Cultural policy system

Resources | Cultural policy system

Council of Europe

Kyiv Initiative and the Eastern Partnership (2011)
On May 26-27, 2011, the International Conference “Kyiv Initiative and the Eastern Partnership – cooperation and synergies” took place in Yalta, Ukraine. It was organized by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Council of Europe as one of events in the context of the Ukrainian chairmanship in the CoE Committee of Ministers. The Compendium and its achievements have been part of the agenda of the Conference.

In from the Margins (1998)
“In From the Margins” was the European contribution to the UNESCO World Commission on Culture and Development and its report “Our Creative Diversity”. It observes that the dynamics of international cultural cooperation are undergoing fundamental change from being government sponsored and controlled from above to horizontal exchanges directly between artists, producers, arts organisations or cities.

40 years of cultural co-operation 1954-94 (1998)
This publication presents the main developments, key documents and common principles resulting from 40 years of European cultural co-operation undertaken in the context of the Council of Europe.

European Cultural Convention
Council of Europe Convention, adopted in Paris on 19 November 1954. It has been signed by 48 countries. It is one of the key instruments through which the European states, whether members of the Council of Europe or not, expressed their earliest commitments to cultural co-operation.

European Union

Research for CULT Committee – Mobility of artists and culture professionals: towards a European policy framework (2018)
Mobility is a social and economic condition of artists and culture professionals and, at the same time, a vector of social and economic development. However, mobility in the cultural and creative sectors is faced with a number of issues that need to be addressed at EU and national levels. The paper provides recommendations for a EU-wide mobility framework which entails both a dedicated mobility scheme and an improved regulatory environment that would facilitate mobility in Europe.

Creative Europe (2014-2020)
The European Commission’s culture portal presents information on the main culture-related programmes and actions, most of which are instruments to support cultural cooperation projects in Europe. Information on projects which the Commission has supported over the years, on the Commission’s online consultation processes and on upcoming calls for project proposals is also available. Activities of the Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) are framed by the European Agenda for Culture, which aims to reinforce the role and position of culture in an increasingly globalised world.

CultureMap (2010)
Online database of a study carried out by EMPIRICA in partnership with Pau Education and IBK Remscheid for the European Commission. The database maps existing platforms (websites) within the cultural sector aimed at stimulating debate and cross border exchange of matters concerning European culture (with the Compendium unexpectedly figuring as the most often consulted of all resources listed).

The Unity of Diversities: Cultural Cooperation in the European Union (2000)
Otherwise known as the “Ruffolo Report”, this European Parliament report provided the basis for its Resolution on Cultural Co-operation in the European Union (2000/2323 (INI)). Its findings are based, to a large extent, on the information provided by the first online version of the Compendium.

Research/Debates

Study: Cultural Cooperation between the European Capitals of Culture and Cultural Cities of East Asia: Opportunities and Challenges (2018)
In the framework of the Forum on Cooperation between European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) and Cultural Cities of East Asia (CCEA), a study has been completed by expert Else Christensen-Redzepovic in Shanghai in November 2017 (co-organised by the Cultural Diplomacy Platform). This study was commissioned by the European Commission and the EU Delegation to China with the objectives of assessing the potentials and challenges for developing a strategic partnership between the EU cultural flagship initiative “European Capitals of Culture” and the trilateral Japan, China, South Korea cultural cooperation initiative “Cultural City of East Asia”.

IFA: The Impact of Brexit on International Cultural Relations in the European Union (2017)
Which consequences will Brexit have for cultural cooperation between Germany and the UK? Which consequences are actual, which are only potential? How can Germany’s foreign cultural policy react at the initial stage of this process? How can intercultural exchange be secured with a long-term perspective despite Brexit?

Europe from outside (2012)
In order to find out more about how European external cultural relations are perceived in countries outside of Europe and what aspects influence the perceptions and expectations in this respect, the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations – ifa), based in Stuttgart/Germany, held a special conference in Brussels with speakers from all over the world, including Anmol Vellani (Asian Editor for WorldCP).

Coopération ou collaboration culturelle? (2012)
La coopération culturelle est le sujet du Journal de Culture & Démocratie, No. 26/2012. Y sont développés les points de vue d’artistes, de responsables d’institutions culturelles ou d’associations militantes Autant de regards qui permettent d’appréhender la coopération culturelle au départ de ceux qui la pratiquent, patchwork d’expériences qui révèle l’importance du souci de la rencontre sincère, de l’échange égalitaire et de l’exigence artistique pour éviter, à tout prix, les réflexes néocoloniaux, qui ne sont jamais très loin.

Guide for Mobile European Workers (2011)
This “Guide for Mobile European Workers” published by ETUC is geared particularly to those who inform and advise this group of mobile workers Europe-wide, such as in particular the EURES advisers, who are trained by the European Commission on issues of the mobility of workers at national and cross-border level, and are active in employment services, trade unions or employers’ organisations. The guide is also available in French, German and Polish.

Mobility Matters (2008)
An information site which contains a collection of data and case studies produced by the ERICarts Institute and its partners for the European Commission in 2008. Information is available on mobility trends in different regions of Europe, on recent debates taking place within individual countries, on existing mobility schemes, on the main motives for funding bodies to support mobility and on the main resources where professionals can find information about mobility schemes.

Information systems to support the mobility of artists and other professionals in the culture field: a feasibility study (2009)
This study examines one of these obstacles – one, indeed that arguably plays the pivotal role in enabling cross-border mobility to happen – the uneven and inconsistent availability of information.

Freedom of Connection – Freedom of Expression (2011)
This publication of William H. Dutton, Anna Dopatka, Michael Hills, Ginette Law and Victoria Nash deals with “The Changing Legal and Regulatory Ecology Shaping the Internet” (sub-title). It includes several case studies world-wide and sees freedom of expression not just as a by-product of technical change; it must be protected by legal and regulatory measures that balance a variety of potentially conflicting values and interests in a complex global ecology of choices. ISBN 978-92-3-104188-4

Boekmanstudies: A Cultural Component as an Integral Part of the EU’s Foreign Policy? (2006)
This study explores whether or not the governments of the 25 EU Member States would support a more enhanced integration of cultural components into the Union’s foreign policy and external relations with third countries, thus complementing the prevailing foreign cultural policies of the EU countries.

EFAH/Interarts: Report on the State of Cultural Cooperation in Europe (2003)
The report on the State of Cultural Cooperation in Europe by EFAH and Interarts for the European Commission shows that intergovernmental cultural cooperation is an essential part of the highly complex relationships between European states and has almost always involved an element of propaganda and self-promotion.

Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen e.V: Europanetz (ongoing)
Provides an overview of “who’s doing what” in foreign cultural policy with links to ministries, cultural institutes, etc., in 28 European countries. IfA’s Report Europe in the Media – Media in Europe (2008) summarises media-related issues of European cultural cooperation, informs about interesting practices, experiences and deficits and provides recommendations for political action aiming at enhancing the public media sphere in Europe.

On the Move (OTM)
OTM is a database of resources and information for performing arts professionals engaged in cross-border production. The website is dedicated to information about professional mobility and cooperation in the areas of theatre, dance, music and other performing arts disciplines. Several publications outlining the challenges to such cross-border cooperation and policy developments are available.

Council of Europe

Governance of Culture Promoting Access to Culture (2013)
Final Statement of the 10th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Culture, Moscow, April 2013

Governance of Culture – Promoting Access to Culture (2013)
Background Paper by Elena Di Federico, researcher Zsuzsa Hunyadi, sociologist, and Péter Inkei, director of the Budapest Observatory prepared for the 10th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Culture “Governance of Culture – Promoting Access to Culture”, Moscow, April 2013.

CultureWatchEurope: Cultural governance observatory
The Council of Europe’s CultureWatchEurope Initiative (CWE) promotes culture as “the soul of democracy” by offering an innovative and evidence-based overview of culture, heritage and media developments in Europe. CultureWatchEurope adds value to the Organisation’s existing information tools, programmes and methods by linking them and by inviting civil society to contribute.

European Union

Participatory governance of cultural heritage Report of THE OMC (Open Method of Coordination) working group of Member States’ experts Study (2018)
This report is the result of a collective effort by experts from 27 Countries requested by the Council of the European Union to identify ‘innovative approaches to the multilevel governance of tangible, intangible and digital heritage which involve the public sector, private stakeholders and the civil society’, in the framework of the Work Plan for Culture 2015-2018.

Cultural Governance: a literature review (2012)
EENC paper prepared by Vensa Copic and Andrej Srakar. The purposes of this review of relevant academic literature and research on cultural governance the term defined as ‘public governance of culture’ is composed of two sub-areas: (1) the new approaches to the formulation and implementation of sectoral cultural policy that are inspired by the interaction between the state, the civil society and the market and (2) the improvements in the steering and supervision of cultural organisations that lead to efficiently-, expertly-, independently- and transparently-operating cultural organisations.

Research/Debates

Gouvernance mondiale et culture: de l’exception à la diversité [Global Governance and Culture – from exception to diversity]
L’ouvrage de Antonios Vlassis (Center for International Relations Studies CEFIR de l’Université de Liège) porte sur le processus de la construction politique d’un cadre normatif comme celui de la Convention sur la diversité des expressions culturelles de l’UNESCO et il s’interroge sur les facteurs qui ont contribué au passage de l’exception culturelle à la diversité culturelle. Comment interpréter la nature, le degré et les implications de cette évolution ? De qui émane le cadre normatif, la nécessité de la mise en place d’un instrument international majeur dans la gouvernance mondiale de la culture, pour quelles raisons, sous quelles conditions et comment?
Presses Universitaires de Liège, 2015, ISBN : 978-2-87562-054-5

Cultural Diversity, Democracy and Good Governance (2013)
Article prepared by Vitaly Naumkin in the aftermath of the 5th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilisations held in Vienna on February 2013.

Multi-stakeholder Processes for Governance and Sustainability: Beyond Deadlock and Conflict (2012)
Governments, business, international bodies and local groups are turning to multi-stakeholder processes to find practical ways forward. This book of Minu Hemmati explains how MSPs can be organized to deliver their potential for successful resolution of complex issues and for sustainable development. It includes detailed examples and provides practical checklists, explaining how to get beyond adversarial politics and achieve positive results. Taylor & Francis, 2012.

Cultural Governance as a conceptual framework (2011)
This paper of T. Schmitt introduces a specific notion of cultural governance, as a research concept for the humanities and social sciences. It discusses the term “culture” and the concept of governance, preceded by general remarks regarding social science-oriented research on culture.
Göttingen: Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multiethnischer Gesellschaften [Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity], MMG Working Paper, 11-02, 56 p.

Emma Blomkamp: The political context of cultural indicators: evidence and values in democratic governance (2011)

Tobias J. Knoblich, Oliver Scheytt: Zur Begründung von Cultural Governance
Bonn: Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung, 2009.

Culture in the SDGs > A guide for local action (06/2018)
In the context of its advocacy work, and aiming at the full localisation and implementation at the local level of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Committee on Culture of UCLG published (May 2018) the document “Culture in the Sustainable Development Goals: A Guide for Local Action”. The document provides practical guidance to local and regional governments, civil society organisations, private organisations, culture and development professionals, and other stakeholders that are involved in strengthening partnerships, policies, projects and practices around the place of culture in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Lisbeth Lindeborg, Lars Lindkvist, The Value of Arts and Culture for Regional Development: A Scandinavian Perspective, Routledge, 2013.

Martin Jones & Anssi Paasi (eds.), Regional World(s): Advancing the Geography of Regions, Special Issue of Regional Studies, Volume 47, Issue 1, 2013.

Eduardo Medeiros, “Euro–Meso–Macro: The New Regions in Iberian and European Space“, Regional Studies, Vol. 47 Issue 8, 2013, p. 1249-1266

Robert Palmer (coord.), Culture et Régions d’Europe / Culture and Regions in Europe, study for Région Nord-Pas de Calais.

Thomas Perrin, Culture et Eurorégions. La coopération culturelle entre régions européennes, Éditions de l’Université de Bruxelles, 2013 [version in Catalan available at Editorial Aresta, Barcelona].

Thomas Perrin, “New Regionalism and Cultural Policies. Distinctive and Distinguishing Strategies, from Local to Global“. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, Volume 20, Issue 4 (2012), Londres : Routledge, p. 459 – 475.

Roger Scully & Richard Wyn Jones (eds.), Europe, Regions and European Regionalism, Palgrave MacMillan, 2010.

Anssi Paasi, “The resurgence of the ‘Region’ and ‘Regional Identity’ : theoretical perspectives and empirical observations on regional dynamics in Europe”, in Fawn, R. (ed.), Globalising the Regional, Regionalising the Global, Cambridge University Press, 2009, p. 121-146.

Josefina Syssner, “Conceptualizations of Culture and Identity in Regional Policy”, Regional and Federal Studies, Volume 19, Issue 3, 2009, p. 437-458.

Anwen Elias (ed.), “Whatever Happened to the Europe of the Regions ? Revisiting the Regional Dimension of European Politics, Special issue of Regional and Federal Studies, Vol. 18 n° 5, 2008.

Bill Lancaster, Diana Newton & Natasha Vall, “An Agenda for Regional History. Northumbria University Press, 2007.

Michael Keating, “Regions and Regionalism in Europe, Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing, 2005.

Michael Keating, John Loughlin, Kris Deschouwer, “Culture, Institutions and Economic Development: a study of Eight European Regions“, Cheltenham : Edward Elgar Publishing, 2003.

Mireille Pongy & Guy Saez, “Politiques culturelles et Régions en Europe, Paris : L’Harmattan 1994.