NC-32-10-385-EN-C

culture in motion
http://ec.europa.eu/culture
The Culture Programme
2007-2013
 European Commission
culture in Motion – The Culture Programme 2007-2013
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union
2010 — 56 pp. — 21.0 × 29.7 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-16425-5
doi:10.2766/69887

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Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010
ISBN 978-92-79-16425-5
doi:10.2766/69887
© European Union, 2010
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
Printed in Belgium
Printed on white chlorine-free paper
culture in motion
The Culture Programme
2007-2013

Culture in Motion
Every year the Culture Programme
2007-2013 helps finance an array
of initiatives which help to enhance
the vitality of Europe’s cultural
sector. By enabling hundreds of
organisations and thousands of
artists and cultural professionals
to meet, to exchange practice,
to learn from each other, to create
together and to tour and perform
in other European countries, the
Programme is helping the sector
to develop its capacities, to oper-
ate in an international context and
to foster Europe’s cultural and
linguistic diversity. Through per-
formances, websites and other
tools, the projects reach millions
of individuals across the continent.
The programme also allows hun-
dreds of books to be translated
each year into other European
languages and celebrates excel-
lence through its prizes for con-
temporary architecture, cultural
heritage, literature and pop music.
Furthermore, every year the Euro-
pean Capitals of Culture put the
spotlight on a couple of European
Androulla Vassiliou
European Commissioner
for Education, Culture,
Multilingualism and Youth
cities, giving them, their artists and
citizens a chance to shine on the
European stage for 12 months.
The title is a formal European
Union designation and the cities
get a contribution to their pro-
grammes from the Culture Pro-
gramme. As well as enhancing
the cultural vibrancy of these cities,
the title can help them to perma-
nently transform their long-term
social and economic prospects.
I am happy to be able to share with
you in this brochure the outcomes
and results of a selection of initia-
tives that the European Union helps
realise in the field of culture. You
will meet dedicated individuals
offering revealing and tantalising
stories about what European cul-
tural cooperation is all about and
the determi­nation that goes into
finding common ground and push-
ing issues important to Europeans.
Now that the European Union has
adopted its 2020 strategy – a policy
approach that will help Europe find
innovative solutions to current
challenges – I am especially happy
to highlight the importance of
culture to the European Union’s
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objective of smart, sustainable
and inclusive growth. At a time
when many of our industries are
facing difficulties, the cultural and
creative industries have experi-
enced unprecedented growth and
offer the prospect of sustainable,
future-oriented and fulfilling jobs.
Culture based creativity can also
spill over into many other sectors,
supporting innovation in busi-
nesses, public services and
responses to social needs.
It is the impact of the projects
you will learn more about here
that reminds me just how crucial
it is that in difficult times we come
together to learn how we all play
a role in making our shared Euro-
pean project a great one. The
projects presented here offer just
such lessons.
Let’s set culture in motion.
 _ 4 _

Photo provided by IMAGINE 2020 © Pascale Marthine Tayou

Photo provided by Festival d’Aix-en-Provence

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c u l t u r e
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Contents Setting culture operators to experiment and undertaken on the ground by

Setting culture in motion 5

in motion innovate, and generally boosts
the sector’s capacity to operate
cultural operators thanks to the
Programme. Many other worthy
Linking practice and policy: the European Agenda for Culture 6 internationally. projects are currently under way,
The Culture Programme 2007-2013 7 The Culture Programme plays and fortunately we will have the
a valuable role in supporting the Most of the projects are multi- opportunity to present these in
Fundació Centre Internacional de Musica Antiga 11 European Union’s policy agenda dimensional, with multiple aims subsequent years.
European Concert Hall Organisation 13 in the field of culture. This bro- and encompassing a range of
Backlight 2008  15 chure therefore seeks to highlight activities. They cover a range of We hope that this brochure will
Readme.cc Virtual Library 17 projects which are relevant to its sub-sectors and some adopt an help raise awareness of the activi-
HALMA 19 priorities. inter-disciplinary approach. ties co-financed by the European
Beyond the Stage 21 Union in the field of culture across
European Media Art Network 23 You will find examples of projects Some of the projects were co- Europe. We also trust that it will
Wiener Tanzwochen 25 promoting the European Union’s funded by the previous Culture provide ideas for project promoters
Borrowed Light 27 cultural and linguistic diversity programme, which ran from 2000 as well as information for policy-
European Regions of Culture 29 and heritage by increasing the to 2006, and others are supported makers about concrete activities
House for Open Mobility Exchange (H.O.M.E.) 31 circulation of works and access by the current Programme running at grass-roots level which could
Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO) 33 to them both within Europe and from 2007 to 2013. Some have contribute to their policy priorities.
Diversidad Urban Forum 35 beyond. Several projects show already been completed, while
BelBoBru  37 how the programme helps to others are ongoing.
Festival d’Avignon 39 strengthen the development of
Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 41 the  sector and the careers of the In the space available here, it is
IMAGINE 2020 43 individuals working within it, while only possible to provide a snapshot
Cooperation and Mediation in the Digital Arts 45 others show how it helps cultural of the vast array of work being
ENPARTS 47

