 Welcome to SUCCINCT Welcome to SUCCINCT, the independent fortnightly e-newsletter to help you navigate the jungle of international information by highlighting key news and information from over 100 international sources who represent or support the world's artists, performers, writers, curators, directors, technicians, educators, managers and researchers. Please forward this issue to contacts & colleagues
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SUCCINCT #2: 24th August 2010
HERE'S A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR ALL YOUR WEALTHY FRIENDS… Global Philanthropy aims to provide a snapshot of philanthropy from all corners of the globe. The book provides inspiring accounts of global giving, but also provokes thought on the essence of philanthropy and the challenges it faces today. By sharing the knowledge that around the world others are facing similar challenges and aiming for similar goals, the book aims to strengthen and inspire the global community of philanthropists. This volume is the third in a collection on the subject of philanthropy published by the NEF-Mercator Fund. It follows Philanthropy in Europe: A rich past, a promising future , by the same editors, Norine MacDonald QC and Luc Tayart de Borms.
LISTEN TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE…. As the UK braces itself for significant cuts to spending in all areas of life, Contact Theatre Company have produced ashort video in which their Artistic Director, Baba Israel, introduces the views of several young people who will potentially be affected by the proposed cuts to arts funding.
AN INSPIRATION TO THE REST OF THE WORLD OR AN EXCUSE FOR GOVERNMENT INACTION ? In America, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are asking billionaires to sign up to giving away half their fortunes to charity - so far forty have pledged to give a total of almost $160 billion in donations.
back to top See also the MOBILITY / RESIDENCIES section towards the end of the newsletter
INVESTING IN COMMUNITIES… The US Housing and Urban Development department (HUD) and the US Department of Transportation (DOT) have announced $100 million in grants available through HUD's Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program , and up to $75 million in grants available through a joint HUD and DOT Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant Program . Under both programs, arts organizations are eligible to partner with state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), transit agencies, philanthropic and non-profit organizations and other eligible applicants to develop consortia grant proposals. Both programs build on the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an innovative interagency collaboration, launched by President Obama in June 2009, between HUD, DOT and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide more sustainable housing and transportation choices for families and lay the foundation for a 21st century economy. It is said these initiatives demonstrate the Obama Administration's commitment to changing the way the federal government operates by working more collaboratively across federal agencies and making smarter investments. More info 1 / More info 2 COLLABORATION IS THE WORD… The European Cultural Foundation offers Collaboration Grants which fund transnational, cross-sectoral activities by independent cultural and artistic organisations working together or with independent organisations from other sectors. Collaboration grants are designed to support projects that bring a renewed understanding of Europe to people of all backgrounds. The 'how to apply' PDF booklet explains exactly what you need to do to make an eligible application. And can be accessed from the ECF website. Next deadline for applications: 6 September 2010. The selection process will be finalised in the week of 25 October 2010.
YES, COLLABORATION IS STILL THE WORD… MEDIA Mundus is a new funding opportunity from the EU encouraging Europe's collaboration with other continents (at last!). back to top
SOMETHING ELSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WAS HAPPENING IN IRAN… The International Conference on Multiculturalism and Global Community was held in Tehran, Iran from 24 to 27 July 2010. The conference, organized by the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, invited scholars and students to address cultural problems embedded in our contemporary world and further discuss solutions. IRIB University and the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO were contributors for this conference. back to top
IS THE USA REALLY BECOMING MORE INTERNATIONAL ? Ann Stoc was sworn in as US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs , by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 14 July 2010. Ms Stock's remarks on appointment included her commitment to "engaging new communities and cultures in innovative ways to build respect and mutual understanding around the globe". She also noted that US exchange programs are especially important, in building "the bridges that link our diverse American culture with cultures around the world". Finally, she noted that "exchanges create such a legacy for us… In the last six weeks alone, six of our program alumni have become heads of state or heads of government. Through our ongoing contacts with these "alumni", we foster relationships with new generations and fuel an engine for change that is perhaps unprecedented in American diplomacy….exchanges, together with other forms of cultural and educational outreach, are a quintessentially American form of diplomacy that I hope to increase, to amplify, and to sustain in a lasting and meaningful way."
ITS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THEY'VE DONE - THANKS, MELINA, FOR YOUR GREAT IDEA… A report celebrating 25 years of European Capitals of Culture is now available. This follows an anniversary conference, which took place on 23-24 March in Brussels.
ARTISTIC VIBRANCY - UP FOR MEASUREMENT… The Major Performing Arts (MPA) board of the Australia Council has spent the last 2 years researching and developing a set of resources for arts companies, designed to help them to better assess their artistic vibrancy. There are now 4 new resources available from the Australia Council website : a discussion paper looking at what artistic vibrancy means, and the traits of an artistically vibrant company; a set of Australian and international examples of companies that have made artistic self-assessment a meaningful and useful process, and how they did it; a set of questions and tools to help performing arts organisations and their boards evaluate their own artistic vibrancy; and a comprehensive literature review of the academic research in this area.
back to top | | MUSEUMS, ARCHIVES, HERITAGE
| MIXED RESULTS FOR TAJIKSTAN, CHARLES DARWIN & THE GALAPAGOS… The World Heritage Committee met in Brasília, Brazil, from 25 July to 3 August 2010. During the session, the Committee examined 39 nominations from 33 countries for inscription on UNESCO's World Heritage List: it inscribed 21, including 15 cultural, 5 natural and 1 mixed properties. Three countries, Kiribati, Marshall Islands and Tajikistan, had sites added for the first time. One existing natural site also recognized for its cultural values and thus becomes a mixed site. The UK's nomination for the workplace and home of Charles Darwin to join the list of World Heritage Sites has been deferred, as 'further in-depth study and analysis was needed'. The Committee also reviewed the state of conservation of 147 World Heritage properties, including 31 sites inscribed on theList of World Heritage in Danger and another 36 that are causing serious concern. The In Danger List features sites which are threatened by a variety of problems such as pollution, urban development, poorly managed mass tourism, wars and natural disasters. The Committee also added four sites to the List of World Heritage in Danger and removed the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) from the List.
LET'S BREAK DOWN SOME MORE BARRIERS… The European Museum Forum Workshop ' Art, Science and Heritage: Interdisciplinary Museum Projects in the Local Communities ' will be held in Turku, Finland, on 15-18 September 2010. The workshop has been organised in cooperation with the Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Council of Europe and with support from Kone Foundation. Following a series of seminars held by EMF on the islands and in the coastal areas, this workshop will focus on the potential of interdisciplinary approach in the interpretation of local heritage.
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER…IN ANOTHER COUNTRY… The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has said it has not initiated any move to bring the fabled Kohinoor diamond back to India . The latest move to get the Kohinoor back surfaced when Keith Vaz, a British MP of Indian origin, told British Prime Minister David Cameron to discuss the issue of 'returning the jewel' during his recent visit to India. The diamond, taken to England in 1849, was named Kohinoor (The Mountain of Light) and is believed to carry a curse - only when it is in the possession of a woman the curse does not work. All men who have owned it have either lost their throne or suffered misfortunes. The stone has adorned the jewels of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. back to top | | LANGUAGE, THEATRE, TRANSLATION
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LINGUISTIC DUALITY (OR MORE BOOKS IN FRENCH?)… Over the next three years, more money than ever before will be available for official language translations by Canadian professional publishers through the National Translation Program for Book Publishing . In addition to increasing the availability of books in English and in French, the program will include three pilot initiatives to build capacity in the industry and improve the quality of translations. The Department of Canadian Heritage is extending for three years its one-year agreement signed in 2009-10 with the Canada Council for the Arts and is transferring a total of $4.25 million to the Council to help publishers in Canada translate Canadian-authored books into English and French, as part of the Government's Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality.
MEANWHILE IN CHINA…. A Chinese "culture war" has erupted onto the streets of a southern Chinese city as the inhabitants held a mass rally to defend their local language . Proposals for Guangdong's main television company to broadcast primarily in Mandarin - China's official language - have angered citizens in the province, who fear that Cantonese is being sidelined.
GO CATALAN!! The Budapest Cultural Observatory has analysed information from the Index Transnationum published by UNESCO and unearthed the interesting fact that, by 2005, the annual number of books translated from Catalan has doubled since 1995, and the number in 2005 was 50% ahead of the total of the next 25 most frequently translated European minority languages.
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FREE MEDIA IN AZERBAIJAN, PLEASE… European public service broadcasters meeting in Azerbaijan recently have called on all governments to respect freedom of expression and freedom of the media. " The right to freedom of expression and information takes precedence over political or economic interests, and States have a duty to ensure and protect this fundamental cornerstone of democracy," they said in a declaration adopted at a General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union.
GAMES INDUSTRY STILL GROWING… TIGA , the trade association representing the UK games industry, have published a new report ' State of the UK Video Games Development Sector '. The report is a comprehensive survey of 78 UK games development business and provides an accurate picture of games development. Key facts from the report, including the average mean turnover of an independent development studio that develops games was around £3 million.
