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ANUNŢ CONCURS: CASA DE CULTURĂ – MODEL DE CONSOLIDARE A COMUNITĂŢII LOCALE PRINTR-UN PARTENERIAT CIVIL.

Posted by ghenador on November 9, 2011

Fundaţia Soros-Moldova şi Centrul de Politici Culturale cu susţinerea Fundaţiei Culturale Europene (Amsterdam) anunţă lansarea proiectului „Casa de cultură – model de consolidare a comunităţii locale printr-un parteneriat civil.”

Scopul proiectului este crearea unor modele de reorganizare a caselor de cultură în centre de furnizare de servicii culturale pentru populatie în bază de parteneriat şi cooperare între instituţiile de cultură, organizaţiile ce reprezintă sectorul civic şi instituţiile Administraţiei Publice.

Reorganizarea activităţii caselor de cultură presupune în primul rînd că strategia de funcţionare a acestor instituţii se bazează pe necesităţile culturale ale comunităţii. Casa de cultură ar trebui să fie implicată în rezolvarea problemelor reale ale populaţiei, ceea ce ar putea fi asigurat printr-o gestionare eficientă şi un parteneriat stabil. În cele din urmă, o astfel de instituţie este capabilă să iniţieze proiecte culturale, să sprijine iniţiative civice şi să contribuie la sporirea standardelor de viaţă ale cetăţenilor.

La încheierea proiectului vor fi constituite premise pentru crearea, în baza caselor de cultură, a şase centre moderne de prestare a serviciilor culturale. Aceste instituţii vor contribui eficient la dezvoltarea comunităţilor rurale sau a centrului raional, vor introduce metode moderne de management, vor crea platforme pentru abordarea transparentă a problemelor existente.

Proiectul va fi implementat pe durata a doi ani. Persoanele care vor reprezenta instituţiile selectate pentru participare în proiect vor asista la un curs de formare în domeniul antreprenoriatului cultural compus din 4 sesiuni şi o deplasare de documentare în străinătate, după care vor elabora proiectele de reorganizare a activităţii caselor de cultură pe care le reprezintă şi vor beneficia de granturi pentru realizarea proiectelor propuse.

În cadrul acestui concurs se vor examina doar cererile de participare bazate pe parteneriat între casa de cultură (din sat sau raion), o organizatie neguvernamentală (locală sau centrală) şi administraţia publică (locală sau raională). Astfel, cererea de participare în proiect trebuie să fie o decizie colectivă structurilor menţionate mai sus.

În procesul de examinare a cererilor vor fi luate în considerare capacităţile instituţionale şi înţelegerea reciprocă între membrii echipei, precum şi nivelul coincidenţei viziunilor şi scopurilor solicitanţilor cu obiectivele proiectului. Toate cererile depuse vor fi analizate şi sub aspectul îndeplinirii criteriilor de competenţă necesare pentru punerea în aplicare a obiectivelor proiectului.

Dosarele depuse trebuie să conţină setul de documente menţionat în anunţul public al programului plasat pe site-ul Fundaţiei Soros-Moldova www.soros.md în limbile română sau rusă (vedeţi link-urile de mai jos).
Data limită pentru depunerea dosarelor de participare la proiect este 30 decembrie 2011, ora 16:00. Dosarele vor fi prezentate la sediul Fundatiei Soros-Moldova cu adresa: Chişinău, str. Bulgară 32, cu menţiunea: “Concurs în Programul Politici culturale”.

Informaţii suplimentare – la telefoanele : 270 031; 270 032 (persoana de contact Adrian Bivol), sau prin e-mail: abivol@soros.md

Pe parcursul lunii noiembrie 2011 în toate regiunile Republicii Moldova vor fi organizate o serie de consultări cu privire la proiectul propriu-zis şi condiţiile de participare în concurs şi vor fi oferite recomandări pentru pregătirea setului de documente vizat. Data şi locul de desfăşurare a consultărilor vor fi anunţate în prealabil secţiilor de cultură raionale. Aceste informaţii le puteţi solicita şi formând numerele de telefon de la Fundaţia Soros-Moldova indicate mai sus.

http://soros.md/files/events/PC_Call%20for%20proposals_ro.pdf

http://soros.md/files/events/PC_Letter%20of%20inquiry_ro.pdf

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Historical perspective: cultural policies and instruments

Posted by ghenador on November 8, 2011

Moldova as a country, territory or political entity has undergone great changes in the past few centuries and has a long history of foreign domination; indeed, questions of territory and cultural identity have been at the core of its development as an independent Republic.

At the dawn of the 19th century, Moldova was a province of Romania. In 1812, it was annexed by Tsarist Russia until 1917, when Moldova first declared itself a Democratic Republic. This political status was short lived as the parliament (Sfatul Ţării, – the National Council) voted for unification with Romania just 4 months later – resulting in a 22-year period when the Moldovan language and culture became increasingly more Romanian and Western-oriented. In 1940, Soviet forces reoccupied the Region. Moldova remained part of the USSR until the collapse of Communism in the early 1990s.

As in other USSR Republics or Eastern European countries, cultural policy was a propaganda tool of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Moldova. The Ministry of Culture and several arts associations were, therefore, obliged to conform to the Party’s ideology and to ensure that cultural policy and activities were carried out according to the Central Committee’s instructions.

Writers, artists and the cultural elite were also engaged as propaganda agents. The Committee granted them certain benefits and privileges in return for their efforts to consolidate the ideology of the system in a “credible and accessible” manner (Lenin’s slogan “art belongs to the people”). The totalitarian state controlled the process of creativity by valuing and rewarding works of “socialist realism” and rejecting a diversity of artistic approaches.

Arts associations were originally set up to monitor and promote artistic uniformity. As they became increasingly disparate and the composition of their membership was questioned, authorities set up three state Committees – for Publishing, Press and Radio-Television – to strictly monitor and censor the ideological content of literary and artistic works. They were also given the task of suppressing any expressions of affiliation to the Romanian language or culture. During the 47 years of Soviet occupation, Moldova was denied the right to their centuries-old common language, history and culture based on ancient, classical and contemporary Romanian traditions. The result was the disappearance of a distinct national culture during the period of Soviet Moldova. This fuelled a resistance and opposition to the ruling regime.

On 27 August 1991 the Republic of Moldova was declared an independent country. This historical event was precipitated by civil war. Public demands were made for official recognition of the Moldovan-Romanian linguistic identity, a return to the Latin alphabet, and the re-establishment of Romanian as the official language.

During the years 1991-2006, the main objectives of Moldovan cultural policies were:

to ensure conditions to promote creative works by preserving existing national institutions and revising procedures to remunerate artists for their work;
to protect the cultural heritage by improving the copyright system, supporting the publishing sector and developing archives;
to promote human potential through a reform of staff policy in the public cultural administration;
to support diverse cultural processes by identifying priorities and attracting human and material resources to realise these priorities;
to re-focus cultural management towards new models and mechanisms; and
to promote culture through electronic media and to create an integrated information space in the cultural field.
The most visible signs of change during this transition period were the freedom of speech, elimination of ideological censorship and development of legislation which has been modified to correspond with the rest of Europe. There are a large number of “good intentioned laws” in the Republic of Moldova, which have not yet been implemented or made viable on a practical level. Shallow reforms (too often understood as a simple reduction of funding) and the lack of a comprehensive cultural policy have also suspended the full implementation of cultural policy objectives.

During the communist governance, between 2001 – 2009, the results (performances) achieved with such a great effort were ruined one after another. Culture became again the most marginalised sphere, and all previously initiated projects degenerated into actions with a pronounced communist ideology.

The decentralisation process was suspended. The criterion of professionalism was replaced with the degree of servitude to power. Dozens of monuments and books were manufactured and published, with no historical or literary value, except for the glorification of the communist past.

The new ruling government, established in 2009, is a coalition of four parties with different social and cultural platforms. It was known from the beginning that this government is a transitional one, and will exist no longer than a year. Thus, the new ministries have not designed policies for the long or medium term.

Their only target was reanimating the country from the economic collapse and reinstating human rights and liberties, and the supremacy of the law.

From the cultural perspective, two new television stations appeared and a significant number of cultural events took place, which shows a great openness of the Moldovan culture toward the cultures of the world.

