<P>Visit the culture portal for Egypt - <A href="http://www.tourism.egnet.net/culture.htm" target=_blank>Culture of Egypt</A></P>
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<P><U><B>The Mandate</B></U></P>
<P>The Supreme Council of Culture of Egypt was established by Presidental Decree in 1980. Its mandate is three-fold: planning cultural policy in the Arab Republic of Egypt; providing cultural advice to the governmental executive; and promoting creativity in cultural fields and the arts.</P>
<P>The Council serves professional arts, community arts, amateur arts, music, theatre, dance, visual artscrafts, cultural animation, heritage, folk or traditional culture, museums and galleries, libraries, archeology, preservation and conservation of artifacts, language preservation, training of artists and/or cultural workers, cultural industries, writing, book publishing, magazine publishing, translation and film.</P>
<P>The Council</P>
<UL>
<LI>provides financial support to arts/cultural organizations
<LI>provides financial support to individuals in the arts/culture
<LI>advises the national government on matters related to the arts/culture
<LI>has responsibility for government legislation related to the arts/culture
<LI>develops national arts/cultural policies
<LI>implements national arts/cultural policies
<LI>evaluates national arts/cultural policies
<LI>conducts research in the arts/culture
<LI>compiles and maintains the national cultural statistics and databases
<LI>promotes public understanding and appreciation of the arts/culture
<LI>has lead responsibility at the national level for coordinating international cultural relations and exchanges
<LI>has responsibility for copyright and intellectual property matters
<LI>organizes and manages cultural activities or events
<LI>manages cultural facilities or venues
<LI>provides training and professional development in artistic/cultural fields
<LI>publishes books and/or magazines </LI></UL>
<P><U><B>The Staff</B></U></P>
<P>The staff members of the Supreme Council of Culture are government employees. There are currently 175 staff. The chief executive officer is appointed by the Minister of Culture.</P>
<P>The staff who have direct program responsibilities come from the field. The Council does not have regional offices.</P>
<P><U><B>Budget and Revenue Sources</B></U></P>
<P>In the current year, the organizations budget is 5,175,000 Egyptian pounds (or $1,478,571 U.S. dollars). The budget is entirely provided by the national government. The Council receives annual funding from the governments general revenues or culture budget. Over the last five years, government funding has increased.</P>
<P><U><B>Programs of Financial Support for the Arts/Cultural Community</B></U></P>
<P>The Council provides financial support to organizations and individuals. Most of the programs are organized by function. Funds can be used for</P>
<UL>
<LI>Creation
<LI>Research and development
<LI>Publication </LI></UL>
<P>Applications for financial support are evaluated by assessors selected by the committees of the Council. An assessor may serve a maximum of 6 years. There are no formal conflict of interest rules.</P>
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