Brussels, 28/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Greens/EFA conference on artists and social inclusion, held in Brussels on Tuesday 28 June, highlighted the notion of “freedom” and the very good reasons that exist for integrating the potential of artists in different political areas: urban development, the budget, reflection on cultural ecology, foreign policy, and social and educational policy. The need to open up the European institutions and to enhance their cultural side was also highlighted. After the conference, Helga Trüpel of Germany asked whether Culture Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou would manage to obtain a larger budget for culture. She noted that many member states, including Slovenia, did not hesitate to make significant cuts in their cultural policy budgets, and called for attention to be drawn to the budget cuts being made in this field during this time of crisis. The same appeal was made the day before the Commission set out its financial perspectives for 2014-2020.
Many artists gave testimony of their art. The theme of “artist and cohesion” was focused on in speeches by Jordi Herreruela, who coordinates the “Cases de la musica popular de Catalunya” project; Ahmed El Attar, independent theatre director and general manager of Studio Emad Eddin Foundation in Cairo, Egypt; and Nevenka Koprivsek, artist and art manager of the Bunker and Mladi Levi Festival in Ljubljana. “Art en folie” was represented by Hellena Hartung, communication officer, and Andrea Herbst, artist from Blaumeier (Bremen, Germany). “Artists and quartiers/banlieues” was presented by the artist, Christiane Vericel of Lyons (“Image Aiguë) and the Belgian artist, Patries Wichers (International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation).
François Alfonsi of the Greens, France, said that culture is not reserved for an elite but must also cover art amateurs, the small things, public areas, free representations and all places where culture can flourish. Culture must irrigate change and major interaction must be developed between social inclusion and culture for children, and for those with disabilities, added Alfonsi who took the view that there must also be an exchange between urban and rural circles. Local development and education are two major programmes in the European budget, he noted. And, he went on, why not reflect on a “cultural Erasmus” in order to facilitate exchange of cultural experience between Bremen and Rome, for example.
Ilona Kish, the secretary general of Culture Action Europe, underlined the importance of monitoring in order to take account of the diversity of culture. The Belgian artist from Antwerp, Jan Fabre, had said he was not a social worker but that he was there for art. There is a place for everyone, added Ilona Kish. On the subject of art's contribution to development of regional policy, the document drafted for the Belgian EU Presidency during the second half of 2010, overflows with recommendations “which are not all implemented but which are very clear and seek to form a link between educational and cultural policies”, Ilona Kish said. The secretary general said three words described the projects presented: - experimentation, imagination and recognition. Kish exclaimed that, where there is freedom of expression, independence, what one suffers from is the lack of concrete recognition. Why, she asked, is culture not recognised in the structural funds programme? Kish added that: “There is no politician who would deny the value of art!”
The vice-president of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, Marianne Poncelet, spoke of the trajectory of the great violinist. With the creation of a foundation in his name, a network has been developed with artists who have been ambassadors for culture at the European level. Since 2008, artist laboratories, “Sharing for voices - Voicing for Tomorrow”, were set up. Within these, the work of 20 artists is featured in collective and interdisciplinary fashion. She concluded with the exclamation: “Art is Life!”
Jean Hurstel, President of Banlieues Europe, was keen on the notion of “cultural biotope”: - the district, the “banlieue”, the territory and the region that share a number of values of representation in self-images. He said that, right now, Europe is “our natural dimension”.
On the European Commission (DG Culture) side, the senior official pointed out that the group of experts were looking into the possibility of providing easier access to structural funds, access that is more significant and swifter, with participation at a cultural level, as artists such as Ahmed El Attar have advocated. The Commission is doing everything it can for the structural funds to support creative partnership, for example MUS-E arts at school (International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation). Poncelet also welcomed the fact that conferences like that on Tuesday can fuel work on intercultural dialogue.
German Green MEP Helga Trüpel said by way of conclusion that one should speak of emancipation of individuals, of enhancing diversity and recognising similarities, make crosscutting choices and invest in risks, with permanent dialogue for working with young persons, students, those with disabilities, and continue along these lines in order to finally achieve quality change that will make all the difference. Easier, swifter access is needed to structural funds for culture, and the full recognition of this in the programmes of the funds, cultural ecology, and diversity of the world of culture. (G.B./transl.jl)