The 29 November 2010 was the day of the new parliamentary elections. These elections were particularly important, because they determined the path Moldova was to follow in the future.

However, the elections did not have the expected results. Although the governing coalition remained in power, the dissensions within the coalition have deepened, generating a prolonged political crisis. And, consequently, the announced reforms have been postponed, especially those in the field of justice, which are absolutely necessary for the future of Moldova.

Posted in Art Management, Cultural Financing, Cultural Policy, Moldova art, Moldova Culture | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

World Art Managers Find New Funding Models In D.C.

Posted by ghenador on August 11, 2011

by ELIZABETH BLAIR,

2011-devos-institute-summer-international-fellows-with-kennedy-center-president-michael-m.-kaiser.-photo-by-margot-schulman.Cultural diplomacy usually comes in the form of a traveling art exhibit or a celebrity visit to a war-torn country. But there’s a deeper kind of diplomacy taking place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. For the past four summers, arts managers from around the world have been coming to D.C. for training on how to improve their organizations back home.

Each year’s class of fellows is a little like a United Nations of arts management. They come from every corner of the globe; Pakistan, Russia, Ecuador, Zanzibar, Cambodia and China to name a few. In most of these countries, nonprofit staples like capital campaigns and membership drives are unheard of.

“The funding system in the United States is different than most of the world,” says Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser. “We developed this private philanthropy model because of a separation of art and state that really emerged from the Puritans who thought that music and dance were evil.”

Today, an entire American industry, known as fundraising for nonprofits, has evolved from that “evil.”

Making An American Model Work Abroad

This summer, 36 arts managers from 28 different countries took a class taught by the Kennedy Center’s vice president for development. Among other things, they learned how to write a marketing plan and enlist volunteers.

But the question remains: How applicable are these American tools in, say, Nigeria, where earlier this year hundreds of people were killed in post-election violence?

Patrick Jude-Oteh runs a theater company in Jos, Nigeria. He says he had his doubts when he first heard Michael Kaiser teach. “I thought, ‘This cannot work in my environment. The environment is too volatile,’” Jude-Oteh says.

But now that he’s just completed his third summer as a Kennedy Center fellow, Jude-Oteh has changed his tune. He says one of the most important things he’s learned is to communicate directly with his audience.

“You get them involved in what you are doing,” he says. “The more people get excited, the more people are happy to be associated with you and that’s what has happened.”

Another fellow, Reem Kassem from Alexandria, Egypt recently did the unthinkable. Last February, a month after thousands of protesters clashed violently with police, Kassem organized an outdoor arts festival with dancers, musicians and workshops for children.

“It wouldn’t have gone without the new political situation in the country,” Kassem says. Under the old regime, she says, collective gatherings on the streets were prohibited.

During her summer at the Kennedy Center, Kassem was able to share the story with — and get help from — other fellows from all over the world. The director of a dance organization in the U.K., for example, suggested she ask wealthy Egyptians living in London or New York for support.

Kassem says she’ll return to Egypt equipped with a strategic plan to make the outdoor festival — called “Start With Yourself” — an annual event. “And I will come back [to Washington] next year with more questions,” she says.

‘We’re Saying Your Culture Is Important’

According to Michael Kaiser, cultural diplomacy is an important by-product of The Kennedy Center’s Summer International Fellowship program.

“We’re building long-term relationships with hundreds and hundreds of people who value our expertise,” he says. “We’re not saying our culture is important; we’re saying your culture is important and we want to make your organizations more robust.”

 

Posted in ARS DOR, Art Management, Consulting, Cultural Financing, Cultural Policy, Moldova Culture, Projects | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Consiliul Europei ar putea acorda R. Moldova 150 mln euro pentru casele de cultură

Posted by ghenador on April 9, 2011

Casa de Cultura, Moldova cultureConsiliul Europei /CE/ ar putea acorda R. Moldova pînă la 150 mln euro, pentru transformarea caselor de cultură în centre culturale polivalente, a anunţat astăzi Boris Focşa, ministru al Culturii, la o conferinţă de presă, comunică MOLDPRES.

Focşa a specificat că în mai curent va depune o cerere la Banca CE pentru acordarea banilor. Ministrul s-a arătat convins de faptul că cele circa 150 mln euro vor fi alocate Moldovei. “Tratativele cu Consiliul Europei au durat 1,5 ani. La 14 mai în capitală va fi organizată o şedinţă cu şefii secţiilor de cultură din raioane, pentru ca aceştia să pregătească studii de fezabilitate. La întrevedere vor participa şi experţi ai CE, care vor oferi consultanţă. Pentru eliberarea banilor este nevoie de avizul Fondului Monetar Internaţional”, a remarcat sursa citată.

60 la sută din valoarea asistenţei financiare urmează a fi oferită sub formă de grant. Restul de 40 la sută este credit, fără dobîndă, care va trebui să fie întors Băncii CE de administraţia publică locală, timp de 20 de ani.

Ministrul a precizat că din cele circa 150 mln euro vor fi renovate în special casele de cultură din centrele raionale şi cele din satele mari, iar acest proces va avea loc în decurs de doi ani. Centrele culturale multifuncţionale vor putea organiza proiecţii de filme, concerte, spectacole de teatru. Din aceste venituri, angajaţii ar putea primi salarii mai mari, a spus Focşa.

În R. Moldova sînt înregistrate în prezent 1228 case de cultură. 17 dintre ele necesită reparaţie capitală, iar alte 71 sînt avariate. Toate casele de cultură se află în subordinea administraţiei publice locale. Un proiect similar a derulat şi în Franţa

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Call for applications for technical assistance missions: Strengthening the Governance of Culture in Developing Countries

Posted by ghenador on March 3, 2011

Investing in People MoldovaApplication deadlines: 30 April 2011 or 30 June 2011, midnight CET*

UNESCO launches an international call for applications for technical assistance missions in the framework of a project funded by the European Union (EU), aiming to strengthen the system of governance for culture in developing countries.

These missions will be based on the needs and priorities of the beneficiary countries and will be undertaken by top experts in the field of cultural policies. The missions will support the beneficiary countries in their efforts to establish legal, regulatory and/or institutional frameworks and/or introduce policies that address the role of culture in social and economic development, particularly through the cultural industries.

Which countries can apply?

  • Developing countries Parties to the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural expressions; that are
  • Eligible beneficiary countries under the EU thematic programme “Investing in People”.

Public authorities and institutions from eligible countries can submit applications for technical assistance missions to UNESCO. They will then be evaluated and selected according to established criteria.

This project contributes directly to the implementation of the 2005 Convention and aims to reinforce the role of culture as a vector for sustainable development and poverty reduction.
Application documents:

* Possible new deadlines could be added according to the quantity and quality of the applications received during the first two calls.

Evaluation criteria

A Steering Committee composed of representatives from UNESCO and the European Commission will evaluate and select applications for technical assistance missions on the basis of the following categories of criteria:

  • Relevance: To what extent is the proposed request for technical assistance suited to the objectives and principles of the Project and the Convention? To what extent is the application relevant to the objectives and priorities described in the Call for applications?
  • Feasibility: Are the stated goals of the proposed technical assistance mission realistically attainable within the expected timeframe (maximum of 63 working days allotted by application) and with the proposed human and financial resources?
  • Effectiveness: To what extent does the request for technical assistance help the beneficiary implement its project and meet the needs and priorities of its country?
  • Sustainability: Are measures/policies/impact resulting from technical assistance likely to continue and grow after the completion of the mission?

More information:

Posted in Consulting, Cultural Financing, Cultural Policy, Education, Europe, Moldova Culture, Projects | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Moldova Cultural Policy – Compendium

Posted by ghenador on February 28, 2011

Moldova Cultural Policy – Compendium

Posted in ARS DOR, Art Management, Chisinau, Consulting, Cultural Financing, Cultural Policy, Education, Europe, Moldova art, Moldova Culture, Research | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

The Financial Crisis and its Effects on Public Arts Funding

Posted by ghenador on February 20, 2011

Observations by Andreas Joh. Wiesand

FinancialCrisisDollar The Financial Crisis and its Effects on Public Arts FundingIs it pure coincidence that, 5 years after the General Assembly of UNESCO adopted its Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, one of the cornerstones of this document is already put into question by many of the signatory states? I’m referring to their “sovereign right to formulate and implement cultural policies” that include, in particular, “measures aimed at providing public financial assistance” and “establishing and supporting public institutions” (Art. 5 and 6). To defend this principle – or “exception culturelle” – against the World Trade Organization (WTO) and others who insist on a pure free-market system without financial action or interference on the part of public authorities, may indeed become redundant if it is not invigorated by corresponding practice. Recent severe cuts affecting cultural budgets in a number of European countries seem to point in that direction.

