International News in January 2012
Show all of 2012
17 New Projects Receive Funding from the IFCD
The Intergovernmental Committee approved 17 projects to be implemented in 17 developing countries for a total ofUS$1.3 million in funding. more >
17 nuevos proyectos reciben financiamiento del FIDC
El Comité Intergubernamental aprueba el financiamiento de 17 proyectos que se llevarán a cabo en 17 países en desarrollo por valor total de US$ 1,3 millones. more >
Groux plantea unir desarrollo turístico con el patrimonio
“Vincular sólidamente nuestro patrimonio con el desarrollo turístico es el desafío del Ministerio de Culturas. Nuestras expresiones intangibles, los sitios arqueológicos y todas nuestras manifestaciones nos caracterizan”, dijo el nuevo ministro de Culturas, Pablo Groux. more >
Groux will unite tourism development and heritage
“To link cultural heritage and tourism development will be the challenge of the Ministry of Cultures. Our intangible cultural expressions and archaeological sites constitute our identity”, said the new Minister of Cultures, Pablo Groux. more >
Icom drops Turkish committee
The International Council of Museums (Icom) has ditched its Turkish committee, which is backed by the country’s ministry of culture. Julien Anfruns, the director general of Icom, which is backed by Unesco, says that the accredited Turkish arm, established in the 1960s, “has unfortunately not moved with the times, despite discussions since 2010”. more >
Military Funding vs. Funding for the Arts: What Does the Difference Say About American Values?
During World War II, Britain's finance minister recommended to Winston Churchill that they cut arts funding in order to better support the war effort. Churchill's reply was, "Then what are we fighting for?" This remark resonates with an enormous difference in values between the U.S. and Europe. more >
National Institute of Culture and History launched the Maya 2012 Calendar of Events
On Wednesday, January, 11th the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) alongside the
National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) launched the Maya 2012 Calender
of Events.
more >
Provisions Research Residencies
Provisions Library, a non-profit instigator of arts and social change in Washington DC, is pleased to launch research residencies that investigate futures for creative civil society. more >
The future of Britain’s creative industries
Let me begin by saying what a privilege it is to represent the creative industries in Government. It’s a commonplace nowadays to talk about the success of the creative sector in the UK, but it’s a commonplace because it’s true. more >
Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch Appointed to U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board
Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, today announced that its President and CEO Robert L. Lynch has been appointed to a two-year term on the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. more >
Creative Economy with Andrew Senior
On 7 February, the Ministry of Culture organises, through the Secretariat of Creative Economy a talk with the creative economy expert Andrew Senior. more >
Culture Ministry lays out monuments profitability plan
The Culture Minister, Rosa Cruz e Silva, said on Wednesday in Ebo district, central Kwanza Sul province, that her ministry is working on the drafting of management plans of the existing monuments and sites in the region, taking into account the definition of access rules for their profitability.
more >
Funding art with food
Wednesday Wagbas, a new initiative at the Townhouse Gallery, is aiming to give funding to artists for new projects at a time of increasing uncertainty in the Egyptian visual art scene. more >
Opening soon: Mumbai workspace for Dutch Designers
On 5 February 2012, the Dutch Design Workspace India will officially open its doors. It will be a home base for Dutch designers and design companies wanting to establish themselves in India, and the first point of contact for Indian designers and organizations who want to connect with design, fashion and architecture from The Netherlands. more >
Pulling Out All the Stops on Arts Funding
Performing arts organizations face a general funding crisis. Opera Boston closed its doors this January after a number of successful seasons because one donor (who singlehandedly gave more than 15 percent of its budget by himself) pulled out. more >
Signs of times as Melbourne theatre heeds deaf
When Sydney-based actor Luke Watts steps on stage in Tribes this week, he will become the first member of the deaf community to play a leading role for MTC, according to the company's general manager, Ann Tonks. Watts, who has severe to profound hearing loss, said theatre companies needed to make their productions more accessible to the deaf. more >
Traditional culture promoted for new wave of hallyu
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will push Korean traditional culture as the new driving force for “hallyu,”or Korean Wave. more >
Traditional festivals face new challenges
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has planned to tighten inspection and regulations so that traditional festivals will be organised more carefully to improve safety and order. more >
Agreement for Arts Education signed
National Institute for Fine Arts and the Centre for Economic Research and Teaching will together create a centre to collect and analyzes information on arts education in Mexico. more >
Lifting Jamaica's brand quality - cultural diplomacy strategy required
In her swearing-in speech on January 6, Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller acknowledged, inter alia, that included in her mandate is the imperative to "protect the good name of Jamaica at home and in the international community". more >
Open letter for Mr Barroso
Upon the initiative of the European coalitions for cultural diversity, the culture professionals are addressing an open letter to Mr Barroso so as to remind the European Commission of the urgent need to defend strong commitments in favour of culture. more >
Stars queue up to participate in new online plays on demand service
Richard Eyre, Simon Callow and Tilda Swinton are among the names lined up to curate work for a new online video on demand service screening plays, dance productions and concerts alongside backstage and interview footage. more >
The Capital Region of Denmark enters into a strong new cultural collaboration
For the first time, a cultural agreement has been signed between the region, the municipalities and the government, according to a press release issued by the Capital Region of Denmark.