European Capitals of Culture 48

Cultural prizes 50
List of web links to help you submit an application
and stay updated on culture policy developments 55
 _ 6 _
Photo provided by European Capital of Culture 2010 – City of Essen for the Ruhr (Germany)
Linking practice
and policy: the
European Agenda
for Culture
The projects and activities funded
by the Culture Programme should
be seen against the backdrop of
the European Commission’s ‘Euro-
pean Agenda for culture in a glo-
balising world’ (May 2007). The
adoption of the agenda opened
a new chapter of cooperation on
culture policy at European level.
For the first time, all partners
– European institutions, Member
States and civil society – were
invited to pool their efforts around
explicitly defined shared goals:
the promotion of cultural diversity
and intercultural dialogue; the
promotion of culture as a catalyst
for creativity; and the promotion
of culture as a vital element in the
EU’s international relations.
National governments have
endorsed the Agenda, and in
May 2008 agreed on a three-year
work plan for 2008-2010 with five
main priority areas: improving
the conditions for the mobility
for the mobility of artists/cultural
professional; promoting access
to culture, especially through the
promotion of cultural heritage,
cultural tourism, multilingualism,
digitisation, synergies with educa-
tion (in particular arts education)
and greater mobility of collec-
tions; developing data, statistics
and methodologies; maximising
the potential of cultural and
creative industries, in particular
that of SMEs; and promoting
and implementing the UNESCO
Convention on the Protection
and Promotion of the Diversity
of Cultural Expressions.
Photo provided by Borrowed Light – choreography: Tero Saarinen © Jonas Lundqvist
Photo provided by Beyond the Stage – new trends in European theatre
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The Agenda also introduced new The Culture development of cross-border for Citizens programmes, and the
working methods based on a part-
nership approach. With Member
Programme cultural cooperation between
creators, cultural actors and cul-
MEDIA programme in the audio­
visual field. Funding for cultural
States it introduced an ‘Open 2007-2013 tural institutions from the countries projects is also possible through
Method of Coordination’ (OMC)
for closer cooperation on the The European Commission pro-
taking part in the Programme, with
a view to encouraging the emer-
the structural funds, which are
managed nationally. Further infor-
priorities outlined above, and with vides support for European cul- gence of European citizenship. mation is available on the website
civil society it brought in a more tural operators through both its below:
structured dialogue through vari- policies and programmes. The This aim is reflected in the Pro- • http://ec.europa.eu/culture/
ous platforms for discussion and Culture Programme makes availa- gramme’s three specific objectives: eu-funding/doc2886_en.htm
exchange. These provided an ble 400 million euros over the • promoting the transnational • http://ec.europa.eu/culture/
opportunity to exchange knowl- period 2007-2013 for cultural mobility of people working in eu-funding/doc2756_en.htm
edge and to propose recommenda- cooperation, literary translation, the cultural sector;
tions to policy-makers at different festivals and the running costs • encouraging the transnational
levels. The Commission took stock of organisations with a general circulation of works and cultural Who is it for?
of the first three years of progress European interest. and artistic products;
in a report published in July 2010. • encouraging intercultural dia- The Programme supports coopera-
Several months later Member logue in Europe. tion projects, organisations, pro-
States adopted a new work plan What’s the general aim motional activities and research
for the post 2010 period. The of the Programme? in all cultural sectors, except the
programme will continue to sup- Support for cultural audiovisual sector, for which there
port projects relevant to these In spite of Europe’s diversity, activities in other European is a separate programme (MEDIA).
political priorities. Europeans share a common cul- Union programmes
tural heritage and certain values. Cultural operators, including
The general aim of the Culture Certain cultural activities can also cultural enterprises, can partici-
Programme is therefore to enhance be funded by other European Union pate in the Programme as long
this cultural area shared by programmes, including the Lifelong as they are acting in a non-profit-
Europe’s citizens through the Learning, Youth in Action, Europe making capacity.
 _ 8 _
Prize for Cultural Heritage – Bacchus Room © photo HiRes
Which countries?
Organisations based in the follow-
ing countries are eligible for the
Programme:
• EU Member States;
• EEA countries: Iceland (which
is also a candidate country),
Liechtenstein, Norway;
• candidate countries: Croatia,
Turkey and Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia;
• potential candidate countries:
Serbia and Montenegro.
For more information about coun-
tries that may become eligible in
the future, and about cooperation
with cultural operators from third
countries (countries not included in
the list of eligible countries) please
consult the Programme Guide at
the link below http://ec.europa.
eu/culture/calls-for-proposals/
call2061_en.htm
What can be funded?
The Programme has a flexible,
interdisciplinary approach and
focuses on the needs expressed
by cultural operators during the
public consultations leading up
to its design in 2006. This has led
to a more user-friendly application
procedure and the development
of a Programme Guide containing
essential information.
There are three main types of
activity supported under the Pro-
gramme. Support is thus grouped
under the three following strands:
Strand one: Support for cultural
projects (approximately 77 % of
the budget).
This strand seeks to support cul-
tural organisations for projects to
work together across borders and
to create and implement cultural
and artistic activities. The thrust
of this strand is to help organisa-
tions, such as theatres, museums,
professional associations, research
centres, universities, cultural
institutes and public authorities
from different countries participat-
ing in the Programme to cooperate
so that different sectors can work
together and extend their cultural
and artistic reach across borders.
Photo provided by Festival d’Avignon
• Multi-annual cooperation
projects: 6 partners from 6 differ-
ent eligible countries – Duration:
3-5 years.
• Cooperation projects: 3 partners
from 3 different eligible countries
– Duration: up to 2 years.
• Literary translation projects:
Duration: up to 2 years.
• Cooperation projects with third
countries: 3 partners from
3 different eligible countries,
plus cooperation with 1 organi­
sation from the selected third.
country – Duration: up to 2 years.
• Support for European cultural
festivals: The support can be
granted for one edition of the
festival or for three editions.
• Special measures such as cul-
tural prizes (contemporary archi-
tecture, cultural heritage, pop
music and contemporary litera-
ture) and the European Capitals
of Culture are also covered under
Strand 1.
Strand two: Support for organisa-
tions active at European level in
the field of Culture (approximately
10 % of the Programme budget).
This strand aims to co-finance the
operating costs of cultural organi-
sations working, or wanting to
work, at European level in the field
of culture. The grant awarded
under this strand is designed to
assist with operating costs
incurred by these beneficiary
organisations in implementing
their work programmes.
Strand three: Support for analyses
and for the collection and dissemi-
nation of information and for max-
imising the impact of projects in
the field of cultural cooperation
(approximately 5 % of the Pro-
gramme budget). This strand aims
to promote analysis in the cultural
field, raise awareness of the Pro-
gramme, and to promote its results.
How can you participate?
If you are interested in developing
a project and receiving financial
support from the Culture Pro-
gramme, please consult the Pro-
gramme Guide, where you will find
all the necessary information.
Cultural Contact Points have been
established in the countries taking
part in the programme. Their pur-
pose is to promote the Programme,
provide information, and assist
cultural operators with their appli-
cations. You are strongly advised to
contact your local Cultural Contact
Point at an early stage of the prepa-
ration phase and to make use of
its expertise.
What is the procedure?
The European Commission’s Direc­
torate General for Education and
Culture (DG EAC) is responsible for
the Culture Programme and directly
manages some of its activities.
However, most of the grants are
administered by the Education,
Audiovisual and Culture Executive
Agency (EACEA), which operates
under DG EAC’s control and is also
based in Brussels.
Applications for projects are
assessed on the basis of the crite-
ria set out in the Programme Guide.
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Applicants are advised to take
careful note of these criteria when
preparing their proposals.
Web links
You can find more information on
the Programme, the Programme
Guide and the Cultural Contact
Points at:
• http://ec.europa.eu/culture/
index_en.htm
• http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/
index_en.htm
Programme Guide:
• http://ec.europa.eu/culture/
calls-for-proposals/call2061_
en.htm
Cultural Contact Points:
• http://ec.europa.eu/culture/
annexes-culture/doc1232_
en.htm
_ 1 0 _

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Fundació Centre Jordi Savall gives an indication of what it has been possible to do with
Internacional the current funds from the Culture Programme:
‘The EU financing was crucial in allowing us to prepare very complex
de Musica Antiga projects that were not automatically commercial – where a long process
Keeping of research and interpretation was necessary, such as our CD book (con-
taining three CDs) about the Tragedia Cátara “Le Royaume Oublié”, the
traditional programme on Dimitrie Cantemir and the Sephardite and Armenian musi-
music traditional cians of Istanbul in 1710.

In the spring of 2010 we were able to prepare and present the Mass in
Jordi Savall and his orchestra
B minor by J. S. Bach with a selection of 26 singers from across Europe,
are already widely known and
chosen from around 100 candidates. Currently we are working on a range
highly respected in the world of
of projects, including the music for the MARE NOSTRUM compilations of
ancient music. The approximately
Mediterranean cultures and intercultural dialogue. And in 2011 and 2012
160 concerts given across the world
we will prepare a new project on THE SUBLIME PORTE 1453-1790, and the
every year act as ambassadors
first part of another very complex project on the theme of war and peace,
for European culture, and the
covering 713-1713.
foundation also promotes ancient
music through research, training
Thanks to the EU support we will be able towards the end of this year to
and recordings.
make a start with the first Academy of professional training, research and
interpretation, with period instruments, that our foundation, the Centre
Internacional de Música Antiga Fundación, has conducted on the music
of J. Ph. Rameau and the orchestra of Louis XV, in collaboration with the
Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña, which is open to young profes-
sional musicians everywhere in Europe.’

Photos provided by Fundació Centre Internacional de Musica Antiga © Teresa Llordes

The funding covers the period from January 2010 to December 2010 with a grant of 149 700 euros. The organiser is the Fundació
Centre Internacional de Musica Antiga. Website: http://www.fundaciocima.org
_ 1 2 _

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European Concert
Hall Organisation
Spreading
new sounds
round Europe
New music in new forms is echoing
around Europe as a result of this
collaboration between major
concert halls. Works are commis-
sioned from composers who work
with artists in other fields – video,
cinema, choreography, literature
and visual art. Then the works
are presented in concert halls
in the ECHO network, often with
new young performers, and
often with other significant new
contemporary works.
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According to project leader Gerd Van Looy, performing arts manager at the
Paleis voor Schone Kunsten/Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the project
is giving talented young artists new opportunities to develop, and audi-
ences new chances to hear new music:
‘Western classical music is a continuing and present tradition. The ECHO
grant has helped to ensure its vitality, by sponsoring the brightest young
musicians, by presenting large-scale contemporary works to mainstream
audiences so as to overcome prejudices about contemporary music being
remote and inaccessible, and by exploring new links between music and
other performance arts.
Through its Rising Stars concert series, ECHO gave 20 exceptional young
musicians the chance to perform a total of 142 recitals in some of the
most prestigious concert halls in Europe. They included violinist Nemanja
Radulovic, the Pavel Haas Quartet and jazz trumpeter Matthias Schriefl.
Pianist Di Xiao, one of the chosen artists, gave her thanks “to everyone
who attended my Rising Star concerts, to the ECHO representatives that
made the tour happen and to the staff of all the fabulous halls that I have
played in for making it such a wonderful experience; collectively you have
helped me fulfil my dream”.
In 2006-2009, some of the most accomplished ensembles and instrumental-
ists gave more than 30 concerts of contemporary works by the most influen-
tial contemporary composers, including Berio, Stockhausen, Birtwistle,
Kagel, Ligeti and Benjamin. At the same time, newly commissioned produc-
tions included Pictures Reframed (which included an original work com-
posed by Thomas Larcher, performed by Leif Ove Andsnes and with a video
by Robin Rhode) and a 2007 tour of the production I am a Mistake (with
original music by Wolfgang Rihm, text and choreography by Jan Fabre and
a film by Chantal Akerman).

Now, with a new grant in 2010, we are continuing the successful Rising
Stars programme. We are training staff of EU concert halls in arts educa-
Images courtesy Robin Rhode © Robin Rhode, 2009-2010

tion and marketing. And we are developing the shared ECHO artistic
platform for exchanging new programmes and productions.’