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THEATRE FOR KIDS NEEDS RESEARCHERS AND CRITICS TOO… The first International Theatre For Children and Young People Researchers and Critics Forum , organized by the Theatre for Children and Young People Independent Practitioners Association (ATINA) in collaboration with the Theatre Researchers and Critics Association (AINCRIT- Argentina), and the International Theatre for Young Audiences Researchers Network (ITYARN), with the support of the Theatre for Children and Young People International Association (ASSITEJ International) took place from 19-23 July in Buenos Aires.
CAN'T ESCAPE THE OBESITY CHALLENGE… The Theatre Projects' study Size Matters: How a growing American audience affects the size and cost of performing arts space has found that the average standard width of seats in performing-arts theatres has expanded from 21 to 22 inches over the last two decades, 'primarily due' to the concurrent rise in obesity. Over the course of the entire last century, the average width increased from 19 to 21 inches.
A CHANCE TO DEFINE WHAT IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT… What is important? is a workshop that will take place from the 4th - 16th October 2010 in Kirschau and Berlin in Germany. The aim of this 12 day intensive workshop is for the participants to develop a performance art work, based on the theme of the studies, which they will present in public performances in Kirschau and Berlin. The workshop is organised by BBB Johannes Deimling - artist, teacher, curator - from Germany. back to top MORE EUROPEAN HARMONY… Europa Cantat - European Federation of Young Choirs and AGEC (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Europäischer Chorverbände) are to merge into the European Choral Association - Europa Cantat (PDF). The merger shall be prepared in 2010 and the organisation shall be merged at the beginning of 2011. With the fusion the two organizations wish to bring together the knowledge and experience of two important European organisations, offer the choral world the best possible service, form one major European Choir Federation in Europe and strengthen the position of choral music within Europe. back to top | | VISUAL ARTS including ARCHITECTURE
| THEY DO IT DIFFERENTLY IN CHINA… The largest art training centre for Chinese painting was set up recently in Tianjin, supported by the Ministry of Culture, China National Academy of Painting, and the Tianjin Municipal Government. The centre is designed to integrate multiple functions, including "collective creation" workshops, galleries, and individual studios. The 10,000 m² area will be a platform for creation, research, and teaching. The China National Academy of Painting is also planning will also hold exhibitions, forums, and competitions at the centre to further promote traditional Chinese art. Though initiated by this Academy, it will be run by local enterprises. The official statement says "The facility aims to ultimately become a giant incubator for developing the talent of creative artists… In recent years, the culture industry has maintained rapid growth, giving constant support to the national economy. During the culture fever, traditional Chinese painting is gaining more appreciation in the market. Therefore, the new art center is hoping to solve business issues and allow the art industry to enjoy sustainable growth."
LET'S CALL A POT A POT… The call for entries has been published for the IX International Ceramics Symposium which will take place next summer in Römhild (Germany). The deadline for applications is 21 October 2010. back to top DOES HUMAN RIGHTS INCLUDE CULTURAL RIGHTS ? In a new publication,Defining cultural rights, Patrice Meyer-Bisch argues that cultural rights still fall through the gap in the Human Rights' protection system. Identity related questions are at the most intimate level of respect for human dignity, the right of each individual to participate in "a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. 28). Universality was thought to be above culture, but it is cultures that need to invent it, to develop it through demanding dialog. "Cultures" do not dialog, because such homogenous entities don't exist. It is women and men who do, as holders and seekers of this universality that can only be gathered and collected through critical sharing of heritages and cultural experiences.
BUT IS IT LEGAL ?? Making culture accessible , published by the Council of Europe, is now available. This publication presents a general overview of existing legal and policy frameworks in Europe, covering access to and participation in cultural life, cultural provision and cultural rights.
