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Dear
Compendium friends and users,
Welcome to the 9th edition of Compendium, the leading information
and
monitoring system on Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe.
Whether you're a first time user or a long term supporter, we
are sure that the new-look online Compendium will prove to be an
essential research and information tool for you.
This newsletter highlights some of the latest additions and features
that have been developed, introduces you to the people who have
joined us for the first time, and provides selected highlights
on policy news.
We're always keen to hear your views on how Compendium can work
best for you, so do please complete our confidential User
Survey.
The results of this will inform further changes over the coming
year.
With best wishes from the Compendium Team.
Compendium
Activities
Welcome Armenia and Slovakia!
Profiles of their cultural policies have been added to the Compendium
system which now includes 41 European countries. Following a short
séjour, France is
back in the system with new information and data!
The community is keeping track of what
governments in Europe are doing to implement the UNESCO
Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Cooperation
with civil society is an important part of the Convention. So,
what do you think should be done? Join in by sending us your
suggestions and stories!
The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue has arrived and the
Compendium is ready! The ICD
section provides you with updated information on government
action, cases of good practice and key resources with links to
the Council of Europe White Paper on ICD, the 2007 Eurobarometer
Flash on ICD, the 2008 ERICarts study on national approaches to
ICD in Europe.
>>
Let
us know if your activities are missing.
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Sponsors
2007
The Compendium is supported by the Council of Europe and ERICarts.
Additional support is received through voluntary contributions
made by governments across Europe to the project as a whole and
to individual Compendium authors. The project is grateful for additional
support it received in 2007 from the:
Croatian
Ministry of Culture
Finnish
Ministry of Education
Hungarian
Ministry of Education and Culture
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Developing
Partnerships
The Compendium welcomes new partnerships with IFACCA, CP
Connect and the LabforCulture.The
goals of this cooperation are to improve information and service
provisions to users, to develop a common approach for sharing
information and to exchange technical expertise and solutions.Compendium
users can now access country specific information from these
sites through a new access point in each country profile called "other
resources" to be found in the left hand menu.
Artists
Protest - Ministries of Culture Respond
Finland:
Artists and interest groups have been protesting and striking to
express their dissatisfaction with the government economic led
cultural policies, with success in reversing key decisions.
Ireland:
In response to criticisms about the lack of touring theatre, the
Arts Council has launched a two year action research project to
inform a future touring policy.
Hungary:
Museum professionals lobbied against the decision to grant free
access to museums. The Ministry of Culture has complied. As of
January 2008, visitors will be charged entry fees.
FYROM:
The new Retirement Law 2007 raised the age of retirement for ballet
dancers by 10 years. On receiving complaints from the Macedonian
National Ballet, the Ministry of Labour stated that no revision
was possible and that the problem should be solved by re-deploying
the older ballet dancers to other jobs.
Sweden:
Heated debates took place on issues of the freedom of artistic
expression, on copyright regulation over the Internet, the possible
re-introduction of an official national literary canon in the school
system, and the future of the Film Censorship Authority. We are
waiting to see what happens…
Shopping
in Europe? Compare prices with CUPIX
The CUPIX
experiment provides prices for selected popular
cultural goods and services in Europe. Compare prices on the
- latest James Blunt album or the last instalment of the Harry
Potter series - ticket prices to see the popular film Ratatouille
or attend the opera or museum in Europe's capitals.
Trend data is available from 2006, 2005 and 2003/4. While not
a cultural price index in the strict sense, the CUPIX data does
help to illustrate the result of policy measures such as the fixed
book price or differences between the prices of publicly funded
services vs private sector culture industries.
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Cultural
Policy News in Europe: Selected Highlights 2007
ORGANISATIONAL
REFORMS
Austria:
New Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture was created
(formerly the State Secretary for the Arts and Media).
Canada:
The Federal Department of Canadian Heritage was restructured as
was the Promart Programme of the Federal Department for Foreign
Affairs and International Trade.
Finland:
Protests over the transfer of responsibility for copyright from
the Ministry of Education and Culture to the new Ministry of Labour
and Industry were successful.
France:
The President of the Republic created a new Ministry for Immigration,
Integration, National Identity and Co-Development in July 2007
which brings together those responsible for border security, naturalisation,
family and social services.
Serbia:
The Ministry of the Diaspora set up new centres and offices. A
new system of support was introduced to support the Diaspora projects.
Sweden:
The Swedish Arts Council will set up new procedures to monitor
gender equality in the performing arts.
Ukraine:
The newly established Ministry of Regional Development and Building
was empowered to develop international cultural collaboration on
the regional level.
NEW
LAWS
Austria:
Calls were made for a new library Act including guidelines on content
standards and services.
Albania:
Draft of Digital Broadcasting Act prepared in cooperation with
the Council of Europe and the European Commission. A new Higher
Education Act was passed as a follow-up to the Bologna process.
Canada:
The government presents proposed changes to its copyright legislation.
Croatia:
A new law on Audiovisual Activities was adopted in 2007 and the
new law
on Electronic Media was passed which introduces improvements
to anti-trust measures.
France:
In April 2007, a reform of the unemployment insurance provisions
for temporarily employed performers (intermittants) came into force.
A new fund has been set up to support performers.
Finland:
Amendments were made to the Theatres and Orchestras Act which
added criteria to emphasise artistic aspirations over sheer commercial
success.
Georgia:
New law on cultural heritage was adopted along with new strategic
plans for the sector by the Ministry for Culture, Monument Protection
and Sport.
Germany:
Copyright legislation was passed by the Bundestag to fully implement
the EU Directive on Copyright in the Information Society.
Hungary:
Draft theatre law addresses issues of labour law as well as governance
of theatres.
Norway:
The 2007 Culture Act in Norway aims to facilitate a national
culture policy in a more globalised world.
San
Marino: A law to implement youth policies was adopted
in 2007 aimed at promoting active citizenship, respect for diversity,
intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, etc.
Serbia:
Several new draft laws were introduced by the Ministry of Culture
on: Special Awards for Artistic Excellence; Cinematography; Immovable
Cultural Heritage; Funds and Foundations; and Museums.
Slovenia:
The new Act on Local Finances means that the state shall stop
funding cultural institutions of broader local importance no
later than
1 January 2009.
Switzerland:
New laws on language, on museums, on broadcasting were passed.
The Lottery Law and the Cultural Promotion Act are currently
being revised. The law on fixed book prices was removed.
POLICY
DEVELOPMENTS
Austria:
Federal government announces new cultural policy priorities in
a 3 year plan 2007-2010 which includes cultural participation,
cultural diversity and the creative industries. A new national
museum policy is being prepared and will be available in 2008.
Albania:
A draft sector policy strategy (2007-2013) was released for public
consultation. A draft strategy and action plan on Public
Library Development was presented in anticipation of work on
a new legal framework.
Canada:
The federal government is rewording its strategic outcomes to reflect
the UNESCO Convention on a Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Estonia:
The Ministry of Culture adopts a new cultural policy development
plan (2008-2011). Seven priorities have been identified: investment
in human resources, heritage protection, film, digitalisation of
archives and television, Estonian language and literature, folk
culture, children and youth activities.
Georgia:
The Ministry for Culture, Monument Protection and Sport launched
a new strategic plan for 2007-2010 which includes national cultural
minorities.
Germany:
The Parliamentary Commission completed its 3 year investigation
into the culture sector, the arts and artists. Over 400 recommendations
are made for political and policy action including on foreign cultural
policy. Action is being taken to anchor culture as a national objective
in the German constitution.
Hungary:
The National Development Plan on digitisation (2007-2013) includes
increased funding for national audiovisual archive, the national
digital archive and the digital library academy.
Ireland:
The National Economic and Social Forum released a report on Arts,
Cultural Inclusion and Social Cohesion. It shows that while there
is a strong focus on social cohesion, more attention is needed
to broaden participation in the arts.
Latvia: The
new foreign policy guidelines for the next 4 years include culture.
An inter-ministerial committee was set up on foreign cultural policy.
FYROM:
The digitisation of cultural heritage was a cultural policy priority
in 2007 which was supported with a grant from UNESCO.
Moldova:
A new report on cultural policies has been drafted with the help
of the European Cultural Foundation and the German Marshall Fund.
Russia:
The Minister of Culture and Mass Communications set new strategic
objectives for 2008-2010 addressing access, creativity, participation
in cultural life, right to information and to develop the information
space.
Serbia:
The new government set several priorities in 2007 which address
the media, cultural management, cultural heritage, creativity,
and the internationalization of Serbian culture.
Slovenia:
The Government has drafted the National Programme for Culture (2008-2011)
which addresses: creativity, language policy, cultural heritage,
digitalisation, cultural education, new capital investments and
culture as part of social and economic development.
Spain:
The new Minister for Culture set priorities in the field of archaeological
heritage, the creation of a national council and law for music
and performing arts, legislation on cinema regarding digital royalties.
Sweden:
Swedish Minister of Culture appointed a committee with a comprehensive
mandate to scrutinise the goals and forms of cultural policy at
the national level and to propose whatever changes are necessary.
The committee will deliver its proposals in December 2008.
Ukraine:
The Minister of Culture and Tourism set new short term cultural
policy priorities addressing: funding, relationship with the regions
and NGOs, European cultural integration, market conditions for
cultural products and services.
NEW
STATISTICAL DATA
Austria:
The first survey on cultural participation since 1989 has been
published! Results show an increase in the consumption of culture
industry goods and services and a stagnation or decline in figures
for large institutions.
Bulgaria:
The first comprehensive study on copyright based industries is
published including data on their contribution to the overall economy.
Canada:
2007 figures show a 300% growth in the public lending rights payments
over the past 17 years.
Finland:
The government budget proposal for 2008 shows an increase of public
funding to cultural cooperation in general and for cultural exports
in particular.
Georgia:
The Department for Statistics has been given a mandate to provide
data on the culture sector. In the past, information was hidden
in data on education.
Germany:
Federal government budget for culture has increased by almost 5%
in the past two years.
Norway:
The government announced its intention to increase the share of
the state budget for culture from 0.8% to 1% by 2014. The film
industry, rock music, opera and dance have been singled out.
REGIONAL
OR LOCAL LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS
Canada:
Two new museums are being planned: a national portrait gallery
and a museum of human rights to be located in Winnipeg.
Germany:
North Rhine Westphalia presents a new programme for 6 of its largest
cities to develop cultural policy concepts on intercultural work.
The state government also introduced a new programme for young
cultural entrepreneurs and artists called "create.nrw".
Ireland:
Local authority spending in the arts has increased almost 10% according
to new Arts Council Report.
Russia:
As part of an overall economic development project, the city of
St. Petersburg has established the Cultural Investment Facility
(CIF) to preserve its cultural heritage and assist the sustainable
development of its culture sphere.
Poland:
A new internet portal Continent Warsaw – Warsaw of many Cultures
was established to provide rich and extended information on national
and ethnic minorities in Warsaw.
IN
MEMORIAM
 The
entire Compendium Community is saddened by the loss of our colleague
PIERRE MAYOL on October, 2007. Pierre joined our Compendium community
in 2006 with alot of enthusiasm and dedication, addressing the complex
issues of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in France
during our recent Compendium Authors Meeting in Zagreb. We extend
our condelences to his family and colleagues at the DEPS who will
miss him greatly.
ERICarts / Council of Europe / Compendium Authors.
 The
cultural research community mourns the death of MARK SCHUSTER,
Professor of Urban Cultural Policy at the Massachusetts Institute
of
Technology. One of the leading experts in the field of comparative
cultural policy research, he was an Honorary Member of the European
Association of Cultural Researchers (ECURES) and a good friend and
colleague to many of the Compendium authors and editors. His
inspiration will not be forgotten.
ERICarts / Council of Europe / Compendium Authors.
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