The initial project ran from September 2006 to August 2009, with a grant of 900 000 euros. The organiser was the European
Concert Hall Organisation and the co-organisers were the Paleis voor Schone Kunsten/Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels,
Cité de la Musique in France, Kölner Philharmonie in Germany, the Concertgebouw in the Netherlands, Stockholm Concert Hall
in Sweden, Birmingham Town Hall and Symphony Hall in the UK, Athens Concert Hall in Greece, and Wiener Konzerthaus in Austria.
A new multiannual grant of 1 600 000 euros was awarded for 2010, and this project additionally involves l’Auditori in Spain,
Hamburg Elbphilharmonie in Germany, The Sage Gateshead in the UK, and the Philharmonie in Luxembourg.
Website: http://www.bozar.be/webpage.php?pageid=52#echo
_ 1 4 _
Backlight 2008
A new way
of illuminating
Europe
Backlight is an international photo­
graphy festival that has widened
and deepened its cooperation with
the support of EU funding, so that it
now attracts entries from across
Europe, and has acquired an audi-
ence and a reputation in Europe
and beyond. From its Finnish ori-
gins it has developed a dynamic
network of co-organisers.
Photos provided by Backlight 2008
‘Backlight 2008’ ran from September 2007 to August 2009, and received EU grants of 199 745 euros. The lead organiser was
the Photographic Centre Nykyaika in Tampere, Finland and co-organisers were FLUSS NÖ Fotoinitiative in Austria, Fondazione
Studio Marangoni in Italy, Stiftung für visuelle Erziehung in Lodz, Poland, and the Northern Photographic Centre in Oulu, Finland.
Website: http://www.backlight.fi
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Ulrich Haas-Pursiainen, the project leader, explains how the project has
helped build understanding among photographers – and people who look
at photographs – about the diversity of the European Union:
‘ “Backlight” focuses on issues that are hidden in history and culture, away
from the bright lights of the media industry. The exhibition is open to every-
one. Via the internet, we invite everyone and anyone to contribute photo-
graphs that reflect different European aspects of a chosen theme. The theme
in 2008 was humour, laughter, irony – and the 600 responses we received
demonstrated how widely these concepts differ from country to country.
We chose sixty for the final show, and although our budget allowed us to
invite only a few of the artists to attend, many more came themselves on
their own money – from 28 countries.
The festival has grown gradually, and it wasn’t until 1999 that we sought
real international engagement and EU funding – which was an unfamiliar
idea in Finland in those days. But the new opportunities this brought, in
what were difficult times for the cultural sector, excited people about the
possibilities of closer links across the EU. There was a real sense of explo-
ration, of artists going abroad, discovering countries that had been little-
known for decades, seeing other traditions in the Baltics and Poland
– and finding partners for the festival.
The evolution of Backlight reflects in some ways the evolution of Finland
and the evolution of Europe. We have made links with more and more
partners in more and more countries. And bringing partners together from
a wider geographic and cultural range has been a constant enrichment
– and a constant challenge. The real success – and it hasn’t always been
easy – is to convince people who come with a strong national culture to
widen their view and to take part fully in sharing in diversity at European
level. We know it is a success when they go back to their own countries
and regions and encourage sharing and cooperation there, too.’
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Readme.cc
Virtual Library
Books beyond
borders
Readme.cc combines the traditions
of literary culture with the freedom
of the internet to build an inter­
national community around books.
Readers share their choices
through comments and photo-
graphs, resulting in a library of
online bookshelves. By inspiring
literary encounters across borders,
the project demonstrates that
individualism and community build-
ing are not mutually exclusive.
Photos provided by Readme.cc Virtual Library
In 2005 the project received funding for a year from the Culture 2000 programme, followed by a three-year grant in 2006 of
179 562 euros up until October 2009. The lead organiser was Pilgern & Surfen of Melk, in Austria and co-organisers were
Petöfi Irodalmi Múzeum in Budapest, Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, Literaturhaus in Hamburg, STRED Central European Dialogue
in the Czech Republic, and the Translation Center at the University of Copenhagen. Website: http://www.readme.cc
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Walter Grund, the project leader, emphasises that promoting Europe’s
diverse cultural heritage has simultaneously widened awareness of
literary works and promoted new forms of contact via the internet:
‘In 2004 a writer, a literary critic and a media producer discussed an artis-
tic experiment – an internet project combining literary expertise with
internet democracy, where readers and writers would network and collabo-
rate in a virtual library, composed initially of personal book recommenda-
tions. Since then it has grown – with financial support from the European
Commission – into a European platform for literature, and is tackling one
of the biggest challenges for Europe: its many languages. Coping with
multilingualism is at the heart of our vision to contribute to the formation
of a European public literature.
In 2009, we went further, with an actual meeting of our community of
authors and readers, in the first European Literature Day, where everyone
had to display patience and compromise in debates across languages
and across borders about technical questions – like finding via an English
search engine an author who is entered only in Hebrew or Arabic – and
cultural issues – such as the balance of relations between countries with
unbroken traditions like France or Britain and smaller countries with more
fractured histories, or how the diverse literary canons and customs across
Europe can be brought together in a European portal without reducing
them to a mere list.
Our experience with this project shows that while Europe becomes increas-
ingly international, it also retains strong local root and strong national
identities. Readme.cc is helping bridge this gap in terms of literature and
culture. Our readers across Europe explore more widely than the main-
stream best-seller market, and the exchanges among them show how
ready they are to try the unknown – like a Frenchman reading Kafka, for
example. The project is broadening the opportunities for a growing audi-
ence of enlightened readers who want to discuss books and who relish
literary heritage.’
_ 1 8 _

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HALMA
Helping writers
to move
around Europe
Authors, translators and publishers
were given the opportunity to
enrich their work through experi-
encing the variety of cultures across
the regions of Europe. Hosted by
participating literary centres, they
could carry out research, produce
new work, and take part in read-
ings, workshops or lectures with
a strongly local flavour. Halma is
the Greek word for ‘jump’ – and the
game of the same name – and the
network provided a frame in which
European writers could move across
Europe like players of board games
or kids enjoying hopscotch.
Photos provided by HALMA – Larissa Boehning © Robert Kruh
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Laura Seifert, the project leader, gives some examples of how widely
the benefits have been shared:
‘The writers have got a lot out of it individually, of course, because they
travelled abroad and discovered places in Europe they would have never
seen – and wrote things they might never have otherwise written. Anna Kim
from Austria wrote: “... and it’s in strange places that we notice how strange
we are ourselves, not only for those around us but for ourselves as well,
how little we actually knew about ourselves and how surprised we are at
our own reactions”.
But there were other results. They connected among themselves too,
creating a network of writers, intellectuals and translators – which is
something I hadn’t expected. Other spin-offs came in terms of publishing
and performance. Some of the HALMA members are also publishing
houses, and GOGA in Slovenia discovered writers that it found very inter-
esting: as a result, the novel “Este e o meu corpo” by Portuguese writer
Filipa Melo appeared in Slovenia. Similarly, the plays “Strand line” and
“Pump girl” by Irish playwright Abbie Spallen were staged in Finland in the
framework of HALMA. And many of the sample translations of works pro-
duced within the project have been published in literary magazines.
Exchanging and hosting writers from across Europe has also intensified
links between HALMA members, and increased their own international
profile – particularly giving organisations on the periphery of Europe, in
Romania or Finland, for example, new opportunities to boost their engage-
ment in trans-national cultural cooperation. As Vesa Lahti, a translator
from Jyväskylä, Finland, said of the HALMA members meeting, “You could
actually feel the HALMA spirit. There was something warm and touching to
have this feeling of doing something important and remarkable together.” ’