In 2009, the CultureWatchEurope platform of the Council of Europe conducted a survey among Member States on funding trends for culture, asking also about possible strategies to safeguard cultural budgets in times of global financial crisis. Results of the survey, covering 21 countries, were summarized as follows:

“13 of 21 countries envisage an overall reduction of budgets for culture and heritage as a possible short or medium term consequence of the financial crisis, and one country partial reductions. 52 % (11 countries) envisage cuts in budgets of major cultural institutions, and nine mention reductions to subsidies of independent art and cultural organisations. Twelve countries envisage cuts to cultural infrastructure projects. On the other side, eight countries could imagine additional finance for infrastructure projects to stimulate employment, whilst only 17% (5 countries) could see an increase in the investment in creative industries to help generate employment.

The saving policy in cultural institutions may be implemented at the expense of reducing the number of activities and events, and diminishing quality, impacting on the consumption of culture and decreasing possibilities for Europeans to participate in cultural life.”

However, the trend does not seem to work in the same manner across Europe. The CultureWatchEurope survey demonstrated already that some countries, e.g. Finland, France or Slovakia, actually planned to financially stabilise the cultural sector. As described in the Report, “in Luxembourg some new projects will be launched earlier than initially envisaged, in order to strengthen the cultural sector during the crisis.”

At the 2010 CultureWatchEurope Conference in Brussels, Péter Inkei (The Budapest Observatory) sketched a broader picture [http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/cwe/Effects_Inkei_EN.pdf] of the effects that the economic crisis might have on the European cultural landscape, including on the different branches of the arts and cultural industries. For him, “the real issue is to find out whether the effects will lead to fundamental, lasting changes in Europe’s cultural environment.” He concludes:

“We can hope less and less for the simple re-establishment of the status quo. Is then the crisis evidence of a crucial, decisive period in the life of western civilisation, an end of an era, the phasing out of some of the basic features of capitalism, especially its liberal, postmodern variant? If this is the case, then the question is not just how culture will survive the transition period, but rather whether culture is an actor in these historic transformations.”

Back to the state of public budgets: The monitoring data that are available from the Council of Europe/ERICartsCompendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe [Chapter 6.1 and 6.3 in the Country Profiles] are based – for methodological reasons and in order to sustain comparability – on official statistics, both from the national and regional/local levels. The inevitable consequence is that these are, in most cases, two years old. More recent data are, nevertheless, provided by some of the authors as indicators of latest trends: They show, for example in the Czech Republic and in Portugal (state level), that in some countries cuts came already into effect before the crisis really started to influence public budgets. Legally established arts funding bodies did not escape the current austerity measures as demonstrated in the country profile from Ireland, where the Arts Council now faces a 12% reduction of its budget.

Another, more descriptive overview of the situation in different European countries was published, in October 2010, by SICA, the Dutch Centre for International Cultural Activities. It arrives at a pessimistic outlook:

“None of the countries is currently in a position to provide a full picture of the impact of the economic crisis on cultural budgets. Cultural platforms, networks and observatories, including Lab for Culture and IFACCA, are monitoring developments, but much of the information available dates from the first half of 2009. Even then, prospects were far from positive, but the general expectation was that the subsidised sector in particular would see only limited effects. One year on, the situation appears to have worsened although hard evidence is still thin on the ground. What is certain is that cuts have been announced across the board, but these have not all been implemented so far. The sword of Damocles is threatening the whole of European culture and in some countries it is hanging from a particularly thin thread in view of the (impending) elections.

Cost-cutting can be direct or indirect. Almost everywhere, ministries are cutting their subsidy schemes for cultural institutions. At the same time, cultural budgets are threatened by cuts in the government funds used primarily by lower government authorities to finance their cultural policy, as is the case in the Netherlands with the Municipalities Fund (Gemeentefonds). Local government authorities face difficult decisions: should libraries stay open? If so, the swimming pool must be closed. For politicians, culture is just one of many areas where savings can be made. Those in favour of government support for the arts are few and far between and tend to keep their heads down when every vote counts.”

While cuts in public budgets for culture are, obviously, on many agendas, there are other countries which currently even report an increase, despite the financial crisis. For example, this is the case in Finland, where increased revenues from lotteries enabled an augmentation of the current budget of the Ministry. Less surprising is that the government of oil-rich Norway tries to maintain its self-proclaimed goal of spending 1% of its budget for culture – one of the highest per capita in Europe. One could add the German example where, at least on the national level, the Federal budget for culture has increased during the past decade and again in 2011, since the State Minister for the Arts and Media at the Chancellor’s Office succeeded to get a 27m Euro or 2.4% raise. Clearly, things look different in some German cities and on the regional level (Länder), which account for a much larger share of the overall cultural budget. In most cases, cuts tend to hit non-established activities harder than those that are budgeted regularly. On the other hand, as could recently be seen in Hamburg, prestige infrastructures such as the new Elb-Philharmonie – planned during the “fat” years mainly for the purpose of “city branding” – can have cruel effects also for the city’s major arts institutions such as theatres and museums.

Experienced observers [Christopher Gordon and Peter Stark in a supplementary report to the House of Commons inquiry into "The Funding of the Arts and Heritage", November 2010] describe similar negative tendencies from the UK, where the share of public resources attributed to culture – which has increased over the last 15 years, but now experiences dramatic 25-30% cuts following the last elections – focuses increasingly on major institutions and activities based in London, at the expense of the rest of the country.

If we are to assess the overall trends and proposed remedies, we cannot escape the conclusion that the outcome of the present crisis clearly depends on the backing “culture” is still able to get from larger parts of the population and, consequently, in political circles. Where cultural policy is not firmly rooted in the multiple demands of the public – or where the arts are still being conceived as “elitist” – and where the important role of arts, media and heritage activities for the social, educational and economic development of a society is not fully recognized, a change for the worse cannot be excluded, even after the current financial storm calms down. As Péter Inkei reminded us, a change for the better may only be achieved if artists and other culture professionals accept to play a more active role on the diverse political stages.

Andreas Joh. Wiesand – Executive Director, European Institute for Comparative Cultural Research - ERICarts

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Strategic Planning for Learning Organisations in the Cultural Sector

Posted by ghenador on February 2, 2011

A new book by Lidia Varbanova

Planificarea-strategicaEfficient management and leadership of any cultural organisation are immensely connected with the strategic planning process. Setting up the mission and vision, diagnosing and analysing the current situation within a constantly changing environment, elaborating the right set of strategies, functional plans and actions to achieve a desired future state and making them happen, actually cover the whole spectrum of functions that a successful manager needs. Creating tomorrow today is not an easy process but, if we do not envisage where we want to be, why and how to get there, ’tomorrow’ may not be the one we dreamt about. The concept of a “learning organisation” has become increasingly popular for modern organisations in all sectors, including arts and culture. It refers to the ability of an organisation to transform itself within a constantly changing context and escalating complexity by using unlimited mental capacity of its members, their ability to think critically and creatively.

Why this book is unique

 

  • Strategic planning tools in the book are adapted well to the uniqueness of a cultural organisation and creative processes. The author understands well how cultural and artistic organisations operate in a constantly changing environment and financial pressure.
  • The book proposes a well elaborated set of strategies (main organisational strategies, marketing and product strategies, as well as functional strategies) and provides plenty of examples on how these strategies could be elaborated and implemented in the cultural sector.
  • The book offers a set of elements of the human resource management system in a cultural organisation and deals with diverse strategies related to human resources, especially the one which stimulate motivation, education and development.
  • The author discusses complicated marketing concepts and terminology in a digested and simple language, with examples on using marketing-mix concept, developing audiences, elaborating communication plans in the arts.
  • The book provides a clear practical orientation on the main elements in financial planning process in a close relation with fundraising techniques and practices, as well as sponsorship and alternative methods of support.
  • The value of the book is also that each chapter ends with a clear guidelines and examples on how a concrete part of a strategic plan might look like. It is a well elaborated “guidebook” providing step-by-step practical help in elaboration of a strategic plan for any type of cultural organisation.