AFRICA TALKS… The Third Session of the Conference of the Ministers of Culture of the African Union will take place in Abuja, Nigeria, from 25-29 October 2010 and will focus on the theme "Sustainable Financing of the Cultural Development Sector in Africa". The conference will consider the AU Commission's Report on cultural activities; the Report of the 2nd Pan African Cultural Congress; the Feasibility Study on the Establishment of the Pan African Cultural Institute (PACI); the implementation programme of the Campaign for the African Cultural Renaissance 2010-2012; and the draft strategy for the sustainable financing of Culture in Africa. Participants to the Conference will include: Ministers of Culture of the AU Member States, Culture Experts, International and Continental Cultural Associations, CSOs, International Organizations and Agencies, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and AU Commission representatives. back to top BUT ACTUALLY, IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN IN CITIES… Junction 2010 , the seventh Regional Arts Australia biennial national conference, is being held in the Launceston, Tasmania from August 26-29, 2010. The conference will see 1000 delegates from across Australia discuss and celebrate best practice regional arts. Surrounding the conference is the Junction Arts Festival, an exuberant show case of wonderful art encompassing theatre, dance, opera, visual arts, writing, installation and more. back to top CHANGING NEIGHBOURHOODS… Banlieues d'Europe has been commissioned by Greater Lyon to realize an Inventory On Artistic and Cultural Actions Implicating the Inhabitants of Neighbourhoods in Urban Renewal . This Inventory will take stock of about 20 artistic projects realized on sites in urban mutation in the three periods of renewal: before, during and after. One of the objectives of this work is to show the impact and the role of culture in these territories, and how it accompanies and enables change in their neighbourhoods undergoing renewal. This work will be set into the European perspective during the 20 years Anniversary of Banlieues d'Europe, which will take place from 25-28 November 2010 in Lyon. back to top THOSE ECONOMISTS HAVE BEEN AT IT AGAIN… The Association for Cultural Economics International (ACEI) held its 16th international conference on cultural economics at the Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, from 10-12 June 2010. The conference covered: Art Markets and Cultural Consumption; Creative Clusters and Urban Development; Cultural Entrepreneurship and Business; Cultural Heritage and Cultural Tourism; Cultural Policy and Arts Institutions; Culture, Globalization and Language; Economic of Copyright and the Cultural Industries; Economics of Marketing and Promoting Culture; Entertainment and Media Industries; Internet Economics and Culture back to top | | THEMES: EDUCATION / TRAINING
| NEW ORLEANS SHOWS THE WAY… Americans for the Arts has presented the 2010 Arts Education Award to KID smART, a New Orleans-based arts education organization. This award is given each year to an arts education program with the best program design and leadership. KID smART has been serving New Orleans for more than 10 years, serving more than 16,000 underserved students at 110 different locations. Last year alone, the program helped nearly 3,000 students. One example of how the program provides assistance and support for students, teachers, and administrators at the over 100 schools the program serves is Arts Experiences in Schools (AXIS), an arts integration professional development program for teachers.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE YOUNG RESEARCHERS ?? The Young Cultural Policy Researchers Forum 2010 will take place in Brussels on 6-7 October 2010. The Forum will invite the six shortlisted candidates for the Cultural Policy Research Award to discuss their research. The Forum will give young/early career cultural policy researchers the opportunity to meet fellow researchers, present recent research projects and discuss topical research issues regarding content and methodology. The Forum will also allow discussion on professional cooperation opportunities (mobility of researchers), publishing possibilities, availability of scientific journals, and access to networks of researchers. back to top FESTIVALS CAN GROW THE ECONOMY TOO… IFEA Europe is organising Journeys of Expression as an academic research "follow-on" to the IFEA Europe conference in Copenhagen, from 8-10 September 2010. It will be hosted by Leeds Metropolitan University's Department of Tourism and Cultural Change, and held in cooperation with Copenhagen Business School's Center of Tourism and Experience Economy. The conference features a series of more than 20 recent papers related to the use of festivals and events to stimulate local economic growth. back to top YOU'LL NEVER NEED TO VISIT AN EXHIBITION AGAIN… Online Exhibitions: Low cost, Big results! Strategies, tools and training for doing it yourself will take place in Brussels on 16 September 2010 and will offer the opportunity to learn about the project's findings and network with other professionals in the cultural and ICT/media sectors. The "Digital Extra" project offers to sort out this problem. By creating a kind of toolkit to help create small, concise, well-presented online exhibition projects, Digital Extra has developed basic and advanced training courses that use simple methods to produce professional results. This event will provide the opportunity to learn about these training courses, techniques, strategies, and best e-practices that could be most useful when creating your online exhibitions.