The programme ran from November 2009 to November 2010 and was supported under a special call for action ‘Support to mobility
of artists (EAC/09/2009)’ with a grant of 108 500 euros. The lead organiser was HALMA, the European network of literary centres,
in Berlin and the co-organisers were Alte Schmiede in Austria, the Elias Canetti Center in Bulgaria, LCB in Germany, Ventspils House
in Lithuania, kunst.raum SyltQuelle in Germany, Het Beschrijf @ Passa Porta in Belgium, Maison des écrivains étrangers et des
traducteurs in France, Villa Decius in Poland, The Literature House Schleswig Holstein, Denmark, and Writers’ House Jyväskylä
in Finland. Website: http://www.halma-network.eu/en.html
_ 2 0 _
Beyond the Stage
New trends in
European theatre
What value can film, video, electronic
music, modern dance and other
forms of media add to classic
theatre? That was the focus of this
project. It brought together experts
in stage theory with experts in stage
practice. It confronted different
European countries and traditions.
And it provided a framework of
festivals, workshops and confer-
ences. It combined high quality
artistic events – such as the widely
acclaimed ‘Hamlet’ by New York-
based Wooster Group, and a ‘Richard
III’ co-produced by the Cluj Theatre
from Romania and the Gyula Castle
Theatre in Hungary – with a major
conference of academic research,
and an educational programme to
introduce the idea of theatre that
spreads beyond the stage.
Photos provided by Beyond the Stage © Wieslaw Czerniawsk
The programme ran from May 2009 to April 2010, and received grants of 196 510 euros. The lead organiser was Theatrum
Gedanense Foundation in Poland and the co-organisers were Gyulai Vrsznhz in Hungary, the London Metropolitan University
in the UK, and Parrabbola, also in the UK. Website: http://ftg.pl/poza-scena/?p=18&lang=en
_ 2 1 _
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Anna Szynkaruk-Zgirska, the project leader, recounts how it bridged
cultures and promoted international cooperation among artists, while
entertaining a wide public:
‘We organised 15 innovative theatre productions in four European coun-
tries, with six theatre groups (involving some 200 people) touring abroad,
frequent exchanges between participating countries. Artists, theatre prac-
titioners, instructors and academics had the chance to travel and meet
their counterparts from other countries and cultures. Workshops, lectures
and exhibitions explored new ways of thinking about theatre and its role in
the world of developing modern communication technologies, and a con-
ference brought together 50 academics from seven countries and led to
the publication of a book.
The success of the project as a whole was that all this intercultural co-
operation helped achieve a mutual sense of understanding. In addition,
the general public and tourists could enjoy the Shakespeare Festivals held
in Gdansk, Gyula, and Craiova, and the meetings and discussions with
guest artists held after the performances, as well as associated educa-
tional events involving the populations of the host towns.
We promoted shared European values by bringing the best theatre pro-
ductions, artists, and directors together, and fostering learning and dia-
logue through the diversity of modern trends in European theatre. And it
was hugely enjoyable to work on!’
_ 2 2 _
Photos provided by European Media Art Network: p.22 © Don Ritter Vested, interactive Rauminstallation 2008 / p. 23 © Kurt D'Haesseler Archaic Smile Videoinstallation 2008, Nika Oblak & Primoz Novak, recommended by Curators Worldwide Billboard 2009
European Media
Art Network
Giving new
insights through
artists’ mobility
The ‘move – new european media
art’ exhibition in Halle in October
2009 was the culmination of the
European Media Art Network
project, showcasing the output of
16 leading figures working in exper-
imental film, sound and computer
based art in Europe. The artists had
each spent two months abroad
under the residence exchange
programme run by the project.
The project ran from November 2007 to November 2009, with a grant of 158 000 euros. The lead organiser was Werkleitz
Gesellschaft e.V. of Halle in Germany and co-organisers were InterSpace Association of Bulgaria, the Birmingham Centre
for Media Arts/VIVID of the UK, and Stichting Impakt of the Netherlands. Website: http://www.emare.eu
_ 2 3 _
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Peter Zorn, the project leader, spells out how enthusiasm drives
the network in promoting Innovation and exchange in the production,
presentation and distribution of media art in Europe:
‘All the participants in our network began as artist-run – grass root organi-
sations – not the ones you expect to run European wide networks and
projects. But we can! Our big asset is our enthusiasm towards the artists
working with media to create something different from what we are used
to seeing on television. And these approaches need skills and knowledge
that often go beyond what many TV professionals have. They also need
access to completely different audiences and markets.
So we combined our knowledge and contacts. With the funding we
received, each of us hosted four European artists and groups while they
produced new work. We set up presentations and marketed the works
to curators, festivals, museums and galleries. One of the works PERFECT
SOUND, a video installation on voice training by Katarina Zdjelar from
Serbia, entered the Venice Biennale in 2009. And VESTED, a huge and
complex interactive video installation by Don Ritter, a Canadian artist
based in Berlin, won gold at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010.
We were able to promote a sensitive, reflective, critical and experimental
approach towards moving images and the technologies that are an insepa-
rable part of today’s world.
The contacts and cooperations that artists make during their residence
are a major part of the results. When British artists Karen Mirza and Brad
Butler included ten young students from Saxony-Anhalt in their MUSEUM
OF NON PARTICIPATION project, many of them became so keen that they
started experimental film-making afterwards. And the show in Halle
received more than 11 000 visitors over 14 weeks – not just professionals
from across Europe, but local kids and pensioners who had never seen
media art before, and who responded actively to the artists bringing
these new perspectives from other parts of Europe to their hometown.’
_ 2 4 _
Wiener Tanzwochen
Advancing dance in
leaps and bounds
Contemporary dance is opened up
to new artists and wider audiences
across Europe through the Wiener
Tanzwochen initiative ImPulsTanz
Vienna International Dance Festival.
This large-scale project includes
performances, workshops,
exchange programmes, and
research and education, as well as
touring, and cooperation with the
Biennale of Venice, the Festival
d’Avignon, and Tanz im August.
Photos provided by Wiener Tanzwochen
The project, with an operational grant of 99 999 euros from the Culture Programme for a cultural festival on a European level,
ran from January 1 to December 31, 2010, with its peak from July 15 to August 15. The organizer was Wiener Tanzwochen, Vienna.
Website: http://www.impulstanz.com
_ 2 5 _
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
As Rio Rutzinger, the artistic director of the workshop programme,
explains, the project provides a rare combination of professionalism
and personal contact, and of intensity and informality:
‘The EU money widens the scope of what we do. It allows us to pay leading
artists to develop the skills of dancers of all levels. We can explore new
types of performance that reach audiences who have not had the habit
of experiencing dance – including visitors, tourists, people from all types
of background. And we are able to mount summits of professionals who
can mingle with one another and with audiences in a more relaxed context
than the hectic life of touring ever permits. At the same time as the perform-
ances, we organise 185 workshops attended by more than 3 000 dancers,
professionals and amateurs, which helps exchange between the perform-
ers, teachers, students and audiences.
The quantity of activities is an important aspect of the quality of the project.
We are trying to make high art a little less high up by providing and engag-
ing in as many opportunities as possible to share work and experiences.
And for our setting this actually seems to be far more effective than any
formal symposium. This is what the participants tell us too.
Milla Koistinen of Finland told us that in addition to the workshops and
coaching and the chance to see so many performances and to meet so
many people, taking part also helped her question her own work. For
Kristina Oom of Sweden, it was a “real gift” to be able to choose classes
and performances instead of being under the usual limitations of money,
time, or work obligations. Roxana Valdez of Mexico found not just a cele-
bration of art and dance, but “a social phenomenon that eliminates geo-
graphical frontiers to generate knowledge, discussion, agreement and
complicity”. And Virginia Kennard of the UK said: “have been doing more
living than dancing…”.’
_ 2 6 _
Borrowed Light
Reflecting
Europe through
the language
of dance
Borrowed Light is a large-scale live
dance and music performance that
was supported by Culture 2000
in 2004-2005. It has been seen
in major venues in France, Sweden,
Finland, Italy, Germany, the UK, the
Photos provided by Borrowed Light choreography: Tero Saarinen – p.26 © Laurent Philippe / p.27 © Tanja Ahola, Laurent Philippe, Jonas Lundqvist
US, New Zealand and Australia.
Audiences now total 50 000 people,
and further international tours are
scheduled for 2011 and 2012. It was
produced by the Tero Saarinen
Company in cooperation with
dance organisations in France,
Sweden and Finland.
The project ran from July 2004 to June 2005, with an EU grant of 150 000 euros. The lead organiser was Tero Saarinen Company
of Finland and co-organisers were Festival Octobre en Normandie in France, Kuopio Tanssii ja Soi (Kuopio Dance Festival) in Finland,
and Stiftelsen Dansens Hus (The House of Dance) in Sweden. Website: http://terosaarinen.com/en/works/all_creations/?id=2
_ 2 7 _
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Iiris Autio, managing director of the Tero Saarinen Company, spells out what
it meant for the company, and for the audiences the show has reached:
‘This was an ambitious project for us. Although our work is nowadays
regarded as one of Finland’s leading cultural exports, we were at the time
a small, non-institutionalised dance company with little public funding.
The EU grant allowed us to hire top professional people world-wide and
collaborate with leading international institutions. This funding was cru-
cial. It meant that our company could create such a large-scale work with-
out any artistic compromises.
It was also ambitious artistically. It combined the theme of community
– inspired by the ideology and aesthetics of the Shakers – with contempo-
rary dance, vocal music and state-of-the-art lighting and sound technology.
It used the language of dance to investigate, promote and communicate
a humane worldview, and basic human values. And we toured, with live
music and twenty four people, including the eight dancers and eight
singers on stage.
The work received rave reviews (“This production is richly original, and
scrupulously intelligent.” The Guardian, Judith Mackrell, April 8, 2005;
“Here the dance becomes a strange, violent and complex conduit for the
struggle of will over flesh. I’ve not seen, or experienced, anything like it.”
The Independent, Jenny Gilbert, April 10, 2005). It provoked discussion
among its audiences, both about the history of the Shaker movement and
concepts of community, and about the ritual essence of dance. And a semi-
nar we organised on the eve of the production’s première brought together
leading European company managers, promoters, agents and festival direc-
tors, to discuss European co-production practices and funding, collaboration
between dance and TV, touring, and collaboration with dance agencies.
We demonstrated that a work of art can be produced as a European or
inter­national co-production, using complicated funding tools – such as EU
programmes – without any loss of creativity or artistic integrity. We reached
new audiences with a new production. And the success of the project also
strengthened our organisation’s infrastructure significantly.’
_ 2 8 _
European regions
of culture
Building
a better future
How can culture build a better
future for Europe’s rural regions?
That is the question behind this
network, and its celebration of
culture as central to regional life
and identity. Through three cultural
exchange events, it stimulated
dialogue and exchange between
people working in culture
at regional level in the UK,
Poland and Finland.
Photos provided by European Regions of Culture: p.28 © Shutterstock / p.29 © Rae Chapman
The project ran from November 2008 to September 2009, with a grant of 179 562 euros. The lead organiser was Cornwall Council in the
UK and co-organisers were the Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia in Finland, and the Department of culture and national heritage
of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship in Poland. Website: http://www.e-r-o-c.com
_ 2 9 _
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Carolyn Rule, Cornwall Council cabinet member for Economy and
Regeneration, explains what the network achieved:
‘Our three regions all believed that rural culture is worth celebrating, and
we had all looked enviously at cities that are famous for their culture, and
that are expert at making culture work hard for them. We wanted to do the
same for our own locations – all rural, isolated and peripheral. Because
even though rural regions can be rich in culture, they rarely acquire a wide
reputation, and this makes it difficult to develop their cultural sectors.
It’s harder for a visual artist or film-maker in Cornwall or Kujawsko Pomor-
skie or South Ostrobothnia to gain the same fame as someone working in
Liverpool, Warsaw or Helsinki.
So we set out to create an equivalent of European Capitals of Culture that
would honour and promote rural culture. Our first step was to experiment
with ways of improving the cultural situation in our regions, so we worked
with policy makers, young people and artists from all three regions, in
a series of visits that showcased the best – and the worst! Policy makers
then produced advocacy material and agreements, young people communi-
cated through a publication, and artists through an exhibition in each region.
Joan Symons, Cornwall Council cabinet member for Culture adds: “The closer
links between the partners gave us better understanding of common issues
– like tackling Structural Funds, devising local cultural strategies, and working
with young people – and a clearer view of what were European issues and
what were purely local. Artists and young people learnt about the diversity
of Europe from their visits – everything from how different galleries operate
to how to function within a residency setting. And the concept of European
Regions of Culture also attracted interest from local investors and politicians,
who saw many advantages to be gained from winning such recognition.
Now the concept has been taken up by more than 30 other regions.” ’
_ 3 0 _