This book is a useful resource for cultural managers, directors of cultural organisations, cultural mediators, Board members, policy-makers, or project leaders who need a step-by-step approach in understanding the theoretical framework, the process of developing and the application of a strategic plan for a concrete organisation in the cultural sector (be it state subsidized, business-orientated or non-profit). The book is also useful for cultural researchers, consultants, students and academia as it provides a bridge between theory and practice, between methodology and its use in the management planning process. Artists could also benefit from the handbook, as it would help them to shift their mind from creative processes into the pragmatic language of management and economy in order to learn how to handle their organisations or projects in the long-term and within today’s world of money and markets.

The book is supported by the European Cultural Organisation and MATRA Programme of the Dutch Government, published in Russian and Romanian by Soros Foundation Moldova. The English edition will be published in 2011.

See photos from the launch of the book in Chisinau, Moldova: http://www.lidiavarbanova.ca/main/gallery/book-launch-moldova/

——————-

 

 

“This excellent handbook offers valuable theoretical background and practical help to cultural organisations to develop a coherent strategic approach to their work. I encourage cultural practitioners as well as students to consider the book’s helpful advice, and to put into practice the principles, processes and techniques that will improve their effectiveness and impact.”
Robert Palmer
Director of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage
Council of Europe

 

“Ms Varbanova has had the courage to present cultural organizations with a handbook on strategic planning. I honestly think that she should be congratulated for having done so. Her work is very clear, structured and thorough but, above all, this book contributes to breaking – hopefully! – the ill conceived belief, and the myths that follow from it, that management techniques, innovative or classical, cannot be applied to the cultural sector and to cultural organizations. Indeed every profession each has its specificities.”
Mercedes Giovinazzo
Director, Interarts, Barcelona
President, Culture Action Europe

 

“A central goal of this publication is to provide its readers with a solid sourcebook for writing their strategic documents. However, an even more important goal is to inspire managers operating in the arts and culture and to enable them to realize new ways of learning, working, thinking and creating strategies for change. In times of ongoing transition and a critical need for systemic innovation not only in post-socialist countries but all over the world, tools for realizing new strategic approaches are more important than ever before.”
Philipp Dietachmair and  Dilia Ham
European Cultural Foundation
Amsterdam, the Netherlands

 

“The contemporary practice of management is going through changes and challenges. New conditions engendered by the crisis and the ongoing instability make constant revision and update essential. The culture sector, by its very nature, requires such flexible strategic approaches as essential. Lidia Varbanova’s book responds exactly to such complexities and requirements, as well as reveals itself as a perfect reference book for the professionals and managers in the culture sector, as well as for academia and students. The book illustrated with examples, assures convenience for creative solutions.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serhan Ada
Head, Cultural Management Department
Istanbul Bilgi University
 
 
Turkey
 
“Lidia Varbanova has an outstanding career as a professor and international consultant in issues related to strategies and management in the cultural sector and beyond. The modern cultural manager, administrator and thinker finds in Varbanova’s handbook a nurturing and useful read for the day to day work, but also for the medium and long term visionary attitude one has to entertain in this specific domain. Being precise and fully documented, filtered by both academic thinking and hands-on practice, this is a book that artists, intellectuals, students and cultural operators alike must read.”
Corina Suteu
Director
Romanian Cultural Institute
New York

“I think Lidia Varbanova’s book would indeed be a welcome addition to the cultural management field here in Canada. I would have welcomed such a resource back in 1999, when the NAC embarked on its first Strategic Plan: despite having been in the arts management business for many years, I had gained no experience in this area.  It is indeed needed and very helpful.”

Heather Moore
Producer and Executive Director
National Arts Centre/Centre national des Arts
Ottawa, Canada

 

“I believe this publication will provide valuable tools and perspectives for many cultural organizations.I think it will be very useful as a tool for boards and executives working on their planning processes and it will also be a wonderful textbook for arts administration university programs.”
Trudy Schroeder
Executive Director
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
 
Canada

 

“While the cultural sector as a whole has become a valuable part of both the Canadian identity and the country’s economy, cultural organizations are often fragile and quick to feel the effects of political changes or a downturn in the overall economy.  Lidia Varbanova proposes a well-elaborated set of strategies that, if followed, will be of lasting benefit in sustaining artistic excellence and service to the community. She provides plenty of examples on how these strategies can be chosen and used. In particular she places emphasis on strategies related to: building and engaging audiences; partnerships; innovation; networking; co-productions of all kinds; as well as the critical importance of ongoing advocacy”
John Hobday
Former Director of the Canada Council for the Arts and
Executive Director of the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation
Canada

Posted in Art Management, Consulting, Cultural Financing, Cultural Policy, Education, Projects, Research | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Fundaţia Soros-Moldova informează comunitatea artistică şi culturală despre lansarea unui nou proiect internaţional cu participarea oamenilor de cultură şi artă din Moldova întitulat “Tandem”.

Posted by ghenador on January 5, 2011

Fundaţia Soros-Moldova informează comunitatea artistică şi culturală despre lansarea unui nou proiect internaţional cu participarea oamenilor de cultură şi artă din Moldova întitulat “Tandem”. Proiectul va fi gestionat de un consorţiu de organizaţii din care fac parte Fundaţia Culturală Europeană (Amsterdam), MitOst (Berlin), Acţiunea Culturală Europeană (Bruxelles), Centrul pentru Management Cultural (Lvov) şi Fundaţia Soros-Moldova. Scopul proiectului este să ofere un teren propice pentru cooperarea culturală cu ţările Uniunii Europene, inclusiv pentru a combate stereotipurile care există de ambele părţi ale frontierei, şi să faciliteze implementarea proiectelor de cooperare artistică.

Cu acest prilej, Programul Politici Culturale al FSM invită organizaţiile din domeniul artistic şi cultural din Moldova să participe la concursul public organizat pentru selectarea participanţilor în proiect.

Din iunie 2011 pînă în mai 2012, şapte organizaţii selectate în Moldova vor lucra împreună cu partenerii lor din Uniunea Europeană asupra unor proiecte artistice comune. Pe parcursul lucrului reprezentanţi (coordonatori) din organizaţiile partenere vor avea ocazia să desfăşoare vizite reciproce de două săptămîni. Pentru a finaliza proiectul, în mai 2012 participanţii vor găzdui un Festival de Artă şi Cultură Europeană în Moldova, oferind audienţei posibilitatea să cunoască, prin intermediul proiectelor prezentate, practici artistice novatoare şi demonstrînd valori europene comune.

Proiectul este implementat cu sprijinul financiar al Comisiei Europene şi Fundaţiei Robert Bosch Stiftung.

Selectarea participanţilor în proiect va avea loc în două etape:

Etapa 1: Evaluarea organizaţiilor candidate în conformitate cu o serie de criterii formale (calitatea scrisorilor de motivare, experienţă anterioară de cooperare internaţională, CV-urile persoanelor participante în proiect, gradul de cunoaştere a limbilor străine).

În februarie 2011, în cadrul primei etape a concursului, vor fi selectate 20 organizaţii din Moldova şi 20 organizaţii din Uniunea Europeană care vor fi invitate pentru a participa la prima întrunire comună sub egida proiectului “Tandem” care va avea loc la Chişinău între 10 şi 15 aprilie 2011.

În cadrul acestei întruniri, în prima zi, în incinta Fundaţiei Soros-Moldova, organizaţiile vor comunica şi se vor cunoaşte reciproc şi vor încerca să găsească un partener de creaţie între organizaţiile din ţările Uniunii Europene participante la întrunire. În zilele următoare, participanţii din Moldova vor invita potenţialii parteneri să viziteze organizaţiile lor, în aşa fel aceştia din urmă vor cunoaşte diverse sectoare din domeniul artei şi culturii din Moldova (literatură, teatru, arte vizuale, muzică, film şi a.), inclusiv se vor documenta asupra proceselor artistice şi culturale din spaţiul rural al ţării şi vor cunoaşte organizaţiile culturale care activează în provincie. În ultima, (a cincea) zi a întrunirii, participanţii se vor reuni la Fundaţia Soros-Moldova pentru a generaliza impresii şi idei şi a începe lucrul la pregătirea aplicaţiei comune de proiect care va trebui depusă pentru participarea plenară în proiectul “Tandem”.

