Ποιειν Και Πραττειν - create and do

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Sessions I - IV

Session I

Creative Europe - new financial perspectives 2014-2020

Vladimir Sucha, Director, Culture and Media, DG, EAC

Xavier Troussard, Head of Unit, Culture Policy, diversity and intercultural dialogue, DG EAC, European Commission

Ann Branch, Head of Unit, MEDIA programme and media literacy, DG EAC, European Commission

Isabelle Schwarz, Head of Programmes and Advocacy, European Cultural Foundation

 

Session II

 

 

 

 

The strategies to be invoked by the new regio policy aim at mainstreaming cultural and creative industries (CCIs). It means basically mapping resources / activities at local-regional level, and then assuming synergies can be created by specialisation through combination of various local factors, this model of development is in need of validation by local actors.

At the same time, the EU Commission is installing Smart Specialisation Platforms to strengthen this deliberation process at regional and inter-regional level.

Further information can be obtained at following websites:

www.cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html

www.ec.europa.eu/cip

Comment:

Judging by the presentation, the entire approach to a new form of specialization of regions by means of creating a 'Smart Specialisation Platform' (S3-P) has only three things in mind, when referring to culture:

Four issues / questions need to be faced in order to overcome this over-simplistic model the EU Regio wishes to apply to regions within Europe.

  1. Innovation: this is not simply an outcome of 'creativity', but would require understanding the cultural prerequisites before assuming culture can be solicited to enhance innovation.
  2. The link between regions and culture has been stressed by studies done already before 2000 by Phil Cooke and others, insofar competitive regions seem to have a greater cultural coherence i.e. shared values which allows outsourcing of work by major companies to smaller ones. Phil Cooke coined the term 'excellence of culture' or when people of a region share the same value insofar all want to do 'excellent work' to guarantee success through quality. This is linked to reliability as having among other factors a higher market value.
  3. Does the new Regio policy take really into account needs of regions? There are specific needs for every region e.g. the Sonderborg region in Denmark experiences a departure of young people (out of 10 which depart only 2 return), a low level of interest in technology (in contrast to the needs of the companies located there), uncertainty about future development (with impact upon decisions on how to structure ports e.g. only tourist use or should be retained the industrial part of the harbor?), and a need to attract highly qualified people (whose location decision depends upon not merely income level, but such factors as availability of good schools for the children and a cultural ambiente.
  4. The EU 2020 vision which guides the formulation of the new Regio policy assumes the future development shall depend upon enhancing the 'economy of experience', but as Philippe Kern from KEA pointed out this risks neglecting 'cultural diversity', itself a potential for a development of another kind i.e. preserving cultural identities.

 

A model for the Sonderborg region is being worked on, but not in the usual sense of wishing merely to link business and culture, but by creating a network of interested people to engage in a discussion about a philosophical blue-print for the city and region, in order to attain sustainable development. Thus following aspects are touched upon at this philosophical level which departs from memories about Kierkegaard and his conclusion about the impossibility of love. These aspects include following points of reflections which have been worked out together with action philosopher Oleg Koefoed in Copenhagen and other philosophers:

In view of these factors the chances of Sonderborg 2017 to get the title European Capital of Culture for 2017 have to be evaluated in the light of the cultural strategy adopted by the other city competing for the title, namely Aarhus with Trevor Davies as director. Aarhus follows very much the cultural strategy of seeking and wishing to attract highly qualified people to the city and its various production and service facilities. Again this reflects very much what is needed at the top of the social and economic scale of activities and corresponds to the demographic changes the Scandinavian societies are going through.

 

 

 

Session III

 

The Platform for Intercultural Europe, of which Poiein kai Prattein is a member, is the outcome of the Rainbow coalition discussion about 'intercultural dialogue'.

 

In her brief introduction reference was made to:

  1. Memorandum of Understanding
  2. Collective Rights Management
  3. Consultation process of Stake Holders

and this on the background of the Green Paper the EU Commission has published on this matter.

Right now, there is pending the decision whether to go 'broad' or 'deep' with regards to Common Property Rights. Also there is being discussed the prospect of creating an EU Copy-Right title.

One should be aware that the Info Directive exists in seeking to establish the scope of copy-right based expectations and limitations.

The EU Commission respects the freedom to make contracts while understanding the expectation of customers to be linked to the wish to have access to information / content, but not the same Rights to Access prevail in all EU member states.

For instance, the BBC is now making an i-player available throughout Europe in a drive to offer cross border services, but with payment involved.

There needs to be give space as to where the management of copy-rights can be worked out on a collective basis.

Discussion points:

One question focused on the increase in law suits with regards to use of photos containing content of other 'intellectual properties', and therefore limiting use of photos on the internet. The issue of photographs is something seperate from music and literary or written products (books, poems etc.)

 

 

 

Session IV

 

Of the three platforms (the others are on Intercultural Europe and Access to Culture) created, this one seems to be the most active one. The term 'cultural and creative industries' has become a buzz word. When Ruhr 2010 undertook to be European Capital of Culture not only for the city of Essen, but for an entire region encompassing 53 cities, 'cultural industries' was put for the first time on the official program. One person linked to this campaign is Bernd Fesel. He spoke at the ECCM Symposium 'Productivity of culture' about what this concept entails. Evaluation thereof has still be found whether or not such an imitation of Silicon Valley really is successful. Most observers in the field would say that it is never good if a city or region attempts to imitate a model which is successful elsewhere. Since Ivette Jones from the Cultural Contact Point UK with a vast knowledge about Cultural Industries spoke during the general discussion about the need to be more specific, it is also a matter of specifications meant when referring not to the cultural but to the creative industries. In the latter sense, there are included all soft ware producers and thus alone their inclusion alters the perception and things recorded as to what takes place in this particular sector. Like in many cases within Europe, over lapping fields of competences, but also linguistic differences lead to use of concepts having often multiple meanings, but which are never clarified satisfactorily, epistemologically speaking, in order to know what is the true policy intention and direction.

At the conference in Antwerp about European Capitals of Culture, there was mentioned that the discourse about creativity and cultural industries leads more often to an all exclusive, indeed closed group of leading experts and insiders with little or not participation by ordinary citizens or those working in that particular field.

Coming back to the overall question of the Cultural Forum 2011, it would have been positive if these two concepts of cultural and creative industries were linked to what are 'opportunities' in a digital age. In part, that was exemplified by the former director of the Rijksmuseum, Jan Willem Sieburgh, as he mentioned repeatedly in his presentation a strategy to solicit the support of cultural industries when starting a new campaign by the museum to gain new audiences.

 

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