_ 3 1 _

House for Open
Mobility Exchange
(H.O.M.E.)
Personal contact
in public spaces
Artists from across Europe are
getting the chance to share their
experiences and to bring their
creations to new audiences in
the aptly-named HOME project
that the EU is supporting. But this
is an artist residency programme
with a difference: spare beds
and inflatable mattresses provide
the accommodation, and any public
space is taken over spontaneously
as the location for exhibitions
and activities.
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Project coordinator Jasa Jenull describes it as ‘artistic couchsurfing’
– informal, low-maintenance, self-organized artistic mobility:
‘The essence of the project is the development of close engagement, with
one another, and with our audiences. Each event – musical performances,
street theatre or multimedia installations – involves visits between the
participating countries, with the accent on getting to know the other artists
there informally, for instance by cooking and living and working together.
And the end product each time is an action in a public space, with maximum
involvement of local people, getting their stories and opinions, inciting
curiosity, provoking new perceptions, and building acceptance. Personal
contact is more important in the long term than getting 10 000 people inter-
ested for ten seconds. Using public spaces keeps it informal and ensures
wider access. Finding a public space and deciding how to use it is part of
the creative exploration central to each project.
An event in a small village in northern Sweden created a sculpture park as
a starting point for the villagers to complete. A five-day photography and
film workshop in an old market in Oporto helped stall-holders combat
municipal plans to replace them with a shopping centre. An “open house”
in Ljubljana invited partners to contribute to an open air gallery, using and
naming objects already in public spaces à la duchamps, then offering tours
to local people, who could see how people from another country perceive
their town.

After you’ve been to a few of these things you feel that Europe is quite
small. You can exchange a couple of emails, jump in a car, and you are part
of project on other side of Europe. The EU itself has become a small public
space for artists to work together in. And the project’s informality, using
private accommodation, public spaces and personal relationships, means
that it will continue to grow even without further grants.’
Photos provided by House for Open Mobility Exchange (H.O.M.E.)

The project is running from November 2009 to April 2011 and was supported under a special call for action ‘Support to mobility
of artists (EAC/09/2009)’, with a grant of 50 000 euros. The lead organiser is Kulturno-umetnisko drustvo Ljud – Kud Ljud,
in Slovenia and co-organisers are NEC, also in Slovenia, Lomomania in Portugal, YEPCE in France, OFA in Sweden, and Sacred
Places in Belgium. Website: http://www.ljud.si/slo/?lang=en
_ 3 2 _

_ 3 3 _

c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Network of Elizabeta Petrusa-Štrukelj, the chairperson, and a member of the Slovenian
European Museum Museums Association’s board, highlights the role of the network for
professionals – and for the public:
Organisations ‘Our principal effect comes from the information we spread among muse-
(NEMO) ums. There are many differences across Europe, influenced by history and
culture, in the way that museums are structured, or in the way they relate
Connecting past,

Photos provided by Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO): p.32 and 33 © German Museums Association, Christian Burkert / p.33 © Jens Gyarmaty and Markus Reichmann
to one another and to local or national authorities. Approaches to history
present and future and to links with education vary widely, and have gone through rapid
changes in parts of Europe that have experienced major upheaval in the
last thirty years.
The European museum landscape
is being constantly reviewed and
We help to ensure that information flows freely, among the European
remodelled by professionals and
museum community itself, and between museums and policy makers.
volunteers working in museums
We keep our members up to date on standards and laws, digitisation,
associations and similar bodies of
or creativity and innovation in museums. And we help them learn from
Europe, that have come together in
each other and find partners for lending and borrowing objects for exhibi-
the Network of European Museum
tions and for European projects.
Organisations. This platform
for cooperation, representing
There are differences too in attitudes between larger and smaller countries
museums across Europe that
in Europe. We help to develop cooperation, particularly in the face of the
receive over 500 million visitors
new challenges of increased cross-border activity, and we aim to give
each year, helps to give the cultural
people and institutions with less formal experience a wider range of oppor-
heritage sector a stronger voice at
tunities to develop their capacities and to show what they can do. Many
European level. And through pool-
museums and their associations work with slender finances, and depend
ing expertise, it allows its members
heavily on volunteers – but it is the smaller museums that make up the
to assist one another with guidance
majority of museums in Europe, and often have the closest connection
and new insights.
to their visitors.

Above all, we promote the role of museum collections in allowing Euro-

pean citizens to trace their history, and identify their differences and
similarities. Museums provide citizens with a sense of place, and promote
lifelong learning. Greater knowledge of the history of Europe helps widen
understanding of our origins, and makes us more understanding and
respectful of our own history – and of other people’s too.’

NEMO has been in existence since 1992. Under the Culture Programme 2007-2013 it has received a grant of 60 000 euros.
Its office is based at the German Museums Association, Deutscher Museumsbund. More than 30 000 museums across 32 European
countries are represented. Website: http://www.ne-mo.org
_ 3 4 _

_ 3 5 _

c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Diversidad Project manager Jean-Marc Leclerc underlines the importance of urban
Urban Forum culture for young people in Europe:
‘As urban culture has developed over the last thirty years in every country
Music across in Europe, it has given new means of expression to European youth, and
borders offered the chance of success and recognition to many underground art-
ists. But neither the occasional graffiti artists nor the main hip-hop acts
had much opportunity to meet up and exchange experiences – and still
Crossing frontiers – geographic and
less to work together. The Diversidad project is now bringing all these
linguistic – with music is the central
talents together for the first time.
activity of Diversidad, which of
course means diversity. Musicians
20 hiphop artists from 14 European countries worked together for ten days
and visual artists with a link to
to compose and record the “Diversidad” album, with everyone singing in
urban culture are working together
their own language but cooperating closely, helping one another out to
in a series of events, workshops,
complete the album on time. For many of the artists, it was a rare chance
and open forums. The output to
to work together in such collaborative intensity. The album has received
date has been a four-day hiphop
real international promotion and is the soundtrack of the exhibition,
festival in 2009, with more than
video documentary and film that also form part of the project.
200 performances and artists,
which attracted an audience
Equally original is the experience that the project is to provide in 2011 for
of more than 60 000, and a collabo-
a crew of musicians, rappers, dancers, choreographers and DJs from differ-
rative album. Still to come are
ent countries and backgrounds, who will tour across Europe with the Diver-
a digital platform for musical
sidad show. And a “rebel” graphic art exhibition will appear on advertising
exchanges, the Diversidad Tour,
boards in the cities they visit.
and a graffiti exhibition. The project
brings together artists and people
As Thomas Brödl of co-organiser HipHopConnection put it: “HipHop culture
working in culture in an exploration
is a wonderful way to express unity and cultural diversity at the same time”,
of cultural diversity and mobility
adding that he saw Diversidad helping to raise the cultural awareness of
that connects to the life of citizens.
European youth and convey a sense of togetherness. And Peter Smidt of
Buma Cultuur highlighted merits “both for cultural and economic reasons”
of widening the circulation across Europe of the European repertoire.’
Photos provided by Diversidad Urban Forum

