From the Focal Point

A Word of Appreciation to Sarah and Carla

A democratic and non-discriminatory approach to culture and cultural diversity, openness towards other cultures, a widening space for dialogue and cooperation, all of these are inherent to cultural networks. They are not just 'infrastructure' or 'tools' for members/users/creators - cultural networks are an authentic expression of cultural changes and of diverse approaches to intercultural communication, through which new knowledge is created and new values are formed. Today, the entire field of international cooperation is permeated by the activities of transnational and transcultural networks. Sarah Gardner, founding Executive Director of IFACCA (an international network of national arts funding agencies), and Carla Delfos, founding Executive Director of ELIA (a network of institutes of the arts that support and educate artists) have contributed to these noble aims in a magic manner, bringing new ideas, new forms and new working methods to the international cultural communication.

In the course of the past two decades, Sarah Gardner and Carla Delfos have promoted the sustainability of networks. As Sarah often stressed, networks are living things that are sustained by the constant efforts of individuals: 'For networks to achieve sustainable success, they require skills and effort, vision and resources, and above all, they need to be valued by their members'. Carla advocated a world which allows for more creativity in people's lives: 'Creative people should have a much bigger role in deciding how things are developing in our societies'. She emphasized the importance of developing interdisciplinarity, making higher arts education more open to linking culture, education, science and technology.

Culturelink deeply appreciates their work, their visions, leadership and commitment to culture and cultural networks, and wishes Sarah and Carla all the best in their future endeavours, plans and projects. We are certain that they will continue to search for answers to the new challenges facing networks, to open and promote new ways of intercultural communication and dialogue, so indispensable for our common world.

Congratulations and nos meilleurs voeux for your future projects!

Aleksandra, Biserka, Daniela, Jaka, Matea, Nada and Sanda (Culturelink Team)

1.   REMINDER - Call for Papers for the CIRR Special Issue on European Union and Challenges of Cultural Policies: Critical Perspectives

IRMO/Culturelink invites papers for a thematic Special Issue of the Croatian International Relations Review (CIRR) with the provisional title European Union and Challenges of Cultural Policies: Critical Perspectives. The deadline for the submission of articles is 12 November 2017. >>>

2.   HEIDELBERG CENTER FOR AMERICAN STUDIES' 15TH ANNUAL SPRING ACADEMY CONFERENCE

The fifteenth HCA Spring Academy on American Culture, Geography, History, Literature, Politics and Religion will be held in Heidelberg, Germany, on 19 - 23 March 2018. The Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) invites applications for this annual one-week conference that provides international PhD students with the opportunity to present and discuss their PhD projects. The deadline for applications is 15 November 2017. >>>

3.   GLOBAL GERMANY IN TRANSNATIONAL DIALOGUES

The new Springer series for monographs and edited volume publications entitled 'Global Germany in Transnational Dialogues' seeks to elicit contributions from academics and relevant practitioners about transnationalism studies in the twenty-first century. The series is concerned with contemporary transnational connections between Germany and other countries. >>>

4.   THE MARC DE MONTALEMBERT PRIZE 2018 FOR MEDITERRANEAN RESEARCH PROJECTS/p>

The Marc de Montalembert Foundation in association with the French Institut national d'histoire de l'art (INHA) awards the annual Marc de Montalembert Prize for a research project in the history of arts in the Mediterranean. The deadline for applications is 30 November 2017. >>>

5.   European Diploma in Cultural Project Management 2018/2019

The European Diploma in Cultural Project Management 2018/2019 is the 28th edition of this pan-European training programme for project-oriented European cultural managers organized by the Association Marcel Hicter and supported by the Council of Europe. Application deadline is 15 January 2018. >>>

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7.   2018 PHD APPLICATIONS TO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY'S SCHOOL OF DESIGN

The University of Technology Sydney, Australia, is calling for PhD applications to its world-leading School of Design's research programme. Successful applicants will join a community of researchers from across all design disciplines. The application deadline is 28 February 2018. >>>

8.   MEDIA, DEMOCRACY, POPULISM: THE MEDIA - MEDIATOR AND PROMOTER OF POPULISM

This international conference, organized by the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in association with the Faculty of Political Sciences, to be held in Belgrade, Serbia on 9 - 10 November 2017, welcomes the opportunity for theoretical and professional debate on the populist discourse and the media. >>>

9.   A SOUL FOR EUROPE CONFERENCE 2017: WHO IS ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR EUROPE?

The civil society initiatives A Soul for Europe and Cities for Europe will host the Soul for Europe Conference 2017, to take place in Berlin, Germany, on 9 - 11 November 2017 under the title Who is Assuming Responsibility for Europe? The conference aims to shift focus on the constitutive role of citizens and urban communities and to connect this base for European development with other levels of responsibility. >>>

10.   NEMO CONFERENCE ON OPEN HEART SURGERY - THE VALUE OF MUSEUMS COLLECTIONS

The Network of European Museum Organisations is preparing NEMO's 25th Annual Conference on Open Heart Surgery - The Value of Museums Collections, to be held in Ghent, Belgium, on 9 - 12 November 2017. Participants will discuss different types and challenges of contemporary collecting, as well as the political and social effect museums can or should have on their environment, and their relevance in a diverse, connected society. Registration closes on 6 November 2017. >>>

11.   BEYOND THE OBVIOUS: BELONGING AND BECOMING

Culture Action Europe, 'the first port of call for informed opinion and debate about arts and cultural policy in Europe', is organising its Beyond the Obvious Conference: Belonging and Becoming - Culture, Heritage and our Future, to take place in Rome, Italy, on 15 - 17 November 2017. Culture Action Europe's General Assembly (AGM) and Members' Forum will convene on 15 November 2017. >>>

12.   INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CULTURE AND CREATIVITY

The 12th International Conference on Culture and Creativity (ICCC) organized by the Kaunas Faculty of Vilnius University will take place in Kaunas, Lithuania, on 17 - 18 November 2017. The conference seeks to promote networking among academics, researchers, professionals and representatives and is calling all scholars and professionals as well as students who are interested in creative/cultural industries, creative city theories and practices, arts and culture management and marketing to participate. >>>

13.   LIVING CITIES, LIVEABLE SPACES: PLACEMAKING & IDENTITY

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14.   PSYCHOLOGY & THE CITY: THE HIDDEN DIMENSION

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