TRAVEL AND LEARN IN THE CAUCASUS… Recently, the European Cultural Foundation (ECF), with the Open Society Institute and theIstanbul Bilgi University, organised the Black Sea Academy 2010 in Istanbul, in the framework of the STEP beyond Travel grant scheme, which aims at mobilising cultural operators to learn, network and experience from travelling abroad in a cultural context. The week-long capacity building programme was aimed at developing skills in European cultural project management, strategic planning, and fundraising for young cultural entrepreneurs and managers. This action focused on Turkey and South Caucasus countries, to support more active international cultural cooperation and pro-active participation in European programs and networks. back to top
| | THEMES: MOBILITY, RESIDENCIES etc
| ARTISTS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH… The Commonwealth Foundation has announced the winners of the 2010 Commonwealth Connections International Arts Residencies . Six artists (from 170 applications) will each receive up to £8,000 to live and work in another Commonwealth country. The 2010 winners arePakistani painter Irfan Hasan, going to the Bengal School of Arts in Kolkata, India;Marlon Griffith from Trinidad and Tobago going to the Bahamas; Australian artist Krishna Nahow-Ryall, going to Vanuatu (where his ancestors are from);Yasmin Jahan Nupur from Bangladesh going to Mauritius; self-taught sculptor Peter Paul Oloya, a former child soldier from Uganda, going to Nigeria; and British artist Emma Smith going to Kenya,
SHOULD THE EU SUPPORT MOBILITY ?? On-The-Move (OTM) would like to know your priorities regarding mobility support in view of the upcoming new Culture programme negotiations. The European Union will start soon drafting and negotiating the EU's new Culture Programme for the period 2014-2020. Mobility has always been one of the objectives in the current and previous EU Culture Programmes. Some of you may have received funding for mobility projects through the current Culture Programme. The economic crisis puts hard pressure on the culture budgets in many countries and regions across Europe. This results often in severe cuts of funding for mobility. In this context the negotiations at EU level for the new Culture Programme (2014-2020) also promise to be difficult....and priorities will have to be well chosen. Tell OTM what you think!
FUNDING IF YOU'RE IN WALES… Wales Arts International has announced the release of new guidelines and priorities for the International Opportunities Fund which will offer support to a broad spectrum of international activity for Wales-based artists. The scheme is open to artists working in any artform and for activity anywhere in the world. The scheme's remit now includes support to artists who have been offered the opportunity to present work or undertake residencies overseas. Projects involving the delivery of a collaborative project or research and development for collaboration will remain eligible under these new guidelines. There are ten deadlines throughout the year. back to top
A FEW HISTORICAL DATES IN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS… 16 August 1897: opening of Tate Gallery in London; 16 August 1956: death of Bela Lugosi (actor, Dracula); 16 August 1958: birth of Madonna, singer & actor; 16 August 1977: death of Elvis Presley; 17 August 1892: birth ofMae West, actor: 17 August 1926: birth of George Melly, musician; 17 August 1939: premiere ofThe Wizard of Oz, film; 17 August 1943: birth of Robert de Niro: 17 August 1983: death ofIra Gershwin, songwriter; 18 August 1750: birth of Salieri, rival of Mozart; 18 August 1933: birth of Roman Polanski, film-maker; 18 August 1937: birth of Robert Redford, actor; 18 August 1958: "Lolita" published; 19 August 1839: release of details of Louis Daguerre's first practical photographic process; 19 August 1883: birth of Coco Chanel; 19 August 1969: jazz trumpeter Miles Davis began three days of recording sessions that yielded the album "Bitches Brew"; 20 August 1882: first performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture; 21 August 1872: birth ofAubrey Beardsley, artist; 21 August 1904: birth of Count Basie, jazz musician; 21 August 1911: theft of Mona Lisa from the Louvre, Paris; 21 August 1938: birth of Kenny Rogers, musician; 22 August 1862: birth of Claude Debussy, artist; 22 August 2004: theft of The Scream and another Edvard Munch painting, Oslo: 23 August 1913: statue of Little Mermaid placed in Copenhagen; 23 August 1926: death of Rudolph Valentino, actor; 24 August 1456: completion of printing of Gutenberg bible; 25 August 1918: birth of Leonard Bernstein, composer and conductor; 25 August 1930: birth of Sean Connery, actor; 25 August 1984: author Truman Capote was found dead at age 59; 27 August 1950: BBC transmits first ever live television pictures across the Channel; 27 August 1967: the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein , was found dead from an overdose of sleeping pills; 28 August 1749: birth of Goethe, writer; 28 August 1828: Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy was born near Tula; 29 August 1915: Ingrid Bergman, Swedish international film star, was born (she died on the same day in 1982); 29 August 1958: birth of Michael Jackson, musician.
NO LONGER WITH US… Cecile Aubry (actor), Martin Boyle (film designer), Suso Cecchi d'Amico (scriptwriter), Chris Dagley (drummer), Martin Drew (jazz drummer), Sally Laird (writer & translator), Tom Mankiewicz (scriptwriter), Mitch Miller (conductor & composer), Philip Walker (singer & guitarist)
To submit items for inclusion in SUCCINCT, send an email with all relevant info to sucsubmit@culture.info And if you're looking for a job, don't forget to visit Culture Jobs International…
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