The project is running from May 2009 to April 2012 with a grant of 931 000 euros. The lead organiser is European Music Office,
Belgium and the co-organisers are Fondazione Arezzo Wave in Italy, Stichting Buma Cultuur in the Netherlands, Hiphopconnection
in Austria, Cultura Urbana Festival in Spain, Kulturarena Veranstaltung in Germany, and Associations Diversités in France.
Website: http://www.myspace.com/diversidadexperience
_ 3 6 _
BelBoBru
An urban
parade laboratory
Cultural organisations in the cities
of Belfast, Bologna, and Brussels
worked together during two years
to share and develop their reflec-
tions and skills in carnival and
festival parades. Each of them
obtained new understanding of how
their engagement with the public
was influenced by their different
backgrounds – and of how to make
use of that understanding. The
project also enhanced the skills of
the local artists involved, particu-
larly in their work with puppets,
with mime, with theatre and with
drums. The project culminated in
a large-scale interdisciplinary and
intercultural performance and
parade, rehearsed in the three
cities, and performed in Bologna,
with 70 artist participants from
all three cities.
Photos provided by BelBoBru: p.36 © Luc Calis / p.37 © Luc Calis – Katleen Kuppens
The project ran from November 2007 to November 2009 with a grant of 100 000 euros. The lead organiser was Zinneke,
in Belgium and the co-organisers were Associazione culturale Oltre, in Italy, and The Beat Initiative, in the UK.
Website: http://www.zinneke.org/article40.html?lang=en
_ 3 7 _
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Myriam Stoffen, the lead organiser, who works with Zinneke in Bussels,
explains how the project brought new visions to the participants:
‘For all of us, organisations, artists, participants, this was a fascinating and
enriching project, full of passion. Three cities embarked on this adventure,
with different social and economic realities, and different missions and
working methods. But we shared a commitment to participation, active
citizenship and social inclusion through art, culture and action in public
spaces – with the unpredictability and richness of the street.
We were challenging accepted views of what parades could be – views held
by audiences and views held by the artists involved in the parades, too. The
project allowed artists not only to travel and to share skills across the differ-
ent disciplines, but also to confront social and cultural frameworks on public
space. How to make musicians move in the street? How to integrate the
puppeteers’ and theatre play? How to interact with the public? How to use
the street and urban environment? How to make a large group of performers
suddenly appear and disappear?
We also learnt how to question social reality. How far can we go in con-
fronting local inhibitions? Should we avoid showing violence in a street
performance in Belfast? Can we help persuade Bologna’s authorities to
support bottom-up art forms and allow more professionalisation? Can
artistic cross-fertilisation contribute to a broader international awareness
for the citizens of Brussels?
Workshops that brought together different professionals working in carni-
val arts provided the opportunity to see how things were done in different
environments and how to use new techniques. The invitation to collabo-
rate across borders widened cultural references – leading to the creation,
for instance, of a marionette capable of travelling across Europe – called
“Maurice in a suitcase”.’
_ 3 8 _
Festival d’Avignon
A contemporary
artistic adventure
Created in 1947, The Festival
d’Avignon has acquired worldwide
fame for its presentations of French
and international contemporary
theatre, dance and performing arts,
and for providing a platform for wide
personal and cultural exchange.
Each year it offers some 40 specta-
cles, often in collaboration with
other European theatres, and most
of which are new creations by
renowned European artists. The
Festival is also a place of discovery,
where young artists have the chance
to display the most innovative
contemporary developments.
Photos provided by Festival d’Avignon © Christophe Raynaud de Lage
The EU supplied grants of 200 000 euros per year in the period 2008/2010 to support these projects and activities. The organiser is
the Festival d’Avignon. Website: http://www.festival-avignon.com
_ 3 9 _
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
Philippe Le Moine, director of external relations, says the EU Culture
Programme has benefited the professionals, practitioners and public
that are part of the festival:
‘One of the important results of the EU funding has been to make the
festival even more international and multilingual. The presence of artists
and profes­sionals from around Europe and beyond leads directly to wider
circulation of works: the success of Romeo Castellucci’s “Inferno” at the
2008 Festival (it was hailed by Le Monde as the most important theatre
event of the first decade of the century) allowed the piece to travel across
the world for the next three years, reaching audiences way beyond the
walls of Avignon.
It also means deeper and more diverse multicultural conversations, ideas
and opinions. The festival is now a leading platform for discussions on Euro-
pean culture and on how professionals both in France and across Europe
can approach culture at a European level. “Les Rencontres Euro­péennes”
gather artists, politicians, academics, European institutions and civil society
in debates that range from intercultural dialogue to the fight against poverty
and social exclusion – providing moments such as European Culture Com-
missioner Ján Figel discussing the European Agenda for Culture with
a young director from Bulgaria and a major French sociologist, in front
of a large crowd of artists, arts professionals and the general public.
EU support has helped guarantee the festival’s role in promoting links
between disciplines and generations – notably with the involvement of
young practitioners. The international reach of the festival has also been
extended through, for instance, financing for translation of festival docu-
ments or subtitles and interpretation of works, so as to reach more non-
French speakers.
Overall, the EU support allowed the festival to reach wider audiences with
a wider range of works and promote the widest possible discussion of
European culture.’
_ 4 0 _
Festival
d’Aix-en-Provence
The Midi in the
middle of Europe
Europe’s best lyrical and musical
performances are the focus of the
Festival International d’Art Lyrique
d’Aix-en-Provence. Artists and
compositions of local and regional
character are blended with national
and international stars and shows.
The festival also incorporates the
European academy of music, which
provides training and professional
guidance to young European artists.
Photos provided by Festival d’Aix-en-Provence © Elisabeth Carecchio
The festival takes place every year, and has received an operating grant of 95 066 euros in 2010. Website: http://www.festival-aix.com
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c u l t u r e
i n
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As festival director general Bernard Foccroulle underlines, the focus is
on opera, dialogue between different musical cultures, development
of young artists, and attracting the widest possible audiences:
‘For centuries, the circulation through Europe of opera artists and operas
has contributed to the construction of a common identity and a particular
view of the world. The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence celebrates this heritage
with the participation of artists from across Europe. We host the most
renowned orchestras, singers, conductors and directors. We also welcome
the most promising young talents, who bring a dynamism which is an
essential facet of the festival’s character.
Our European Music Academy supports the transmission of these traditions
to young singers, musicians and composers, and helps in their training and
development. And the festival also promotes productions and – particularly
– new compositions. We don’t want opera to be seen as a “museum” – an
art-form with only a past. We aim to make it a place of creation, exchange
and sharing. No less than 20 living composers found their place in the 2010
festival, and we presented several world premières.
Renewal and reaching wider audiences are essential to the economic
sustainability of opera, and to a continual increase in artistic quality and
creativity. Making opera accessible to spectators of every type is part of
our mission – an inclusive agenda that imposes no conditions in respect
of income levels or cultural affinity. We work with groups of young people
or adults from many different backgrounds, encouraging their self-expres-
sion, and establishing the conditions for rich intercultural dialogue.
The support from the European Commission in 2009 and 2010 is an indica-
tion that our priorities coincide with some of the goals of the Culture
Pro­gramme. This encourages us to continue building links and reinforcing
synergies – such as through the European Network of Opera Academies
– so as to benefit from the best that each of us is doing, and to ensure the
