From the Focal Point

Culture 21: Actions

The Culturelink Team is pleased to draw the attention of the members of its network to the second draft of Culture 21: Actions, which has recently been completed by the Committee on Culture of United Cities and Local Government (UCLG).

Since its inception, culture has been at the heart of UCLG's agenda, as is obvious from the adoption of the Agenda 21 for Culture (May 2004), the Policy Statement Culture: Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development (November 2010), and the inclusion of culture in UCLG's advocacy efforts related to the Post-2015 Agenda, including the activities of the Global Taskforce.

In the process of updating the Agenda 21 for Culture, the 11th meeting of the Committee on Culture of UCLG, held in Buenos Aires, on 29 September to 2 October 2014, elaborated the second draft of the new Agenda 21 for Culture, entitled (working name) Culture 21: Actions. This document on culture and local sustainable development (a) builds on the success of the Agenda 21 for Culture, (b) updates its objectives and recommendations, with a clearer orientation towards the implementation of policies, and (c) aims to promote the sharing of knowledge and international networking.

Culture 21: Actions is based on Agenda 21 for Culture, the results of a questionnaire and the work of the Pilot Cities. The document Culture21: Actions is due to be adopted at UCLG's Culture summit, to be held in Bilbao on 18 to 20 March 2015. Following a first draft, disseminated last May, and its subsequent feedback, a second draft of Culture21: Actions is being sent to experts and organizations active in the areas of cultural policy and sustainable development, as well as to others that might be interested. You may find and read the second draft at www.agenda21culture.net/index.php/newa21c/new-a21c.

The Committee on Culture invites you to contribute to the second draft by sharing your ideas, amendments or suggestions by 18 December 2014.

1.   EURA 2015 ANNUAL CONFERENCE: TRANSFORMING CITIES, TRANSFORMATIVE CITIES

The European Urban Research Association (EURA) and the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania are organizing the 2015 EURA conference on Transforming Cities, Transformative Cities, to be held in Sibiu, Romania, on 17-20 September 2015. What happens in the cities has consequences in terms of global change. The conference will focus on the European city, but it will not neglect cities elsewhere in the world or different types of urban areas. The deadline for the submission of paper or panel proposals is 31 January 2015. >>>

2.   NEW CULTURAL INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL PRIZE

The new Cultural Innovation International Prize is organized by the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), Spain. The chosen theme for the first call for entries for 2014-2015 is Audience/s. The deadline for application is 5 February 2015. >>>

3.   CALL FOR GRADUATE APPLICATIONS AT MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART

The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is accepting applications for graduate study in the distinguished studio programmes in traditional media as well as graduate programmes in design, business, art education, and the humanities. MICA's graduate programmes address the unique educational needs of artists and designers who will live and work in a global society. Priority application deadline: 15 January 2015. >>>

4.   PhD SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2015 AT THE SCHOOL OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION

The School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds, UK is offering a number of full PhD Scholarships for study commencing in October 2015. Closing dates for School Scholarships are 2 February, 3 February and 1 May 2015. >>>

5.   THE CULTURAL MOBILITY FUNDING GUIDE FOR THE USA - THEATRE, PERFORMING ARTS AND DANCE

A Cultural Mobility Symposium and Conference, planned to take place at the City University of New York, USA, on 7 January 2015, and to announce the official launch of the first-ever Cultural Mobility Funding Guide for the USA, grows out of an unusual inter-continental collaboration between the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, the European cultural mobility information network On the Move and the U.S.-based grass-roots international network Theatre Without Borders. >>>

6.   WORLD URBAN DEVELOPMENT CONGRESS INTA38

The World Urban Development Congress INTA38 - Future Smart City Development: Bridging Social Equity, Value Planning and Economic Imperative - will take place in Tallinn, Estonia, on 25-27 January 2015. There is a need to consolidate the various views of the city of the future and to mark the direction cities are taking. This attempt at consolidation makes the core programme of the 38th Annual Congress of INTA. >>>

7.   UNESCO 1980 RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING THE STATUS OF THE ARTIST: SURVEY FOR CONSOLIDATED REPORT

UNESCO is undertaking an important review of the implementation of the UNESCO 1980 Recommendation Concerning the Status of the Artist. This is a timely and valuable exercise that will furnish UNESCO with current data regarding the status of the artist nationally, regionally and globally. The deadline for submitting the completed Survey is 15 January 2015. >>>

8.   THE LAUNCH OF THE QUEBEC DIGITAL CULTURE PLAN

In September 2014, the Québec government launched the Québec Digital Culture Plan, which will ensure the vitality of Québec culture and promote it on local, national, and international markets. The general public as well as digital creators and experts are invited to share their views on issues related to the spread of digital culture in Québec and beyond. >>>

9.   CULTURIZING SUSTAINABLE CITIES . CALL FOR EXAMPLES

The research project Culturizing Sustainable Cities of the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra, Portugal, has been launched. The study begins with an international call for examples of projects and other initiatives to develop into profiles and case studies. The organizers intend to be collecting examples until about February 2015. >>>

10.   ARTERIAL NETWORK: DRIVING AFRICA'S CREATIVE SECTOR WITH A NEW WEBSITE

The Arterial Network has launched its new website, actualizing its mission in becoming a leading source of information and exchange for the African creative sector and its diaspora. The web-platform will revolutionize the way members and partner organizations communicate about their activities and projects, becoming a true forum for the African creative sector. >>>

11.   POUR UN DROIT A L'EDUCATION ARTISTIQUE ET CULTURELLE

This publication presents the political and administrative structures on which artistic and cultural education are founded in two countries, France and Germany, and it submits these to critical examination. The authors also offer recommendations aimed at opening up new perspectives for cooperation in the field of artistic and cultural education and youth policy. >>>

12.   IDENTITY AND CAPITALISM

Marie Moran provides an important new exploration of the articulation of the idea of identity to the social logic of capitalism, from the 'organised capitalism' of the mid-twentieth century, up to and including the neoliberal capitalism that prevails today. >>>

13.   CULTURAL POLICY

Drawing on topical examples and contemporary research, as well as their own experience in both academia and in consultancy, David Bell and Kate Oakley urge readers to think critically about the project of cultural policy as it is currently being played out around the world. >>>

14.   GENDER EQUALITY, HERITAGE AND CREATIVITY

A new report is released by the UNESCO Culture Sector on Gender Equality and Culture, entitled Gender Equality, Heritage and Creativity. Gender inequality persists in the world of culture, the new report underlines. It includes recommendations for governments, decision-makers and the international community, within the fields of creativity and heritage. >>>

15.   SOUTH AFRICA'S PUBLISHING AND READING CULTURE

The theme issue of Critical Arts: South-North Cultural and Media Studies, edited by Keyan Tomaselli, is South Africa's publishing and reading culture. This theme issue was guest edited by Elizabeth le Roux. The issue brings together a collection of articles that examine the publishing, dissemination and reception of texts in South Africa. >>>

16.   DEVELOPING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE THROUGH EDUCATION

The book aims at offering an educational rationale and conceptual framework for the development of intercultural competence, as well as a clear description of its constitutive elements to be developed in and through education. >>>

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