more >
The Game-ification of Dance: The Future Is Now
Imagine this as the dance class of the future: You are digitally tracked and gain experience points for every exercise you do. Imagine being able to instanteneously send these statistics to a choreographer you might want to work with who then offers you a chance to audition. more >
Changes to censorship rules aim to strengthen artistic expression
The ministry denied it was a simple change on classification. The change was in line with the national culture policy launched last July. more >
Ministry of Culture, Heritage Should Retrieve Nation's Archives
South Sudan as a toddler is in desperate need to retrieve the archives as remaining relic of the recorded forefathers and ancestors' activities of their glorious past. more >
New Culture Minister Appointed
The Honduran government has designated Tulio Mariano Gonzalez as Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports, according to Secretary of Government Africo Madrid. more >
A new legal act to reorganize the arts sector
The new Culture Act on the organisation of the National Culture System is currently in the Assembly, but president Rafael Correa has already issued Act No. 985 according to wchich all cultural institutions that receive funding will be under the guidance of the Ministry of Culture. more >
An Alliance of cultural managers and artists decides to support one presidential candidate
A 'Cultural Alliance for Danilo' in the Dominican Republic has decided to formally support one presidential candidate who pledges to support 'broad cultural activism' to promote the image of the country as a tourist destination. more >
Presidential candidates are asked to explain their cultural policy plans
The candidates seeking to become President of Mexico should give equal importance to cultural policies to other issues, agreed the experts of the Reflection Group on Economy and Culture. For the moment none of the Mexican presidential candidates have explained their cultural policy aspirations. more >
Russian Culture Minister ends career with firework of events
Recently, Russia’s Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeev said that he will quit his job after the presidential elections in the Spring of 2012. So, what will the last months of his work be like? Despite his wish to quit, Mr. Avdeev is optimistic about the future of Russian culture. more >
Building a Cultural Front Against the West
President Hu Jintao of China made headlines in the early days of the new year saying China and the West were engaged in an escalating culture war, and calling on Chinese people to strengthen cultural production to defend themselves against the assault. more >
Artists call for support of Culture Ministry
The women artists Wednesday in Luanda, asked for more financial support and constant institutional presence of the Ministry of Culture, for the makers to do more of the arts to participate in the process of developing the sector in various fields of activity. more >
Grass roots enjoying free admission to Chinese museums
When it reopened in March 2011, Beijing's National Museum of China joined many other cultural sites around the country in not charging admission fees, attracting more low-income visitors. more >
First Quadriennial report of the European Union on the implementation of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions
This questionnaire contributes to the preparation of the first quadriennial report of the European Union on the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. The European Union must submit the report in line with its obligations as a Party to the Convention. The received contributions of civil society organisations will be annexed to the EU report. more >
Know Your Arts Advocates: Americans For The Arts' Robert Lynch
According to some estimates, there are as many as 40,000 lobbyists in Washington, D.C., but you don't even need all of your fingers to count how many work on behalf of artists and arts communities. more >
Teresa Lizaranzu is the new Director of Cultural Industries and Books
Teresa Lizaranzu will be named the new Director of Cultural Industries and Books in Spain. more >
The Race for Cervantes reopens
The Ministry of Culture proposes a change of ministry in the management of Cervantes, the main tool of cultural promotion of Spain. more >
EU countries ponder massive increase in arts spending
The European Commission's plan to launch the world's largest ever cultural funding programme is to be tested in coming weeks as EU states ponder if they want arts spending to go up 37 percent in the next EU budget. more >
United we stand – divided we jeopardise the future of arts funding
Rachel Briscoe: the tiny minority of arts organisations that abuse their funding through laziness discredit the whole community. We must stop them. more >
Welcome to The pARTnership Movement!