vitality of opera in the 21st century.’
_ 4 2 _
IMAGINE 2020
Seeing climate
change through art
European artists and arts organisa-
tions can be catalysts for new ways
of thinking – and, in light of climate
change, new ways of thinking have
never been so necessary! Through
Imagine 2020, a group of per­
formance arts organisations
across Europe are exploring ways
of supporting artists who tackle
the issue through their art, and
of presenting their shows that are
environmentally sustainable.
Photos provided by IMAGINE 2020 © Michel François
The project is running from 2010 to 2015, with a grant of 2 200 000 euros. The lead-organiser is Kaaiteater in Brussels
and co-organisers are Artsadmin in London, Bunker in Ljubljana, Domaine d’O in Montpellier, Domino in Croatia, Théâtre Le Quai
in Angers, Kampnagel Internationale Kulturfabrik of Germany, the London International Festival of Theatre, the New Theatre
Institute of Latvia, Rotterdamse Schouwburg of the Netherlands, and Transforma of Portugal. Website: http://www.2020network.eu
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c u l t u r e
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Theresa von Wuthenau, the coordinator, and Guy Gypens, artistic director
of the Kaaitheater in Brussels, underline how the project is in tune with the
concept of a resource-efficient Europe, without limiting the possibility for
artists and their works to travel and tour:
‘Climate change is the greatest challenges of the 21st century. So eleven arts
organisations across Europe have got together, harnessing the power of the
imagination to bring about a re-invention of modern society. We are building
on the experiences from a 24-month project called “Thin Ice: Art and Climate
Change” that created unexpected opportunities for dialogue between arts,
science, and civil society, and that raised awareness and involving the public
both as audiences and as participants.
The network started out from a chance meeting of like-minded individuals
at an event on the arts and climate change. We decided we would explore
how artists can help the shift towards a low carbon economy, by engag-
ing a generation of artists in Europe with climate issues and by promoting
creative exchanges with the world of science, philosophy and history, to
provoke new and unexpected ways of looking at the issues.
Partners in the project are commissioning and producing several works
that address climate change. French writer and director Frederic Ferrer says
the network made it possible for him to get expert input into his play “Kyoto
Forever” at the Theatre Le Quai in Angers. In Brussels, the Kaaitheater’s
Burning Ice festivals included a mock documentary depicting a future Neth-
erlands submerged under water. In London and Ljubljana, art took to the
streets and occupied public spaces, bringing the message to the people.
The artistic directors were able to travel to the different venues and observe
the work being done. We learned an enormous amount in a very short time,
with the exchange of ideas and exposure to different approaches. The
foundations laid by the Thin Ice pilot programme are being continued and
extended under the IMAGINE 2020 Network, with additional partners and
a novel training dimension through the organisation of summer academies
for artists and mentoring programmes.’
_ 4 4 _
Cooperation and
Mediation in the
Digital Arts
A flight of song
CO-ME-DI-A – Cooperation and
Mediation in the Digital Arts – aims
to use media art and digital technol-
ogies in public events, workshops
and residencies to assist learning,
particularly in real-time computer
music for network performance.
It has created a common platform for
communication and expression, and
its residencies developed technical
and artistic content.
Photos provided by Cooperation and Mediation in the Digital Arts
The project is running from November 2007 to March 2011 with a grant of 1 343 669,20 euros. The lead-organiser is Institut de
Recherche et Coordination Acoustique Musique at the Centre Pompidou, Paris and the co-organisers are Università degli Studi
di Genova in Italy, the Center for Art and New Technologies in Prague, Queen’s University in Belfast, the University of Music
and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg, and the Hungarian Computer Music Foundation.
Website: http://www2.comedia.eu.org/wordpress
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c u l t u r e
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m o t i o n
Andrew Gerzso, the project coordinator, outlines the achievements:
‘As high speed internet spreads ever wider, it opens up new artistic possibili-
ties – and particularly in musical composition and performance. Today’s
technology means that a student can take part in an instrumental master
class or a composer lesson even when thousands of kilometres from the
teacher. New networks allow streaming of seminars on musical research,
live videoconferencing, and on-line artistic and musical events. CO-ME-DI-A
has seized this potential, and is realising it in line with the European sprit
of combining cultural heritage and innovation.
This three year project has organized residencies with international artists
(Andrea Cera, Bernhard Lang, David Moss...) and ensembles (European
Bridges Ensemble… ). The results include novel works that explore distrib-
uted performances (Disparate Bodies…), and different approaches to live
musical composition (Quinte.net, NetCities…). And twin-site interactive
installations, concerts and rehearsals (An Invisible Line, NetTrike…) have
further broadened its scope.
Reaching a wide audience in order to make people aware of the new possi-
bilities offered by high-speed networks in the artistic domain is also a prior-
ity. Workshops and demonstrations were organized within the International
Computer Music Conference, New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Sound
and Music Computing, and EyesWeb Week. Artistic works were presented
in the Agora Festival in Paris, Klangwerktage Festival in Hamburg, Making
New Waves Festival in Budapest and ENTER4 in Prague. And three “show-
case” events highlighted the technological, artistic and conceptual issues
of the project.
CO-ME-DI-A has had a major impact on all the partners, promoting increas-
ing day-to-day use of networking, and has also attracted interest at the
European and international level. Most recently, the Trans-European
Research and Education Networking Association and the Internet2 consor-
tium in the USA invited the CO-ME-DI-A project to host their annual Net-
work Performing Arts Production Workshop in 2010 in Paris.’
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c u l t u r e
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ENPARTS Paolo Bartolani, the project leader, summarises what the ENPARTS
A European project is doing:
‘ “A place that concentrates creativity and makes it explode, that opens up
network of the energy of people to others. A suspended time and space for two weeks
performing arts in the most image-filled and mysterious city in the world: Venice. Ideas,
fantasy, technology, experimentation. Challenge, collaboration, risk, inven-
tion, freedom.”
Six internationally renowned Euro-
pean festivals and institutions,
This is how Luca Francesconi, the Artistic Director of Music Biennial, pre-
coordinated by the Venice Biennale,
sented the first ENPARTS campus, called “The Body Electric”, in Venice in
are constructing a common pro-
2009. A selection of young artists that ENPARTS brought from around the
gramme for innovation and
world worked in small groups to produce short works using music, theatre
experimentation in the performing
and dance that were then showcased at the 53rd International Festival of
arts. The network commissions
Contemporary Music of La Biennale, in the Teatro Piccolo Arsenale.
three new works every year. In
2010, three experimental works
The ENPARTS network has three campuses programmed in 2008-2012,
were selected: two dance co-pro-
providing young artists with the space and resources to create inter-disci-
ductions and a music co-production
plinary projects together. Creating a fertile group of artists with new artistic
of three short chamber operas.
partnerships formed from their involvement is a perfect embodiment of the
These new productions are being
ENPARTS vision. Some of these young partnerships are chosen to create
presented on the European circuit
new works for a mixed bill that will play on the European circuit through
through a network set up by the
an exchange network of the participating institutions and festivals.
participating institutions and
festivals, and backed up by internet
ENPARTS promotes professional expertise and transmits innovation
links and accompanying audio-vis-
through ambitious combinations of artistic ideas and technical and finan-
ual works documenting how they
cial resources. People working in the sector are constantly acquiring skills
were created.
and sensitivity for managing intercultural relations in increasingly complex
contexts. Its dual role not only provides supports for European creativity,
but also offers an artistic platform at the intercultural crossroads that
Europeans must increasingly negotiate.’
Photos provided by ENPARTS © Jake Walters

The project is running from 2007 to 2012 with a grant of 2 500 000 euros. The lead-organiser is Fondazione la Biennale di Venezia
and the co-organisers are Dance Umbrella in London, Dansens Hus in Stockholm, Musicadhoy in Madrid, Musik der Jahrhunderte
in Stuttgart, Berliner Festspiele-spielzeit europa in Berlin, and Bitef Teatar in Belgrade.
Website: http://www.labiennale.org/en/enparts/home.html
 _ 4 8 _

Photo provided by European Capitals of Culture 2010 – City of Essen for the Ruhr (Germany) © media Zollverein Feuerwerk

Photo provided by European Capitals of Culture 2010 – City of Pécs (Hungary)

Photo provided by European Capitals of Culture 2010 –City of Istanbul (Turkey)

_ 4 9 _

European capitals 25 years and more than 40 cities
of culture later, the European Capitals of
Culture stands out as one of the
European Union’s must recognised
cultural initiatives. Its primary
objective is to highlight the rich-
ness and diversity of European
cultures and the features they
share, and to encourage a sense
of belonging to Europeans of all
ages and lifestyles. Over the years
this event has evolved and its social
and economic benefits have also
become increasingly apparent and
recognised.
Why is it such a success? The
secret is two-fold: international
visibility, and citizen involvement.
European Capitals of Culture are 2008 and all the children of all the
proof that culture makes a major
contribution to the European
schools of the city participated in at
least one activity; the 200 cultural
Union’s aim of smart, sustainable projects which took place in Linz
and inclusive growth, because in 2009 generated 7 700 events,
they are part of the long-term involved 5 000 artists and led to
development of European cities additional regional GDP of 8.4 mil-
and their regions, as well as lion euro; nearly 60 % of the resi-
a stimulus for dynamism, crea­ dents of the city of Luxembourg
tivity, and social inclusion. visited a European Capital of Cul-
ture event in 2007 and 139 cross-
Many cities which have held the border projects were implemented
title experienced impressive imme- with partners from the Grande
diate results. For example, on Région; during Stavanger 2008,
average they experience an collaborations, co-productions
increase of some 12 % in tourists and exchanges took place
compared to the previous year; with 54 countries; 73 official inter-
10 million people attended a cul- national delegations were received
tural event in Liverpool during in Sibiu 2007. But many have also
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
experience of long-term benefits.
Indeed the most successful Capi-
tals are those which have embed-
ded the event as part of
a long-term strategy and commit-
ment by the city to culture-led
development.
The European Capitals of Culture
are quite simply an amazing
opportunity for change and trans-
formation for a city, its image, its
infrastructure, its cultural sector
and its citizens. Like Europe itself,
the project still has plenty of
experiments in artistic, urban,
and communal living ahead of it.
 _ 5 0 _
The European Border Breakers Awards – EBBA 2010
Cultural prizes
Spotlighting
excellence
In addition to the projects proposed
by cultural operators, the Culture
Programme also seeks to showcase
current successes in the cultural
sector that otherwise may not be
easily noticed across Europe, by the
granting of prizes for contemporary
architecture, cultural heritage,
literature and pop music. These
prizes recognise and reward excel-
lence in these fields, seeking to
promote best practice and the
circulation of European works
beyond national borders.
More about this prize:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc1098_en.htm
http://www.europeanborderbreakers­awards.eu/
The EU Prize for pop music
(European Border Breakers
Awards – EBBA)
The EBBAs were launched 10 years
ago and Carla Bruni, Gabriel Rios,
Dolores O’Riordan, Adele, Milow
and Peter Fox are just some of the
European artists who have been
awarded an EBBA for their interna-
tional debut album.
The winners are selected on the
sales results of their international
debut album in the previous year
in countries taking part in the
Culture Programme (outside the
country of production), airplay on
public radio stations (part of the
European Broadcasting Union)
and their ability to perform live.
The EU Prize for Architecture Prize: The Norwegian Opera & Ballet – Snohetta © Gerald Zugmann
Since 2010 the event is organ- The EU Prize for
contemporary architecture
ised by Eurosonic/Noorderslag
in Groningen and the show is (Mies van der Rohe Award)
hosted by music and television
legend Jools Holland. The 2010 The EU Prize for contemporary
award ceremony was attended architecture/Mies van der Rohe
by 1 200 people in the presence Award and the emerging architect
of HRH Princess Máxima of the Special Mention are biennial
Netherlands and the show was awards that are granted to the
broadcast on television in 12 coun- European author(s) of architec-
tries, features from it were played tural works recently built in
on 24 radio stations and it is esti- Europe. The Prize and the Special
mated that more than 45 million Mention highlight the achieve-
people were reached. The first ments of European professionals
ever public choice EBBA went in the progress of new architec-
to Milow, from Belgium. tural concepts and technologies
and it offers European citizens
as well as those responsible for
urban development the chance to
gain a better understanding of the
crucial role played by architecture
and urban planning in the shaping
of cities and communities and
their influence on the quality of
life and the environment.
More about this prize:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc1103_en.htm
http://www.miesbcn.com/en/award.html
The winners are selected by a jury
from a short list based on nomina-
tions submitted by the member
associations. The selection of
works is based on their excellence
in conceptual, technical and con-
struction terms.
Material on the shortlisted works
is used for an exhibition which
travels throughout the EU and
beyond and is accompanied by
a catalogue giving detailed infor-
mation on the selection process
and the submitted works.
Some of the previous winners
were: the Norwegian National
Opera and Ballet Theatre in
Oslo (Snøhetta architects); Stan-
stead Airport, United Kingdom (Sir
Norman Foster); Municipal Sports
Stadium Barcelona, Spain (Esteve
Bonell, Francesc Ruis); Kunsthaus
Breganz, Austria (Peter Zumthor);
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c u l t u r e
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m o t i o n
Car Park and Terminus Hoenheim
North, Strasbourg, France (Zaha
Hadid); the Netherlands Embassy,
Berlin, Germany (Rem Koolhaas,
Ellen van Loon). Some Special
Mention winners were Sharn-
hausere Park Town Hall, Ostfil-
dern, Germany (Jürgen Mayer);
and the Faculty of Mathematics,
Ljubljana, Slovenia (Matija Bevk,
Vasa J. Perovi΄c).
The winners of the 2011 Prize and
Special Mention will be announced
and presented in May 2011.
 _ 5 2 _
The EU Prize for Cultural Heritage © Treppenhalle HiRes
The EU Prize
for cultural heritage
(Europa Nostra Awards)
European cultural heritage is very
much alive and kicking: it plays
a vibrant role in communities
across Europe, it brings people
together to share their heritage
and learn from each other and it
can help to economically revive
areas. Great work is taking place
across Europe to protect our herit-
age, to conserve our industrial
heritage, to regenerate the cities
and areas we live in, to research
how digital developments can
provide a greater access to herit-
age and how it should be protected
from climate change, as well as to
educate and train people about our
heritage. All this work not only
helps to make Europe a beautiful
place to live, well-maintained
More about this prize:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc623_en.htm
http://www.europanostra.org/heritage-awards/
heritage also generates jobs,
attracts tourists and contributes
to sustainable development.
This prize is granted jointly by the
Commission and Europa Nostra
to celebrate exemplary initiatives
showing the many facets of
Europe’s cultural heritage.
During the awards ceremony in
Istanbul in June 2010 European
Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou
presented 6 Grand Prizes for conser­
vation, research, dedicated service
and education and 23 awards.
The six Grand Prize winners in
2010 were: the conservation of
Le Collège des Bernadins (restored
13 century Cistercian college, Paris,
France); the conservation and res-
toration of the Neues Museum,
Berlin, Germany; the restoration
and conservation of the Roman
Theatre, Cartagena, Spain; the
research for the digitisation of
Van Gogh’s letters, Van Gogh
Museum, Amsterdam, the Nether-
lands; dedicated service by the
documentary film maker Nils Vest,
Copenhagen, Denmark; and aware-
ness-raising and training: the
Baerwaldbad, Berlin, Germany.
The 2011 awards will be presented
in Amsterdam in June in the pres-
ence of Commissioner Androulla
Vassiliou and Europa Nostra’s
President, Plácido Domingo.
The EU Prize for literature: The 2010 Award Ceremony
_ 5 3 _
c u l t u r e
i n
m o t i o n
The EU Prize for countries will be rewarded for (Estonia), Riku Korhonen (Finland),
contemporary literature their achievements. Iris Hanika (Germany), Jean Back
(Luxembourg), Răzvan Rădulescu
Fiction engages. It revives and The prize is organised for the (Romania), Nataša Kramberger
rouses, it enriches and enhances, Commission by a consortium (Slovenia), Raquel Martínez-Gómez
opening up a world of different comprised of the Federation of (Spain) and Goce Smilevski (Former
experiences and circumstances. European Publishers (FEP), the Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
The aim of the prize which was European Booksellers Federation
launched in 2009 is to celebrate (EBF), the European Writers Coun- They were presented during a cere-
the diversity of European fiction, cil (EWC). They are responsible mony in Brussels in November 2010.
to promote the chosen authors for organising the national selec-
outside their own country includ- tions in each country, for organis-
ing translation of their work, and ing the award ceremony and other
to contribute to boosting the promotional activities.
international circulation of litera-
ture more generally. In 2010, Belgium, Cyprus, Den-
mark, Estonia, Germany, Finland,
The prize is unique, being the only Luxembourg, Former Yugoslav
award to reward authors from so Republic of Macedonia, Romania,
many different European countries Slovenia and Spain participated.
writing in such an array of lan- The 11 winners of the prize were
guages. Indeed, over a three year Peter Terrin (Belgium), Myrto Azina
period (2009, 2010, 2011), emerg- Chronides (Cyprus), Adda Djørup
ing authors from 35 different (Danemark), Tiit Aleksejev
More about this prize:
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc627_en.htm
http://www.euprizeliterature.eu/
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c u l t u r e
List of web links to help you submit

i n
an application and stay updated

m o t i o n
on culture policy developments

THE CULTURE PROGRAMME 2007-2013

European Commission DG Education and Culture
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/index_en.htm

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/index_en.php

Culture Contact Points in your country

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/annexes-culture/doc1232_en.htm

Funding opportunities 2011

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/funding/2011/index_en.php

Results of application selection

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc2011_en.htm

CULTURE POLICY
European Agenda for Culture
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc2240_en.htm

Commission Report on the implementation

of the European Agenda for Culture
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-policy-development/doc/
library/acte_EN.pdf

RECENT STUDIES
‘Study on the contribution of culture to local and regional economic
development as part of European regional policy’
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/key-documents/doc2942_en.htm

‘Towards a Strategy for culture in the Mediterranean Region: A needs and

Photo provided by House for Open Mobility Exchange (H.O.M.E.)

opportunities assessment report in the field of culture policy and dialogue

in the Mediterranean Region’
http://ec.europa.eu/culture/key-documents/doc2964_en.htm

‘Study on the entrepreneurial dimension of cultural and creative industries’

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/key-documents/doc537_en.htm