Astfel, în cadrul întrunirii de la Chişinău, partenerii din potenţiale tandemuri artistice se vor identifica reciproc şi vor elabora în comun concepte pentru oferta lor artistică/de creaţie (proiectul artistic pe care intenţionează să-l prezinte la festivalul de finalizare a proiectului). La a doua etapă a concursului, partenerii vor depune în comun solicitări de parteneriat, bazate pe conceptele de cooperare, identificate în cadrul întrunirii, pentru a participa în proiectul propriu-zis. 7 tandemuri artistice cu participarea oamenilor de artă din Moldova şi parteneri din Uniunea Europeană vor fi constituite pe această cale.

Etapa 2: Evaluarea proiectelor (aplicaţiilor) comune depuse de către candidaţii selectaţi după prima etapă a concursului.

În baza evaluării aplicaţiilor (proiectelor de creaţie) depuse spre examinare în cea de a doua etapă a concursului, 7 tandemuri/proiecte artistice comune vor fi selectate pentru a primi finanţare pentru implementare (4000 EURO pentru fiecare proiect). Aceste proiecte vor fi prezentate în cadrul Festivalului de Artă şi Cultură Europeană în Moldova (mai 2012).

Pentru a participa la prima etapă a concursului, organizaţiile interesate vor depune la Fundaţia Soros-Moldova un dosar din următoarele documente:

1) Formularul de participare completat (îl puteţi descărca accesînd link-ul “model formular de participare” sau poate fi ridicat de la sediul FSM)
2) O scrisoare de motivare (1 pagină). Scrisoarea trebuie să indice prin ce este motivată organizaţia să participe în proiect, precum şi să conţină un scurt sumar al ideii de proiect comun pe care ar vrea să-l implementeze în cadrul proiectului “Tandem”.
3) Descrierea organizaţiei cu specificarea scopului şi sarcinilor, experienţei anterioare de cooperare internaţională şi a planurilor pentru următorii doi ani (max. 1,5 pagini). Încurajăm competitorii să prezinte descrierea organizaţiei în limba engleză.
4) CV-uirle managerului organizaţiei şi al coordonatorului care va fi responsabil de participarea organizaţiei în proiectul “Tandem”.
5) Copia certificatului de înregistrare a organizaţiei.

Amintim, că la prima etapă vor fi examinate aplicaţiile pentru participarea la întrunirea cu reprezentanţi din ţările Uniunii Europene care va fi organizată la Chişinău, între 10 şi 15 aprilie 2011, cu scopul cunoaşterii reciproce, constituirii tandemelor şi elaborarea conceptelor de proiecte artistice comune. Participanţii la acest eveniment vor trebui să aplice încă o dată în comun cu partenerii europeni (etapa a doua a concursului) pentru a fi selectaţi în vederea participării plenare în proiect în componenţa unui potenţial tandem de creaţie.

Competiţia este anunţată pentru organizaţiile / instituţiile / societăţile comerciale din Moldova din sectorul artistic şi cultural, indiferent de forma organizatorico-juridică. Dosarul de participare poate fi depus la sediul Fundaţiei Soros-Moldova cu adresa: Chişinău, str. Bulgară, 32, Programul Politici Culturale sau expediat pe adresa de e-mail al directorului de program vmiron@soros.md .

Data limită de depunere a dosarelor de participare la prima etapă a concursului este 15 februarie 2011, ora 12.00.

Relaţii la tel. 270031, 270232
Fax: 270507
e-mail: vmiron@soros.md

Persoana de contact: Victoria Miron, Director Program Politici Culturale.

Posted in Cultural Financing, Education, Europe, Moldova art, Moldova Culture, Projects, Research | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Cultural Cooperation Placements Moldova – Ukraine – European Union

Posted by ghenador on December 22, 2010

Short description

The project „Tandem“, which was developed by the European Cultural Foundation and MitOst and is carried out together with Centre for Cultural Management Lviv, Soros Foundation Moldova and Culture Action Europe, is aimed at building new and long-term collaborative relations between select organisations from European Union countries and cultural key players from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Selected institutions will send one cultural manager each, who will form a tandem with a partner from the Republic of Moldova or Ukraine. Each tandem has the task to plan a joint entry to the concluding festival. Mutual fourteen-day working visits to partner organisations offer participants the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the environment and cultural practice of organisations in the partner country and get an insight into the cultural scene of the tandem partner’s city, region and country.  The working visits will be completed by joint workshops and evaluation meetings attended by all project participants, creating an opportunity for exchange with other people, in addition to the tandems.

The project will end with a festival each in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in May 2012.

Schedule

- Meeting of potential project participants during a study trip (Moldova, April 2011; Ukraine, May 2011)

- Joint application of potential tandems for participation in the project by mid-May (Moldova) or mid-June (Ukraine)

- Fourteen-day working visit of Moldovan and Ukrainian participants to the EU; at the beginning and the end of their stay, all participants will attend joint meetings and workshops in Brussels (September 2011).

- Ten-day working visit of participants from EU member countries to Moldova and Ukraine, with joint workshops marking the beginning and end of the stay to be held in Chisinau and Kiev, respectively (February 2012).

- Planning and preparation of the tandems’ festival entries (June 2011 – April 2012)

- Festivals organised in Moldova and Ukraine (May 2012)

Entry conditions

General:

- No application for participation will be accepted, unless at least one of the tandem partners has taken part in the preparatory study trip

- Personal application (one staff member should be assigned to deal with all matters related to the tandem’s co-operation during the entire project period).

Organisation:

- Professional cultural institutions with a minimum of three employees

- Experience in international project work

- Interest in long-term international co-operation and active nurturing of a European cultural network

- Openness to innovations, existing development potential

- Willingness to take part in further fund-raising activities for the festival

Employees:

- Excellent command of English

- Experienced in international project work

- Participation in all project-related meetings, workshops and activities, as described in the schedule

- Interest in building long-term European working contacts.

- Time to familiarize the tandem partner during the working visit with the cultural scene of the city, region /country and the institution’s way of working.

Services

- Refund of travel and subsistence expenses incurred for all mandatory project meetings

- Workshops held by experienced trainers on capacity building and transnational project work

- Base assistance for co-productions earmarked for the festival

- Advice and support offered by the project management during the entire project period

Deadline for applications: 15.02.2011

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SECŢIILE RAIONALE DE CULTURĂ ŞI-AU ELABORAT STRATEGIILE CULTURALE ÎN CADRUL UNUI PROIECT REALIZAT TIMP DE TREI ANI

Posted by ghenador on December 18, 2010

SECŢIILE RAIONALE DE CULTURĂ ŞI-AU ELABORAT STRATEGIILE CULTURALE ÎN CADRUL UNUI PROIECT REALIZAT TIMP DE TREI ANISecţiile raionale de cultură din R.Moldova şi-au elaborat strategiile culturale pentru perioada 2011-2015 în cadrul proiectului „Consolidarea capacităţilor de dezvoltare a Moldovei prin întărirea sectorului cultural”, realizat în perioada 2007-2010.

Vineri, în cadrul unei conferinţe de presă susţinută la agenţia INFOTAG, în cadrul căreia s-au făcut totalurile proiectului, directorul Fundaţiei Culturale Europene, care a implementat proiectul în Moldova alături de Fundaţia Soros-Moldova, Catherine Watson, a menţionat că proiectul a avut drept scop să investească în oamenii care activează în domeniul culturii, pentru a le aprofunda cunoştinţele la capitolul planificării strategice.

Proiectul a presupus organizarea mai multor seminare şi trening-uri cu şefii secţiilor de cultură, care au fost instruiţi cum să-şi planifice activităţile culturale, de unde să găsească surse financiare şi cum să identifice potenţialul cultural local.

