said. more >
Partnership to develop African cultural policy
At the 2010 Harare International Festival of the Arts, the Commonwealth Foundation and Arterial Network announced a strategic relationship that will see them working together to help develop African cultural policy. more >
Yemen, UNESCO discuss cultural cooperation
Minister of Culture Mohammed al-Maflahi held talks on Sunday with the Hamed al-Hammami, UNESCO Representative in the Arab States of the Gulf and Yemen who is currently visiting Yemen. The talks focused on aspects of the cultural cooperation between Yemen and the UNESCO and needs of Yemen to develop handcraft works. more >
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >