Amsterdam
In co-operation with the city of Amsterdam and de Federatie van kunstenaarsverenigingen, th Federation of artists organisations, the Felix Meritis Foundation will organise a congress on the fourth of May, about cultural rights and cultural policy. Before I give you a summary of the programm of that day, I will give a short introduction to the co-operating organisations and the realization of the idea.
First of all, the Federation of artists organisations. From way back artists in the Netherlands have been organised in so-called professional associations for every art form. The Federation of Artists, that has been established shortly after the Second World War, is not only concerend with protecting the material interests of artists, but also with improving the quality of professional practice and other political issues. As a meeting place for people from various arts sectors, artists organisations can be informed about situations in other sectors of the art world and about developments within the society as a whole, which may be important for their own policy. In total the Federation comprises about 20 organisations with 6000 members, including organisations of designers and vocational art educators.
We were honoured when the city of Amsterdam asked us, if we, the Felix Meritis Foundation, were interested in making a contribution to the by ECCM (the network of the European Cities of Culture and Cultural Months) initiated "day of culture", freedom of speech and dialogue.
Our organisation, and in particular the culture and policy department named the Gulliver Network, has paid attention to this theme in the past regularly, already before the political revolutions in Eastern Europe. With artists from all over Europe, conferences about this theme have been organised in Romania, Russia, Turkey and most recently in Vienna in October 1998.
On the fourth of May, three people who have experienced the possible restriction implications of a cultural policy in a personal way, will come to Amsterdam to speka to an audience of mainly Dutch artists and policy-makers. First of all Dubravka Ugresic. As you may know, she had to leave Croatia a few years ago, because her literature was not 'nationalistic' enough.
As a second speaker we hope to welcome mister Arne Ruth. Ruth is a journalist and former editor-in-chief of the Swedish daily Dagens Nytherter and a member of the board of the Swedish Helsinki Commitee. As one of the initiators of the International Rushdie Comite, Ruth has supported Rushdie for years in several ways. He will come to Amsterdam to speak about this case.
We hope that a third speaker will be there to clarify what has happened and what will happen in Austria, this of course in relation to cultural policy.
In the afternoon all participants will take part in working groups in which also a few politicians will take part. All of them are members of one of the coalition parties in the Netherlands. Afterwards the conclusion will be drawn up in a closing debate.
As Simon Mundy wrote in the publication Cultural Rights & European Democracies in transition that will be presented on the fourth of May, paying attention to cultural right is necessary, because all European countries "are undergoing or have undergone significant constitutional change in the second half of the twentieth century." By organising this congress, we want to stimulate this debate and make our contribution to the ECCM "Day of Culture".
The Felix Meritis Foundation
European Centre for Arts and Science