From the Focal Point

At the beginning of this new year, we would like to bring your attention to three new projects: the African Cultural Policy Network (ACPN), the Kamenov House for Creative Thinking and the Forum on European Culture entitled Act for Democracy!

The African Cultural Policy Network (ACPN), an online network initiated by Mike van Graan (South Africa) and Aadel Essaadani (Morocco) in June 2017, will work with, and seek to complement other actors in the African creative space. Among the constitutional aims adopted by ACPN's founding members are the following: to research, devise and advocate for arts, culture and heritage policies that are relevant and appropriate to varying African conditions; to interrogate international cultural policy themes, strategies and ideas; and to serve as an African voice and advocacy network in international, regional (African), national and local forums dealing with arts, culture and heritage policy. E-mail: info.acpn@gmail.com

If you need a space to explore and discover yourself, enjoying mountain atmosphere and village lifestyle; if you need to pamper yourself to think or create without being bothered by anyone, to escape for a while from your daily routine; if you wish to discover and enjoy the natural ambiance and village quietness to hatch your creative idea, to write, to create or to just have a "meeting with yourself", then the Kamenov House for Creative Thinking, located in the village of Zverino, 70 km from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is the real thing for you. It provides a great place to think, write, create and live in an authentic environment, and is intended for creative people, writers, artists, PhD students, academics on sabbatical and small-size creative teams. The House Launch Day will be 15 July 2018. E-mail: kamenovhouse@gmail.com

The 2018 Forum on European Culture on the strength, impact and value of art and culture for Europe will take place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands from 31 May to 3 June 2018 under the title of Act for Democracy!. Curated by Yoeri Albrecht (director of De Balie, a well-known platform and center for the freedom of speech, contemporary art, politics, culture, cinema and media) and Cees de Graaff (director of DutchCulture, a strategic advice agency for international cultural cooperation), this four-day programme combining theater, performances, film, debate, music and expositions will gather leading international artists and thinkers to exchange ideas about Europe and imagine a shared European future. Website: https://cultureforum.eu/

Culturelink Team

1.   A WORLD OF FLOWS: LABOUR MOBILITY, CAPITAL AND KNOWLEDGE IN AN AGE OF GLOBAL REVERSAL AND REGIONAL REVIVAL

The Regional Studies Association Annual Conference 2018, entitled A World of Flows: Labour Mobility, Capital and Knowledge in an Age of Global Reversal and Regional Revival, will take place from 3 to 6 June 2018 at Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland. The submission deadline for abstracts is 23 February 2018. >>>

2.   ICEIRD 2018 CONFERENCE

The 11th International Conference for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Regional Development - ICEIRD 2018 will take place in Doha, Qatar from 29 to 31 October 2018. The title of the conference is Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Economic Growth for Sustainable Development. The deadline for abstract submissions by academics and practitioners is 19 March 2018. >>>

3.   URBAN JEWISH HERITAGE: PRESENCE AND ABSENCE

Over the centuries, cities across Europe and around the world have been impacted by their Jewish communities - as places of both presence and absence. To be held in Krakow, Poland, from 3 to 7 September 2018 as part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, this international conference is organised by the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage and the Foundation for Jewish Heritage. The deadline for the submission of paper abstracts is 9 April 2018. >>>

4.   IMMAA 2018 CONFERENCE: STRATEGIC MEDIA MANAGEMENT

The International Media Management Academic Association (IMMAA) conference will be held in Stuttgart, Germany, from 13 to 15 September 2018 under the title of Strategic Media Management, Media Business Models, eSports, Media Management Teaching. The deadline for submitting abstracts and panel proposals is 15 May 2018. >>>

5.   EUROPEAN PRIZE FOR URBAN PUBLIC SPACE 2018

The Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (CCCB), Spain has announced a call for entries for the 10th European Prize for Urban Public Space, a biennial initiative which seeks to promote and recognise projects that create, transform and improve public space in Europe. The application period is opened from 15 January to 21 February 2018. >>>

6.   INTERNATIONAL AWARD UCLG - MEXICO CITY - CULTURE 21

The objective of the International Award UCLG - Mexico City - Culture 21 is to recognise leading cities and individuals that have distinguished themselves through their contribution to culture as a key driver for sustainable development. All Cities and Local Governments who work on culture and sustainability and who implement projects, programmes and policies in this field are invited to send their candidacies. Application deadline is 16 March 2018. >>>

7.   MFA AND MA IN CREATIVE MEDIA

The School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong announces MFA and MA programmes in Creative Media. The MFA in Creative Media (MFACM) emphasizes the integration of contemporary art, culture and technology, and the MA in Creative Media (MACM) offers a humanities-oriented curriculum intended to complement the School of Creative Media's mission to investigate the most significant artistic, professional and socially relevant aspects of contemporary mediated expression. Application deadline is 30 April 2018. >>>

8.   PROMOTING CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries: Maximising their Economic and Social Contribution in the EU will be the theme of the symposium organized by Public Policy Exchange, UK, taking place in Bruxelles, Belgium, on 27 March 2018, aiming to evaluate recent initiatives and policy developments in the field of cultural and creative industries, and present good practices and emerging challenges to the sector. >>>

9.   INTA41 WORLD URBAN CONGRESS

The World Urban Congress, INTA41, organised by the International Urban Development Association, will be held in Malmö, Sweden, from 16 to 17 April 2018 under the title Partnerships for Sustainable Cities and Communities. The Congress will tackle the new opportunities of partnerships among all urban stakeholders, citizens and governments to implement the UN's New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals. Registration is open. >>>

10.   FORUM ON EUROPEAN CULTURE 2018: ACT FOR DEMOCRACY!

The second edition of the Forum on European Culture entitled Act for Democracy! on the strength, impact and value of art and culture for Europe will take place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, from 31 May to 3 June 2018, gathering leading international artists and thinkers to exchange ideas about Europe and imagine a shared European future. >>>

11.   20th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CULTURAL ECONOMICS

The Association for Cultural Economics International (ACEI) and RMIT University will host the 20th International Conference on Cultural Economics in Melbourne, Australia from 26 to 29 June 2018. ACEI2018 aims to provide a forum for discussion on a range of issues impacting the arts and culture such as creative industries, creative cities, art markets and artistic labour. >>>

12.   NEWLY CREATED AFRICAN CULTURAL POLICY NETWORK (ACPN)

The African Cultural Policy Network (ACPN) is an on-line network initiated by Mike van Graan (South Africa) and Aadel Essaadani (Morocco) in June 2017. The African Cultural Policy Network will work with, and seek to complement other actors in the African creative space. >>>

13.   CULTURE IN SUSTAINABILITY: TOWARDS A TRANSDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

The book Culture in Sustainability: Towards a Transdisciplinary Approach is a compilation of the papers presented at the Final Conference of the COST Action Investigating Cultural Sustainability, that took place in Helsinki in 2015. It presents several very different perspectives on how the idea of culture in sustainability was interpreted and approached, showing the diversity of the issues that have been discussed and need to be taken into account when talking about culture in sustainability. >>>

14.   NEGOTIATING CULTURAL RIGHTS: ISSUES AT STAKE, CHALLENGES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The book Negotiating Cultural Rights: Issues at Stake, Challenges and Recommendations reflects upon the many aspects of cultural rights in the various reports on cultural rights by UN Special Rapporteur Faridah Shaheed, and presents a discussion of how cultural rights support cultural diversity, foster intercultural dialogue and contribute to inclusive social, economic and political development. >>>

15.   THE ART OF CIVIL ACTION. POLITICAL SPACE AND CULTURAL DISSENT

Through a colourful mix of case studies on citizen-led cultural initiatives from Europe and around the world, the book The Art of Civil Action. Political Space and Cultural Dissent considers how to establish a sustainable, transnational civil space, and what role culture and the arts can play in this process. >>>

16.   RE|SHAPING CULTURAL POLICIES: ADVANCING CREATIVITY FOR DEVELOPMENT

UNESCO has published a new Global Report on the supervision of the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions under the title of Re|Shaping Cultural Policies: Advancing Creativity for Development. >>>

17.   ARTS, CULTURE, AND CULTURAL AWARENESS IN EDUCATION

In this briefing, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) discusses cultural and educational policies and their contribution to the development of skills needed to live in multicultural societies and to qualify for jobs in the fast-growing creative and cultural industries. The brief summarises the current status of the role of arts and culture in the EU, looking at European policies and EU mechanisms and their effect in the Member States. >>>

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