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Meeting with EU Commission Culture

Tuesday 27 march 2012

10.15 – 10.45

at European Commission

 

 

EU Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou (blue jacket) with assistant

 

Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou
Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth
European Commission
Rue de la Loi, 200
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2 29 55816
Catherine.SUSTEK@ec.europa.eu 
Anne Nol Assistant to Catherine Sustek and Fabrice Comptour
Tel.: +32 2 29 80680
Present at the meeting was as well Cecilie Cave 
DG Culture and Education: Translation and International Relations 

Delegation: Bas Kwakman, Hatto Fischer, Philip Meersman, Fernando Rendon, Gloria Chvatal.

Basis for discussion and exchange of viewpoints 

As pointed out in a letter by Androulla Vassiliou, Member of the European Commission, 13.1.2012 
"that the Programme has funded poetry projects, for instance 'Y-POETRY', which inspires young people between the ages of 15 and 17 from different European cities and various social levels by introducing them to poetry. Another project, 'Poetry Reaching Out,' attempts to enable the art of poetry to reach out to a broader audience, in both a social and artistic sense."

For projects supported in this sense, see:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/projects-and-actions-supported_en.htm
 For overview of actions by the European Commission:
http://www.petra2011.eu/sites/default/files/petra-cartographie-uk-09_0.pdf

Report published by the Bosch Stiftung:
http://www.ifa.de/pdf/kr/2010/kr2010_en.pdf

Further information about all actions of European Commission:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/culture-programme-(2007-2013)_en.htm

 

Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and Bas Kwakman

 

Key Points stressed by the Commissioner

  1. Poetry is of great importance and the delegation comes at the right moment as the European Commission is about to propose to the European Parliament, Council, Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions a new cultural program called 'Creative Europe' for the time period 2014-2020.
  2. Can Poetry be taught - to which Bas Kwakman replied 'yes', after which attention turned to the model of poetry education in Colombia as exemplified by the book that Fernando Rendon had brought with him, and which is underlined by the Strategic Paper of the World Poetry Movement as a poetic action.
  3. The priortiy to be given in future when funding European projects for Culture to what structural impact they have in terms of 'audience creation' - to which Fernando Rendon and Bas Kwakman referred to the poetry festival in Medellin, Colombia with 15 000 people being present to listen to poetry, but also how Bas sees impact of festivals on hand of the example he gave: 'he saw one man just listen to one poet read and then left the festival although he had been coming regularly each year to the festival in Rotterdam; this time, he followed him out and caught up with him to pose the question but why he left when it had just started, and the man replied, he had heard enough of this one poet alone so that he will go now to the bookshop and buy all his poetry books which he shall study over the entire next year till the next festival'.
  4. The European Commission has currently interest in linking to other cultures abroad, but this year especially it will be China - to which Hatto Fischer drew the attention of the Commissioner to what Spyros Mercouris in Athens, Greece will discuss with a Chinese delegation coming to visit him to prepare a Cultural Forum about 'Dialogue between Cultures'.
  5. In October 2012, there will take place a conference to which she would like to invite the delegation from World Poetry Movement to present some of the points discussed now and in order to add where still conceivable to the future Cultural Program of the EU - to which Philip Meersman replied immediately since he lives in Brussels, he could attend easily this conference.
  6. The interest of the Commission in use of media when it comes to disseminate culture - to this Hatto Fischer drew reference to the ZEBRA Poetry Festival in Berlin, a unique kind of the newest development in use of media with films being based on poetry and those entering the competition on a particular poem selected by the organisers. To this Bas Kwakman added further references to what Poetry International, Rotterdam and Lyric Online, Berlin do, namely to make available poets and their poems with translations online, while World Poetry Movement does mean linking the various festivals world wide as a platform for exchange of good practices.

 

 

Gloria Chvatal and Fernando Rendon with translator for Spanish-English

 

"I love stones" - a powerful metaphor

Fernando Rendon startled everyone by declaring suddenly that 'he loves stones' and went on to explain what he perceives both as a part of history and as a danger for things to turn into stone if not kept alive and in a fluid by such poetry that speaks not only about people but has this cosmis vision so that people realize where they come from within this huge universe of many stars. Bas Kwakman said afterwards this was a turning point in the discussion because then everyone opened up and allowed for a free flow of ideas and associations to make it around the entire table. It was an unfiltered discussion and the delegation appreciated fully the openness of the Commissioner.

Fernando Rendon and Philip Meersman

 

Poetry Slam Competition

Philip Meersman went on to explain things in relation to audience creation by means of the Poetry Slam Competition and cited furthermore the example the delegation heard from Eli, the mother of the open mike in Antwerp, insofar as this was an outcome of the Capital of Youth for one year but shows as well what alone one person can do once set to do something about finding spaces for expressions and poetic actions.

 

Additional advise

In addition the delegation received advise from Cecilie Cave of the European Commission: Translation / International Relations



Cecilie Cave, DG Education and Culture: Translations / International Relations

  1. For the Communication of the European Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of Regions, see http://ec.europa.eu/culture/creative-europe/documents/communication_en.pdf

  2. There exists a funding possibility for EU partners with partners in a third country when applying to the Cultural Cooperation program (short term) where 15% could go, for instance, to Columbia. The deadline for application is beginning of October 2012. As this shall be the last time under the old program, she advises to try this in order to prepare as well the ground for further applications under the new program.

 

after the meeting

 

Hatto Fischer, Philip Meersman, Bas Kwakman and Fernando Rendon

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