Dr. Damien Helly, Deputy Head of Programme,

EU External Action, ECDPM

Roberto Cimetta Fund (with Région Nord-Pas de Calais )

Take-aways from debates

Brussels

27 February 2015

Euro-Arab Relations and Local Cultural Development

Introduction: exploring and exploiting gaps and spaces

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Photo: Damien Helly

1. Theme 1 – decentralisation / local authorities and communities

2. Theme 2 - opportunities on the EU side?

- New funding modalities?

- HOW?

3. Theme 3 – The How

4. What mattered for you today?

Structure of this report

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1. Theme 1 – decentralisation / local authorities and communities

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- Changing environment of asymetries:

Financing needs at all stages of creative process for grantees, lacking at local government level.

Financing available elsewhere (Gulf countries, Asia, South-South, Foundations, Americas) - where are the resources? How to manage them? “Distance in Euros” -

- Culture in violent contexts – culture in stable settings or transitions not the same approach?

- Linkages beyond artists: between and policy space for national / local authorities, private sector – local creative sector-, communities, audience, educational structures, artists

- Power struggles behind cooperation (Trojan horses and colonial memories)

2. Theme 2 – new opportunities on the EU side?

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1. We don’t always have the same aims – policy and political dialogue with national but also local authorities, and with cultural professionals themselves? (being in line with guidelines of calls for proposals – results from EU preparatory action) – culture in violent environments?

2. Umbrella funding organisations – what linkages with local authorities?

1. Understanding or discussing the EU rules together?: Need for information detailed as much as possible: on financial regulations, on policy processes. Role of EU Delegations in support to local development? Role of new EU website?

2. What about cultural institutes and European Member States?

3. Theme 3 – The HOW (1) ?

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1. Financing: linking the EU level, the “local” level, and mobility for financing (and policy)? How to fund emergency response?

2. Along which common aims?

- Peace.

- “We are looking for the “individual” in our countries” ,

- Economic, human development / long-term impact,

- Expand public space

- How to better jointly define EU calls for proposals? (new procedures).

3. Theme 3 – The HOW (2) ?

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3. Adjust the pledge for changing definitions of mobility

• internet doesn’t replace mobility – fake mobility? - back to Earth/Gaia (Latour)

• diaspora and displacement

• re-territorialisation,

• beyond artistic, professional mobility

• moves within a country you need to know,

• community/audience,

• crossing borders,

• residencies,

• intercultural dialogue & learning,

• clarifying aims,

• co-building projects

3. Theme 3 – The HOW (3) ?

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4. “Our own research” / co-research

• Mappings

• “Doing our own research” (anthropological > esthetical)

• Knowing the audiences

• differences – reaching out to the other – translation.

5. In stability, supporting structures

- Wifi / IMA / spaces

- Write the case / branding & marketing of a territory

- Support public services

4. What do you want to take away from today?

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Feedback from the participants:

The EU does work with local authorities especially through the cross-border programme.

You missed the role of informal structures

We need plan for action beyond understanding each other.

Are we redistributing cultural power?

Thank youwww.ecdpm.org

www.slideshare.net/ecdpm

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Questions to:

Dr Damien Helly

Deputy Head of ProgrammeECDPM

dhe@ecdpm.org