Directorul de programe a Fundaţiei Soros-Moldova, Victoria Miron, a subliniat că cea mai mare realizare a acestui proiect este că oamenii din domeniul culturii au învăţat cum să guverneze singuri acest sector, extrem de important pentru fiecare ţară.

„Pentru a avea rezultate concrete în domeniul culturii, trebuie să pornim de la a elabora corect politicile culturale. Spre regret, cultura în Moldova funcţionează doar de la un eveniment la altul şi nu există o viziune mai largă în acest sens”, a spus Miron.

Expertul internaţional în politici culturale din România, Corina Răcean, a menţionat că în cadrul proiectului şefii secţiilor raionale de cultură au fost instruiţi cum să descopere singuri posibilităţile de dezvoltare a culturii.

„De multe ori pentru soluţionarea problemelor culturii se invocă lipsa banilor. Convingerea mea este că banii nu sînt o problemă, ei sînt un instrument pentru a rezolva problemele”, consideră expertul.

Directorul Centrului de Politici Culturale, Veaceslav Reabcinschi, a menţionat că ar fi bine ca ceea ce s-a întîmplat la nivel local să fie transferat la nivel central, precizînd că la moment R.Moldova, la nivel central, nu dispune de o strategie culturală pe termen mediu sau lung.

„Este trist, dar în Moldova nu există politici culturale. Cel mai elocvent exemplu în acest sens este faptul că în cadrul campaniei electorale nici un partid în programul său electoral nu a avut stabilite politici în domeniu culturii. Noi credem că este foarte periculos dacă un partid politic care vine la guvernare nu ştie ce va face cu cultura”, consideră sursa citată.

Bugetul proiectului a fost de 465 mii euro, dintre care 350 mii euro au fost oferiţi de Programul de Transformare Socială (MATRA) al Ministerului Afacerilor Externe al Olandei, circa 100 mii euro oferiţi de Fundaţia Culturală Europeană şi aproximativ 20 mii euro de Fundaţia Soros-Moldova.

Posted in ARS DOR, Art Management, Cultural Financing, Cultural Policy, Education, Moldova art, Moldova Culture, Projects, Research | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Supporting cultural actors change Belarus Moldova Ukraine

Posted by ghenador on November 30, 2010

ESF & GMF Report “Supporting cultural actor change Belarus Moldova Ukraine”

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Viziuni de viitor: politica culturală a Republicii Moldova: de la schimbări la viabilitate

Posted by ghenador on November 26, 2010

În cadrul proiectului-pilot, cu sprijinul Fundației Soros Moldova și FCE, Amsterdam, a fost produsă şi publicată cartea “Viziuni de viitor: politica culturală a Republicii Moldova: de la schimbări la viabilitate”. Această activitate a avut ca scop inițierea procesului de consolidare a capacitaților în sectorul cultural din Republica Moldova și cuprinde rezultatele unei serii de activități organizate în cadrul proiectului-pilot.

Posted in ARS DOR, Art Management, Consulting, Cultural Financing, Cultural Policy, Education, Moldova Culture, Research | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Culture and Creative Industries in Germany 2009 Monitoring of Selected Economic Key Data on Culture and Creative Industries

Posted by ghenador on November 3, 2010

What are we talking about?

Culture ministers of the EU met informally in October and saw to it that cultural and creative industries shall remain on the agenda. The exact relationship of the two sets (cultural and the rest), or put it differently, the direct competence of cultural politicians in the issue was not specified – keeping this habit from earlier papers and events.

Michael Söndermann has been assiduously monitoring the German creative sector for a while, and here is his latest report. Data from the largest economy in Europe are appropriate for defining the relative weight of culture proper within the creative sector. (The study applies the most common definition for these industries.)

As usual, the German book market had a robust turnover also in 2009, twice as much as the second largest cultural domain, the film industry. The eleven creative branches represented 2.7% of the economic value added in Germany – roughly the same share since 2003.

BO would warn against the division between the “subsidised sector” and these culture industries. In fact a lot of public support arrives to them, rightly, and in conformity with Article 107(3)(d) (formerly 87) of the EU Treaty.

Who are we talking about?

The comparison of the two graphs shows that the cultural branches produce more than their share in the workforce. Which is mostly due to the opposite performance of the book and the software market: 6% of people create 10% of revenue in the first case, while the software sector employs a third of the creative workforce and produces a fifth of the turnover only. Would you have thought so without Michael’s statistics?

The miraculous book sector is comprised of nearly 75 thousand people: 38 thousand publishers, 30 thousand booksellers and – believe or not – 6903 ‘own account writers’ (31% more than in 2003).

The circle with eleven slices represents a little more than one million jobs, including the self-employed. They are 3.35% of the German labour force. This number has grown bit by bit from 3.12% in 2003. On the other hand, although the absolute number of jobs in the five culture branches has also grown by tiny bits, their relative share fell below 20% within the eleven industries, from above 21% before 2006.

Regional Observatory on Financing Culture in East-Central Europe
(The Budapest Observatory) http://www.budobs.org

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Planul de acţiuni pentru realizarea Convenţiei „Cultura 2015”

Posted by ghenador on October 29, 2010

Proiect

Planul de acţiuni pentru realizarea Convenţiei „Cultura 2015”

Obiectivele Acţiunile Termenul
Protejarea şi integrarea patrimoniului cultural naţional în sistemul valorilor culturale europene Elaborarea şi aprobarea „Strategiei de dezvoltarea a culturii în Republica Moldova pentru anii 2015 – 2019” Ianuarie, 2014
Aprobarea regulamentului cu privirea la reabilitarea şi întreţinerea obiectelor istorico-culturale în baza Legii parteneriatului public-privat Noiembrie,

2011

Aprobarea planului de acţiuni cu privire la digitalizarea patrimoniului cultural al Republicii Moldova Septembrie,

2012

Perfectarea cadrului legal pentru facilitarea activităţii culturale Adoptarea Legii cu privire la Uniunile de Creaţie Martie , 2012
Adoptarea Legii cu privire la statutul omului de creaţie Aprilie, 2013
Reformarea sistemului de finanţare a culturii, asigurarea transparenţei în elaborarea, gestionarea şi distribuirea bugetului culturi Aprobarea Legii Fondului Cultural din Republica Moldova Martie, 2011
Modificarea legii şi stabilirea nivelului de salarizare a angajaţilor din domeniul culturii egal cu cel din domeniul educaţiei Iunie, 2011
Aprobarea regulamentului cu privire la principiile de finanţare a instituţiilor din cadrul Ministerului Culturii Septembrie, 2011
Modificarea Legii Culturii în scopul stabilirii unui procent obligatoriu de alocaţii pentru cultură pentru toate bugetele – naşional, raional, local (responsabilitatea pentru încălcarea prevederilor legale) Martie, 2012
Modernizarea şi diversificarea ofertei de servicii a instituţiilor culturale, dezvoltarea unicităţii culturale locale Aprobarea planului de acţiuni pentru reformarea şi modernozarea activităţii Caselor de Cultură Mai, 2012
Asigurarea cu calculatoare şi acces la Internet a tuturor bibliotecilor Decembrie, 2012
Aprobarea programului de dezvoltare a cinematografiei şi reformării studioului „Moldova Film” Ianuarie, 2013
Susţinerea mobilităţii naţionale şi transnaţionale a operelor şi produselor culturale Lansarea programului de susţinere a mobilităţii produselor culturale prin ţară. August, 2012
Pregătirea şi perfecţionarea resurselor umane pentru activitatea în noile condiţii economice Lansarea Centrului de Instruire a angajaţilor din cultură Septembrie, 2011

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People of art and representatives of parties sign “Culture 2015” Convention

Posted by ghenador on October 24, 2010

People of art and representatives of parties sign “Culture 2015” ConventionRepresentatives of cultural institutions and organizations and of political parties Saturday signed the Convention on the Support and Development of Culture in Moldova “Culture 2015”. According to the signatories, the agreement is aimed at modernizing and integrating Moldova’s culture into the global one, Info-Prim Neo reports.

Stage manager Sandu Grecu, the head of the Theater Union of Moldova, said the political parties are interested in creating an own image as culture should not represent a means of promoting the political interests. The Convention “Culture 2015” is designed to divide the political affairs from culture. The two will have only a slight connection.

According to Sandu Grecu, the accord will facilitate the protection and integration of the cultural patrimony in the system of European values. The legal framework will be improved, while the system for financing culture will be reformed.

“The aim of the Convention is to set a new development course for culture in Moldova. When they speak about culture, especially the politicians, they make only declarations. In order to develop culture, we need an exact plan of action. The cultural community should be involved in decision making on cultural problems,” said the head of the Cultural Politics Center Veaceslav Reabchinski.

The Convention on the Support and Development of Culture in Moldova “Culture 2015” was signed by the parties of the Alliance for European Integration and a number of cultural institutions. Among the main steps stipulated in the agreement are the approval of laws on the Cultural Fund, the Creation Unions and the Status of the Man of Art. There will be opened a center for training employees working in culture and formulated a program to support the mobility of cultural products.

Info-Prim Neo

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Strengthening capacities in the cultural sector: info sessions in Brussels on 21 October and Kiev on 25 October

Posted by ghenador on October 21, 2010

Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum'sEuropeAid is holding information sessions in Brussels on Thursday 21 October and Kiev on 25 October on the joint Investing in People/Eastern Partnership Culture Programme call for proposals for Strengthening capacities in the cultural sector (reference: EuropeAid/129338/C/ACT/Multi).

The Brussels session will take place from 8.45am-1pm at the Palais des Beaux Arts, Rue Ravenstein 23. The venue will be available until 5pm, for participants attending the meeting and wishing to have internal discussions between themselves.

The Kiev session will take place from 8.30am-1pm at the Hotel Vozdvyzhensky. The venue will be available until 5pm, for participants attending the meeting and wishing to have internal discussions between themselves. The presentations will be made in English, with Russian interpretation. Questions and answers will be formulated in English and Russian.

The meetings are organised for information purposes only in order to present the objectives and technical contents of the call as well as the rules and procedures governing the submission and evaluation of applications as these are detailed in the guidelines for grant applicants.

The PowerPoint Presentation used at the information sessions will be published on the EuropeAid Calls for Proposals webpage at http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/funding/index_en.htmtogether with the other documents for the call on 21 October 2010.

Registration is required for applicants wanting to take part in the sessions. For details, download the agendas below.

The overall objective of the call for proposals is to contribute to the creation of a political, regulatory, institutional and economic environment conducive to the strengthening of the cultural sectors and their actors as a vector for sustainable economic, social and human development.

The call targets governance at regional, national and local level focusing on aspects related to the role, management, structure, operating modes and representativeness of professional associations and groups, networks of cultural actors and civil society organisations active in the area of culture and its sectors.

The organisation of cultural or artistic activities must not be the main objective of proposed actions. Nevertheless, some such activities may be included provided that they constitute a minor part of the action and contribute to the achievement of the specific objectives mentioned above.

The call for proposals is divided into two lots – Lot 1: ‘Investing in People’ (€7million)and Lot 2: Eastern Partnership Culture Programme (€8.4 million) – with the same overall objective but some different specific objectives and different geographic dimensions.

The deadline for the submission of Concept Notes for the call is 19 November 2010. (ENPI Info Centre)

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Istanbul forum mulls creation of ‘European soul’

Posted by ghenador on October 12, 2010

Istanbul forum mulls creation of 'European soul'A “European soul” can be created by combining cultures and encouraging commerce, participants in a forum on global challenges and cultural visions heard Monday in Istanbul.

The city is the ideal setting for such a discussion, the head of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency said.

“Culture and commerce are the two wings of a bird,” said Şekip Avdagiç, chairman of the agency’s executive board. “If one of these doesn’t exist, the bird cannot fly. If the bird called Europe wants to fly toward new horizons, it should consider Istanbul.”

Organized by the initiative “A Soul for Europe,” the Istanbul forum addressed ways that individuals should, as members of civil society, take responsibility for the future of their cities. The group brought together international politicians, high-level academics and students during the opening ceremony at Istanbul’s Tophane-i Amire Cultural Center.

The initiative, which aims to achieve concrete results by integrating the creative power of culture, was originally established by seven individuals in Germany with diverse professional backgrounds, co-founder Nete Hertling said, adding that they worked to spread the organization to other countries because they see culture as essential for the full development of Europe’s potential.

The “Soul for Europe” initiative is currently made up of 55 civil-society actors from 21 countries.

A European soul can be created with culture that is melted in a pot, Avdagiç said, adding that Istanbul represents this characteristic very well as it has a history dating back 8,000 years as part of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Highlighting the significance of commerce between Turkey and European countries, he said creating economic links is a key way to eradicate differences and disagreements between nations.

“The thing that cannot continue with war is commerce,” Avdagiç said.

The Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency head said he thought the city was ideal for a meeting of this kind. Quoting Rumi, Avdagiç said things grow wherever the river flows. Istanbul represents that river, he said, adding that it should be given plenty of water so Europe’s future can be that much more fertile.

In his remarks, Avdagiç also touched on Turkey’s candidacy for European Union membership, saying the obstacles put in front of Turkey should be removed so as not to leave Europe lacking Istanbul in the long run.

The Istanbul forum held Monday through Wednesday focusing on topics such as the economic crisis, climate change, citizens and responsibility, the responsibilities of civil society, the business sector and policy makers and empowering younger generations.

The project fostering international dialogue was realized with the cooperation of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, the European Cultural Association, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association, or TÜSİAD, and the Cultural Committee of German Business, or BDI.

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Cultura Română în dialog

Posted by ghenador on September 29, 2010

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Reabcinschi: Este cel puţin anacronic să mai finanţăm cultura pe cap de locuitor

Posted by ghenador on September 24, 2010

Deşi fizician de formaţie, Veaceslav Reabcinschi (foto) e preocupat de business şi… politici culturale. Reabcinschii VeceaslavDe zece ani, conduce Centrul de Politici Culturale din RM şi încearcă să schimbe sistemul de funcţionare a domeniului culturii. Săptămâna trecută, Centrul a făcut public studiul „Rolul caselor de cultură din RM în politicile culturale locale, raionale, naţionale” – un studiu din care am aflat că, la începutul lui 2010, în RM existau 1228 case de cultură, 618 dintre care, fiind mai vechi de 50 de ani, necesită o reparaţie capitală, în perioada rece a anului se încălzesc doar 302 case şi cămine de cultură (majoritatea din ele – parţial, cu sobe), iar 24 sunt deconectate de la curentul electric. „Satele noastre se încăpăţânează să reziste şi să renască prin cultură, dar ar trebui să le dăm şi noi o mână de ajutor”, este convins Veaceslav Reabcinschi…

- Dle Reabcinschi, există act cultural în teritoriu? Percepţia generală e că toate evenimentele de anvergură se consumă în capitală, la Chişinău…
- Bineînţeles că există, deşi nu sunteţi singura marcată de această percepţie. Ea derivă din faptul că evenimentele culturale ce au loc azi în afara capitalei sunt puţin cunoscute la nivel naţional. Şi pentru că nu sunt reflectate aproape deloc în presă, apare şi senzaţia că în raioane şi în sate nu au loc evenimente culturale de calitate înaltă.

- Dar ce se întâmplă?
- Am exemple cu duiumul… Bunăoară, în raionul Străşeni, în fiecare august, are loc Eminesciana. Este deja un festival internaţional, la care participă oameni de cultură din România, din alte ţări. Apropo, cu excepţia TIMPULUI, se pare, nu ştiu dacă alte mass-media au reflectat acest frumos eveniment. Vorbeam cu dna Nistor, şefa Direcţiei cultură din Străşeni, şi ea era extrem de nedumerită, decepţionată chiar: am invitat presa naţională, e la o azvârlitură de băţ de Chişinău – chiar nu prezintă deloc interes?.. Acum câteva zile, la Cantemir s-a desfăşurat Festivalul „Nicolae Sulac”, în memoria rapsodului. E un eveniment de amploare, la care participă artişti din tot sudul RM şi din zona economică liberă Dunărea de Jos. Evenimente culturale se întâmplă aproape în fiecare săptămână în republică.