Americans for the Arts is excited to introduce you to The pARTnership Movement which is designed to reach business leaders with the message that partnering with the arts will advance their bottom line goals and build their competitive advantage. more >
Argentinian cultural heritage all in one online portal
The National Heritage Directory (SENIP), inaugurated in September 2011, aims to bring together in one site all the information int he collections of museums and archives of documents in Argentine in order to generate knowledge on Argentinian culture. more >
El Ministerio de Educación se fusiona con Cultura y Deporte
El presidente del Gobierno, Mariano Rajoy, ha decidido fusionar los ministerios de Educación, Cultura y Deporte en un solo departamento y nombrar a José Ignacio Wert, sociólogo, jurista y político, como ministro. more >
Minister urges reduction in consumption of foreign cultural products
The minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, urged Sunday in the city of Kuito, Bié Province, the need to reduce consumption of foreign cultural products, unrelated to national identity.more >
The Catalan Government creates one office for all art grants
The Catalan Government creates one office for all art grants. more >
The Ministry of Education merges with Culture and Sport
The Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has decided to merge the ministries of Education, Culture and Sport in a single department and appoint José Ignacio Wert, sociologist, lawyer and politician, as its minister. more >
Launch of a new Journal: – Cultural Management and Policy, an international e-journal
On Monday 9th of January ENCATC has officially launched the first issue of the ENCATC Online Journal of Cultural Management and Policy. more >
Financial crisis grips Bosnia heritage sites
Reading rooms in Bosnia-Hercegovina's National Library have opened without heating as a funding crisis grips the divided country's heritage sites. more >
Minister mentions Patronage Law as incentive to arts
The Angolan minister of Culture, Rosa Cruz e Silva, Friday in Kuito, central Bie province, mentioned the Patronage Law as a valuable instrument to stimulate artistic production in the country. more >
No mention of cultural activity in proposed measures of wellbeing
Time is running out for the cultural sector to make the case for the impact of the arts and culture on quality of life. more >
Why should we fund the arts?
Publicly funded arts institutions are under more pressure than ever to quantify the social benefits they bring, as would be done for schools and hospitals. But isn't the crucial role of art to challenge the way society is run? more >
Panama will have a Ministry of Culture
For the first time in its history, Panama will have a Ministry of Culture to give the sector a proper management of the XXI century reality, said Jose Blandon, the Chairman of the Committee on Education, Cutlure and Sports of the National Assembly. more >
Funding Opportunities for International Cultural Exchange in Asia | research project
The Asia-Europe Foundation and its online platform culture360.org are conducting a research on Funding Opportunities for International Cultural Exchange in Asia. The research will focus on mapping resources for funding in Asian countries which allow individuals or organizations to engage/take part in international cultural exchange. more >
General Directorate of Books and Fine Arts suppressed
The DirectorateGeneralof Books, Archivesand Librariesand theDepartment of FineArtsand Cultural Heritage have both been removed from the new Ministry ofEducation, Cultureand Sport. Furthermore, the DirectorateGeneralofCultural Policy and Industries will also form part of the new Secretary of State for Culture. more >
Kenya to promote cultural integration
The move is aimed at uniting sections of member states with similar traditional values which will result in a better East Africa Community. more >
Officials call for support of the cultural industry
To compete with foreign rivals, Chinese cultural businesses should both become stronger and adapt to the international culture market, according to a senior cultural official. more >
Minister of Culture unveils new strategy
HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari has unveiled the ministry’s new strategy to promote culture within the framework of the National Development Strategy 2011-2016. more >
The Question of culture in the ongoing struggle
Is one of the consequences of the revolution going to be limited freedom of expression and creativity in Egypt? As the Islamists sideline the liberals, the ball is in the miltary's court? more >
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >