Cultural and artistic collaborations- ALF Final Recomendations
Cultural and artistic collaborations
“Creativity for Dialogue”
The Anna Lindh Forum 2010 has represented an important moment to consolidate or redefine the fields of action of the Foundation. A thematic approach was adopted in all the Forum’s components in order to examine the work of the ALF by field, to evaluate specific programmes and to design together with experts and civil society members the future action of the Foundation.
The five strategic fields of the Forum emanated from the ALF triennial programme and were specified thanks to the results of the ALF Report on Intercultural Trends, thematic Preparatory Meetings and different consultations with the National Networks and the institutional Partners, in order to define topics to be discussed in the Agora, best practices and project ideas to be presented in the Medina as well as experts to contribute to the Forum at large.
In order to ensure a qualitative process, the Foundation has designated a coordinator from the field to help defining the structure and the content of the discussions. Such coordinator accompanied the Foundation from the Preparatory Meeting through the Forum. Having opted for an inclusive and participatory approach, institutional bodies such as Advisory Council Members and Heads of Networks were involved in the panels as Chairs or Moderators. In addition, experts in the strategic fields were selected to give inputs on the session and to open the debate, whereas opening remarks from the civil society were presented in order to set a frame for the debates. Furthermore, a particular attention was devoted to inform about certain important topics through the info sessions, to share best practices and project ideas, and to involve the strategic partners by giving them a space in the Medina.
The thematic approach allowed the constitution of communities inside our Networks working in the same field that had the opportunity to debate about the challenges, opportunities and future of the Foundation’s work in the Agora, and shared their ideas, projects and best practices in the Medina. Such communities will be supported in the future work of the Foundation as follow-up to the Forum.
This paper will try to present the work of the Foundation, the Preparatory Meetings outcome, the Agora/Medina recommendations and the different projects and people that represented the field of Cultural and Artistic Collaborations in the Forum.
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Cultural production is a field where images and perceptions are shaped and reshaped through the impact of globalisation, causing contradictory consequences for a better understanding and coexistence in the region. On one side, the worldwide circulation of cultural products may have a positive impact in terms of mutual knowledge and cultural cross-fertilisation.
On the other side, the cultural exchange among Northern and Southern countries of the Euro-Med region is limited and biased by the unequal capacity of the cultural industry of the two shores of the Mediterranean and the lack of translations.
“Cultural bridges must be built to ensure that Music, Cinema, Literature and Arts become a tool of better knowledge and cultural dialogue”. This was one of the main conclusions of the Euro-Med Ministerial Meeting of Culture which took place in Athens (May 2008) and produced a Declaration which defines a comprehensive cultural approach for the European cultural policy in the region, and underlines the role of the Anna Lindh Foundation as the main tool for cultural dialogue in the area.
The Action of the Foundation on the Field
Since, its establishment, the Anna Lindh Foundation has organised cultural events of local or regional significance in the context of its programme.
Among them, the region-wide 'Euro-Med Dialogue Night' (2008), the Palestinian Theatre Festival (2009), the yearly Alexandrian festival 'Farah Al Bahr', as well as the annual collaboration with 'Babel Med Music'.
In addition to these, the 'Cross-Border Arts Project' brought together artists from EuroMed countries to promote intercultural dialogue in Lebanon, Palestine and Israel and facilitate processes of healing and understanding through arts.
Thanks to the Sea of Words literary contest, young writers writing on intercultural issues have been awarded and engaged in workshops in different countries of the region, showing that writing can help to better understand diversity and to look at things from a different perspective.
Through its Call for Proposals, the Foundation has supported dozens of projects on artistic mobility, joint cultural productions and translation patterns in the EuroMed region.
Last but not least, one of the Foundation's regional approaches to work for cultural dialogue among young people has been the Arab Children's Literature Programme supported by the Swedish Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Carried out in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, the programme has and continues to develop the quality of children's books integrating 'reading for pleasure' into school curriculum with the aim of strengthening the intellectual and emotional development of children.
The Preparatory Meeting
In the framework of the “Anna Lindh Forum 2010”, the Foundation held a preparatory meeting entitled “Creativity, Mobility and Dialogue”. The meeting was organised in cooperation with the ALF Head of National Network in Greece (The Hellenic Foundation for Culture) and the FAM Network and took place in Rhodes from 1 to 4 October 2009.
The outcomes of the Preparatory Meeting clearly underlined that for many years we have been blocked by our differences: in language, culture, history, and ideology. However, in recent years it has become apparently clear that we cannot survive alone: as individuals, groups, or societies. Increasingly, organisations and groups are working together through joint projects and networks, and many "translation", "networking" and "mobility" projects have flourished. Yet, we still remain alone, mainly because of the compartmentalization in thinking: life is divided into different sectors and each sector has sub sectors and so on and so forth, none of whom have the opportunity, interest, or time to interact. The ALF Forum preparatory meetings have clearly stressed that we should look at cross-cutting issues such as mobility, translation, and networking together: artists need mobility, mobility is a precursor for networking, mobility and networking need translation.
To begin with, words like "mapping", "platforms", "network of networks", "translation", and "mobility" need to be explored more in-depth to reach a better understanding of what they mean to us, what we are trying to do, individually and collectively, and what we can do more creatively together in the future.
Mobility, translation, and Networks are often presented as tools, yet they are not so innocent once we explore their goals, objectives, and values. For example, the influence of translation, or mis-translation, on cultural policies and networks is tremendous, yet it is hardly ever dealt with as translation/interpretation is seen as "a neutral and objective service" that a "qualified translator" can provide. The preparatory working group in Rhodes developed several potential meanings for translating as guidelines for the discussion: Translating as locating oneself in-between: between languages, imaginaries, codes, modes of representation; a space for confrontation of differences, negotiation, and articulation. Translating is also circulating ideas, critical thinking, artistic and literary works; in that sense, translation is strongly linked with the issue of freedom of expression, of creation and of research. Last but not least, translating is not just an issue for translators: it concerns all of us, in our daily practices. Similarly, networks can be an opportunity for interaction, exchange, construction of new knowledge, but they can also be a fertile arena for power struggles and hegemony of a certain agenda over others. Mobility can expand the artists' vision yet it can also be detrimental for his/her involvement with his/her community. Sometimes, by focusing on the regional, the local dimension is lost. Therefore, at this juncture it is imperative to strengthen the local while expanding the regional dimension; to consider the impact of mobility at a local scale (national mobility schemes, etc…); to consider the economic scale and the local relationships and developments. Furthermore, while evaluating the impact of mobility schemes, we have to analyse the wider environment: how mobility (experience abroad) helps the individual and how the experience is disseminated within the artistic local community. In all of the above, the process is much more important than the end product and should be seen as such. In this sense, the development and "design" of projects within these spheres need to be carefully constructed, reviewed, analysed, and reflected upon on a regular basis.
Last but not least, technology cannot be disconnected from the reality on the ground, so any information tools that are developed and/or shared in the Euro-Med region should take into consideration the cultural context and differences in the way that they will be used, in terms of their function, linguistic representation, and appearance.
Cultural and artistic collaborations in the Medina
Partner Contributions:
§ BJCEM towards Casablanca 2011 (Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (BJCEM), Speakers: Alessandro Stillo, Luigi Ratcliff, Meryem Kettany, Hassan Darsi
§ Understanding translation in the Mediterranean (Transeuropéennes / Literature Across Frontiers), Speakers: Luis Miguel Pérez, Mohamed Mahjoub, Ghislaine Glasson Deschaumes, Alexandra Buchler
Project Ideas:
§ Residency Programme Palazzo Rinaldi Artists’ Residence (IT), Susanna Caprara
§ Arab Culture Week Culture Center “In Action” (LT), Andrius Becys
§ Mobile Beautiful Resistance Alrowwad Training Center (PS), Abdelfattah Abusrour
§ Online Arts Platform Likovne Besede / Artwords Magazine (SI), Mateja S.Rot
§ Folk Dances Online Data- Base PédeXumbo (PT), Diana Mira
§ Dialog in Motion KozaVisual (TR), Ozge Celikaslan
§ Artservis Web tool/Collection SCCA (SI), Dusan Dovc
§ Sustainable Shelters Pacificstream Information (UK), Roy Jones
§ Women without Borders Women in the Picture Association (IL), Anat Shperling
§ Snakes and Ladders Turning Tides Ltd (UK), Ray Baxter
§ ArtEID Million Cultural Youth (SE), Amra Heco
§ Ponor Project Kulturno umetniško društvo Ponor (SI), Andreja Vezovnik
§ Sanctuary artscenico eV (DE), Rolf Dennemann
§ Le tourisme culturel Association pour la Pensée, la Culture et le Tourisme (DZ), Smaïl Boukhalfa
§ Une mer de mots Winner of Sea of Words 2008 (FR/MT), Elise Blot/Pierre Mejlak
§ La Méditerranée des sept dormants ERMES (FR), Manoël Pénicaud, Olivier Dubuquoy
§ Trans-Cultural Leaders Network Rooftop Theatre (CY), Ellada Evangelou
§ Irregular Migration Film Andalus Institute (EG), Karim El-Shenawy
§ The Radius of Art Heinrich Boell Foundation (DE), Anke Muffelmann
§ Poems against Prejudice Czech-Arab Society (CZ), Josef Regner
§ 2nd Generation Festival Athens Network of Collaborating Experts (GR), Aspasia Kakari
§ Euro Med Contest Interkulti Association (HU), Amir Abdi
§ Mediterranean Dreams ZaLab (IT), Sara Zavarise
§ Cultural Exchange Latvian Literature Centre (LV), Janis Oga
§ MIX Art LYC (LT), Giedre Verbickiene
§ LiteSide Festival LiteSide Festival (NL), Gail Pilgrim
§ DicoMed MMSH (FR), Marie L. Boursin
Best Practices:
§ Restoring Buildings Col.legi d’Aparelladors I Arquitectes Barcelona (SP), Xavier Casanovas, Montserrat Casado
§ Tourisme Solidaire Association Culturelle AMUSNAW (AL), Faroudja Moussaoui
§ Conservatoire de Musique in Palestine Luthiers sans Frontières (BE), Martine Plevoets
§ Greek Music Tradition En Chordais (GR), Kyriakos Kalaitzidis
§ Marathon Latvian Professional Contemporary Dance Choreographers Association (LA) Inta Balode
§ The Multicultural City KRUG Art Movement (BU), Radost Nikolaeva-Cohen
§ ACERT Projects ACERT Associação Cultural e Recreativa de Tondela (PO), Miguel Torres
§ Art:Masarat Palestine Les Halles de Schaerbeek (BE), Fabienne Verstraeten
§ 5-ème Festivals de la BD Institut National des Beaux Arts de Tétouan (MR), Jaouad Diouri
§ Festival Sete Sóis Sete Luas Associação Cultural Sete Sóis Sete Luas (PO), Marco Abbondanza
§ Photomarathon RECREATURA_arts& culture (SP), Dorothee Fischer
§ Tran-Generation Exhibition DOMINE (HR), Nina Simunovic
§ Comment Jouer Ensemble? Image Aiguë (FR), Nicolas Bertrand
§ Festival Voix De Femmes Mediana sprl (BE), Marion Cahen
§ 2 Sans Complexe La Maison des Cinéastes (MAU), Abderrahmane A. S. Lahy
§ Jerusalem Music Festival A.MUS.E – Austrian Music Encounter (AU), Nadia Arouri
§ Europea
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