- Poate că această atitudine vine din preconcepţia că tot ce se face în afara Chişinăului nu e modern şi actual, ci, dimpotrivă, e şi provincial?
- Evident că nu putem compara Festivalul „Invită Maria Bieşu” sau cel de Jazz cu acţiunile organizate în teritoriu, la nivel local. Dar tocmai pentru ca aceste evenimente naţionale majore să fie gustate şi apreciate de public, este nevoie să promovăm actul cultural „din faşă”. Adică, dacă vrem ca oamenii să vină la operă, trebuie să-i obişnuim cu frumosul din copilărie, la ei acasă. E adevărat că, deocamdată, multe evenimente au un caracter cumva haotic. Adică, de regulă, în satele noastre activitatea culturală e concentrată mai mult pe păstrarea tradiţiilor, respectiv, constatăm că secţiile de cultură încep să se repete. De aceea, acum trei ani, Fundaţia SOROS şi Fundaţia Culturală Europeană au lansat proiectul „Consolidarea sectorului cultural în RM”. Timp de trei ani, am lucrat cu secţiile de cultură, încercând să le schimbăm viziunea, să vedem prin ce un raion se poate deosebi de altul. Inovaţia a adus şi participanţi, şi spectatori la evenimente. La Călăraşi, de exemplu, dna Tatiana Popa, amfitrioana muzeului „Casa părintească”, a iniţiat Festivalul Sânzienelor, cu toate tradiţiile ce ţin de această sărbătoare. Este un spectacol inedit, care nu se mai repetă în altă parte… Raionul Cahul s-a orientat spre dansuri – unde se dansează mai virtuos decât în această zonă? Iar Briceniul încearcă turişti prin tradiţiile de iarnă păstrate acolo. Astfel, nişte politici culturale reuşite pot fi şi un generator pentru turismul rural… Avem şi exemple de succes economic prin cultură. În una dintre comunităţi – n-o să vă spun care, ca să fie surpriză – este în toi pregătirea pentru Festivalul Perjei. Este un sat în care o bună parte din populaţie se ocupă cu uscatul prunelor şi agenţii economici de acolo şi-au propus să-şi facă mai cunoscută producţia prin folclor. Un asemenea eveniment atrage spectatori, dar şi potenţiali parteneri economici… Iar într-un sat cu doar vreo 800 de locuitori din Leova, primăriţa a creat o formaţie din… angajaţii primăriei. Din concurs în concurs, au fost invitaţi şi în România, au cunoscut oameni, apoi au accesat programe de colaborare transfrontalieră şi, timp de trei ani, au realizat deja 12 proiecte. Şi, de fapt, totul a pornit de la un grup artistic.

- În ce măsură aceste activităţi sunt complementare cu cele elaborate de Ministerul Culturii? Ori sunteţi ca două drepte paralele?..

- Acum trei ani, când a fost pornit proiectul, ideea era şă lucrăm împreună cu administraţia publică locală, reprezentată de secţiile de cultură raionale, cu Ministerul Culturii, cu instituţiile şi organizaţiile neguvernamentale, scopul fiind să învăţăm mecanismele de planificare strategică în domeniul culturii. Din păcate, Ministerul Culturii, care la început a susţinut lansarea acestui proiect, mai târziu s-a retras din implementarea lui. Noua conducere a ministerului a manifestat interes de acest program, însă timpul a fost perdut. Şi astăzi, pe lângă multitudinea de evenimente care se întâmplă, la nivel local, în 24 de raioane deja sunt elaborate strategii culturale pentru anii 2011-2015. Majoritatea raioanelor ştiu ce va fi cu cultura în următorii ani. Ceea ce nu putem spune despre organele centrale.

- Apropo de colaborarea cu autorităţile, în curând se va împlini un an de la foarte promiţătorul Congres al oamenilor de cultură, la care a participat şi conducerea de vârf a RM şi care părea decisă să mişte carul din loc…
- Da, atunci au fost trasate obiective de scurtă şi de lungă durată, iar încă noua, la acel moment, guvernare îşi asumase nişte angajamente clare, printre care elaborarea politicii culturale a RM – adică, ce sistem cultural vrem să construim în ţara noastră şi aprobarea Legii Fondului Culturii, al cărei proiect a fost prezentat în cadrul congresului. Din păcate, nimic nu şi-a găsit continuare şi, la aproape un an de zile, nu avem nici legea, nici vreun semnal că s-ar începe lucrul la elaborarea politicilor culturale. Dar o strategie de o asemenea anvergură nu poate fi elaborată într-un singur birou – e nevoie de diferite puncte de vedere, de implicarea tuturor actorilor sociali, de dezbateri. Eu, bunăoară, sunt adeptul aşa-zisului sistem nordic în cultură. Dar acesta e punctul meu de vedere, pe când o bună parte din administratorii noştri culturali se pare că preferă aşa-zisul sistem latin, centralizat, de subvenţionare a culturii.

- Ne puteţi face o „descifrare” a acestor sisteme?
- Sistemul latin e cel pe care l-am moştenit din perioadă sovietică şi care, într-o ţară ca a noastră, nu este eficient. Căci nu avem resurse financiare suficiente pentru a asigura activitatea tuturor instituţiilor de cultură. Dar nu putem adopta nici sistemul aglo-saxon sau liberal, precum e în SUA sau Marea Britanie, unde cultura nu este susţinută de stat, fiind privită ca o afacere. La noi instituţiile culturale ar muri în câteva luni… De aceea şi optez pentru sistemul nordic, bazat pe principiul descentralizării finanţării instituţiilor de cultură. Adică, artistul poate obţine susţinere din mai multe surse. Ministerul Culturii asigură funcţionarea a doar câteva instituţii-cheie – Teatrul Naţional, Opera Naţională, Filarmonica… Restul – persoane sau instituţii – elaborează proiecte şi le depun la diferite instituţii, abilitate atât cu colectarea banilor, cât şi cu selectarea candidaţilor. Pentru ca acest lucru să se întâmple, e nevoie de adoptarea urgentă a unui şir de legi, inclusiv a legii Fondului Culturii.

- Aţi lansat şi o campanie socială pentru promovarea acestei legi – „Un vot pentru cultură”. De ce nici actualul Legislativ nu votează pentru cultură?
- Nu apucă s-o facă, mai curând… Primul proiect de lege în acest sens l-am prezentat încă în 2005. A fost modificat de o asemenea manieră, încât fusese distrusă ideea de bază a fondului, la care noi privim nu ca la o sursă de bani, ci ca la un mecanism nou de finanţare a instituţiilor de cultură. Din care cauză, l-am retras. În 2009, salutând noua guvernare democratică, am venit cu un nou proiect de lege. Şi iarăşi aşteptăm. Se află deja în Parlament, dar teamă mi-e că, dacă nu se va acţiona rapid, după viitoarele alegeri va trebui s-o luăm de la capăt.

- De ce este atât de principial să modificăm sistemul de finanţare a culturii?
- Pentru că şi în domeniul culturii avem legi bune, care nu funcţionează însă tocmai din cauza finanţării defectuoase – o verigă ce n-a fost reformată şi care împiedică modernizarea domeniului. Mecanismul alocaţiilor pentru cultură a rămas acelaşi ca pe timpul URSS – pe cap de locuitor, pentru anul 2010 normativul fiind de 85,5 lei Astfel, avem sate cu 8000 de locuitori, oficial, care primesc 650 de mii de lei pentru cultură şi care nu au barem o activitate culturală. Aceşti bani, bineînţeles, se duc altundeva decât la necesităţile culturale. E absurd. Dovadă şi cazul relatat de dna Elena Frumosu, şefa Direcţiei Cultură din Criuleni, care spunea că a trebuit să convingă aleşii locali din Maşcauţi că banii veniţi pentru renovarea Casei de cultură, nu pot fi utilizaţi pentru reparaţia drumurilor…

- Ce să facem dacă drumurile într-adevăr sunt un dezastru?..
- Dezvoltarea unei comunităţi are la bază trei piloni: dezvoltarea economică, dezvoltarea socială şi ocrotirea mediului. În centrul acestui triunghi se află omul. Iar calitatea omului este determinată de cultura lui. Majoritatea societăţii noastre, inclusiv politicienii, văd rolul culturii doar ca unul distractiv. În societatea contemporană, însă, acest rol este cu mult larg. Cred că e timpul să privim la cultură prin această prismă.

Timpul. Sorina Stefârţă

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