Brussels Conversations

Brussels Conversations@deBuren 2016 

The European House for Culture (EHfC) and deBuren partnered to host the annual event the Brussels Conversations on 14 March 2016 at deBuren in Brussels. This annual event brings together the European House for Culture members and their supporters, a pool of dynamic professionals highly engaged in culture and the concept of Europe as a cultural project, to a meeting focusing on content development.

The event brought together over 20 influential personalities for a roundtable discussion about an ongoing campaign the European House for Culture, as part of the Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe (CCCE), has been working on called The Decisive Deal: A European Resolution on Culture, For Values, Democracy and Citizenship. The participatory process has gathered citizens’ ideas from across Europe and advanced them during various events and online over the last several years. Developed together with high-level politicians, we are now working with elected leaders of all parties at local, national and European level in order to realize the goals. This event was be a critical moment to discuss making these goals a reality.

 

The content discussed at the event was provided by a new publication that the European House for Culture, an initiative of the European Festivals Association - EFA, is developing featuring essays from leading lawmakers, mostly Members of the European Parliament, on the future of cultural policy in Europe. The contributions discuss the role that culture play in citizenship across Europe and envision the mutual responsibility that culture and Europe bear towards one another. They represent the individual visions of eight Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, Greens/European Free Alliance, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.And very important, the vision of the commissioner for culture Mr. Tibor Navracsics himself.

One theme that emerged was featuring artists more prominently at the center of all actions. Participants thought that too many of the discussions with leading policy makers are made by managers or networks, and rarely feature artists themselves. This was a part of a growing them, as MEP Martina Michels reminded us in her essay for the publication that “lousy payment is typical” in these sectors, and detects a pattern of self-exploitation. She goes further to suggest that “[T]oo often and too easily therefore cultural producers are made to a role model of a new working class: enterprising, self-organized and satisfied with few social protections.”

 

Another key topic in the European Resolution on Culture and the essays from lawmakers pertained to public spending on culture. In his essay, MEP Arne Lietz states “that spending on culture should be compulsory and that investing in culture should an EU responsibility, comparable to investment in the overall European project.” The participants discussed the need for direct action towards the EP but also a concerted effort in the local and national contexts to raise awareness to the need for this resolution. One key suggestion was to focus on national governments that already devote key spending percentages to culture and to use them as the good practice examples and allies in the process to inspire action in other Member States where the budgetary allocation to culture is lacking.

 

Tied to the issue of funding is that of subsidiarity. Culture remains in the exclusive rule of the National States, thus, our goal of a resolution will only be implemented if it is approved in each country. The goal of this dialogue is to establish a European model for a cultural policy that streamlines and acts as a guiding principle across all levels of governance: a model for positive civic values, social justice, solidarity; citizenship through culture, access to culture, cultural participation and artistic creation.

As the EHfC and many other partner organizations have stated before, Europe’s cultural diversity and the power of its cultural activity are invaluable resources and should form the engine that drives the engagement between European citizens and around the project of the European Union. Only by developing a thoughtful framework that effectively acknowledges culture as a provider of strong mechanisms for the development of civic values can we think about the future of the EU outside economic fatalism and outside a narrative of political failure.

The outcomes proposed by our participants at the Brussels Conversations 2016 will serve as the topics for the work we undertake in 2016. We envision that the Resolution and the upcoming publication will inspire action in the European Institutions, in the Member States at large, as well as the local level. We invite you to join us in this collaborative work process.

 

This activity is part of the EFA RISE project implemented with the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.

 

 

 

 

BRUSSELS CONVERSATIONS 2014

 

CONCEPT

The EHfC, as part of the Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe, embarked on a programme for the 2014 European elections called The Decisive Deal: A European Resolution on Culture, Values, Democracy and Citizenship. The participatory process has gathered citizens’ ideas from across Europe and developed them during various events and online during 2012-2013. This citizen-sourced process finished gathering concepts in 2013, at the Brussels Conversations 2013, and reached a ‘decisive’ phase in 2014. Developed together with high-level politicians, these proposals and demands were presented as a citizen’s pact to the top candidates to the European elections at the occasion of the Berlin Conference in March 2014. Now that the new Parliament and the new Commission are in place, we will work with elected leaders of all parties at local, national and European level to realize the goal of implementing this A European Resolution on Culture, Values, Democracy and Citizenship in the next 5-year political term.

 

Brussels Conversations 2014

       One year after we discussed the European Resolution on Culture in Brussels

       After the discussions during the last Berlin Conference in March 2014

       At the moment where the European Parliament and the European Commission are confirmed and new policies and positions are taking shape

       Building on the set up Steering Committee and Advisory Board of A Soul for Europe

       Following the definitions of topics agreed and developed further by the strategy group of A Soul for Europe and European House for Culture Members and partners

       Looking towards the next Berlin Conference to take place in November 2015 and the next meeting of the ASfE Advisory Board Parliamentarians on 11 December 2014

       The Brussels Conversations 2014 will refine the concrete long term action plan towards the concretization of the European Resolution on Culture in the next 5 year legislative term

       For that we ask participants to share their views on the concrete topics, actions and visions for the next 5 years to aim to have a decision from the political level (EP & Member States & others) and be developed by citizens, including politicians

 

Outcome

     Set of coherent & coordinated concrete actions towards the implementation of the European Resolution on Culture that will be discussed at the European Parliament in the ASfE Advisory Board, the ASfE Forums and EHfC partners’ relevant events leading towards the state of play monitoring of the development of the long term action plan at the Berlin Conference in November 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

towards a European Resolution on Culture:

Supporting Culture as an Instrument for Values, Democracy, and Citizenship

 

“A Soul for Europe” invites citizens to work together with their elected representatives in its programme A Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe to raise awareness of Europe as a cultural project. “A Soul for Europe” invites you to join us in a collaborative work process towards a European Resolution on Culture: Supporting Culture as an Instrument for Values, Democracy, and Citizenship, including social inclusion, solidarity and justice.

 

“A Soul for Europe” and the Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe propose developing 3 core concepts:

 

From Engaged Citizenship to Community Development

The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe urges all political and civic leaders to endorse culture as a tool to develop active citizenship and community involvement that leads to social inclusion, solidarity, responsibility and justice.

Long-term policy visions should highlight that culture provides strong mechanisms for the development of civic values. Cultural actors, artists and their creations should be seen as essential partners of political and civic leaders to maximize community participation and relations.

The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe asks the European Union and the European Parliament to further recognize that access to culture develops community relations and a sense of belonging. We ask that during the next legislative period of the European Parliament, MEPs agree that the dimension of culture be added to all sectors of legislation on citizenship where it is currently lacking, including external affairs, social affairs and human rights. In addition, we ask that the European Parliament recommend that the European Union further negotiate this process through the legislation of Member States, guaranteeing impact on the regions and cities of Europe.

 

Ensuring a Fundamental Commitment to Culture

The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe urges all political and civic leaders to promote the cultural dimension of the European project as a necessary, integral and urgent complement to the political, social and economic dimensions.

Long-term policy visions should include a provision for a dialogue between the European Union and the Member States about the creation and implementation of a basic level of commitment to culture and the arts at the Member State, regional and local level, as a natural extension of the Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe other recommendations.

The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe recommends that this dialogue generates a proposal for an agreement on the minimum percentage of the budget allocated to cultural programs by the Member States as a percentage of GDP, reflecting the similar and equal responsibility they bear towards culture.

 

Streamlining Cultural Competence

The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe urges all political and civic leaders to take part in the development of a new cultural policy strategy for Europe

The European Union, the Member States, regions, and cities should develop a more globally-connected cultural policy with clear stages of collaboration and implementation, positioning Europe and its values and policies in a global context.

 

The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe asks the European Parliament to advise the European Union to take part in a mutual exchange with Member States, regions, and cities in order to establish a European model for a cultural policy that streamlines and acts as a guiding principle across all levels of governance: a model for positive civic values, social justice, solidarity, citizenship through culture, access to culture, cultural participation and artistic creation.

 

The Cultural Coalition for a Citizens’ Europe asks the European Union, Member States, regions, and cities to ensure that the cultural implications of any policy are taken in account alongside any environmental, diversity, and socio-economic considerations.

 

Please email the Brussels office of “A Soul for Europe” at info@houseforculture.eu for more information.


 

BRUSSELS CONVERSATIONS 2014 FOLLOW UP REPORT

 

The Brussels Conversations 2014 invited approximately 55 participants from various backgrounds to exchange views on concrete actions to make a “European Resolution on Culture, Values, Democracy and Citizenship” a reality. The participants first met at a welcome reception and press moment at deBuren on Tuesday, 9 December and then had a full day of discussions hosted by De Munt / La Monnaie on 10 December.

Members of the European House for Culture (EHfC), members of the “A Soul for Europe” (ASfE) Strategy Group, festival organisers, academics, and guests attended this meeting feeding the debate with ideas from their own experience. The text of this Resolution is the result of a participatory process gathering citizens’ ideas online and at events from 2012 to 2014. Initial proposals were already presented to the top candidates for the position of President of the European Commission during the Berlin Conference in March 2014, just prior to the European elections.

The aim of the Brussels Conversations 2014 was to gather ideas for implementing this work plan during the next five years through joint efforts of citizens, cultural practitioners and elected leaders at local, national and European levels.

Discussions focused on three key topics:

 Participants discussed on one hand concrete and immediate actions to implement proposals in the Resolution, and on the other hand the actions needed to formalise and ideally adopt the Resolution in the European Parliament. Therefore each participant was asked to come up with their own initiatives in 2015 and to think which joint actions to put on the political agenda, either at the ASfE Advisory Board or the Berlin Conference that will be co-produced with the European Parliament in November 2015.

Whereas the cultural sector is traditionally a splintered grouping of actors, participants hoped that this process could constitute an opportunity to speak in a coordinated and transparent manner with policy makers on how culture can contribute to active citizenship, community development and the future of Europe. 

The group decided on the following set of coherent and coordinated policy proposals, ideas, demands and concrete actions:

Now that the new Parliament and the new Commission are in place, we will work with elected leaders of all parties at local, national and European level to realize the goal of implementing this A European Resolution on Culture, Values, Democracy and Citizenship in the next 5-year political term.