From the Focal Point

Culturelink is pleased to announce the emergence of two new networks devoted to intercultural dialogue and cultural policy: Culture@Work Africa and the Cultural Policy Designers Network (CPDN).

Culture@Work Africa: Promoting the Public Value of Intercultural Dialogue for Social Cohesion in Urban Africa

Eight African, European and international partners joined forces with the European Union to create new opportunities and mobilize stakeholders to promote intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity in urban and peri-urban areas in Africa as drivers for social inclusion and sustainable human development. Culture@Work Africa aims to 1) support projects to develop safe and neutral spaces for intercultural dialogue, 2) strengthen multi-stakeholders national and transnational cooperation, capacity building and networking opportunities, 3) promote citizenship and intercommunity relations. The project takes up the challenge raised by the African Union and its vision for "an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena".

Two calls for applications will select and support approximately 50 innovative on-the-ground projects presented by public and private cultural operators, local governments, networks and associations representing marginalized groups from 15 African countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Further information will be released on the project website in May 2018.

Cultural Policy Designers Unite in the Cultural Policy Designers Network (CPDN)

Independent cultural policy designers, known in the field for their policy work across Europe and beyond, unite in a new European network. The eight founders of the Cultural Policy Designers Network have joined forces to provide alternative and independent partnerships that draw on international expertise for advice, strategic planning and project implementation in the arts, culture and the creative economy. As the first European network for professional cultural policy experts operating from within the non-governmental sector, CPDN will serve as a platform for its members to develop partnerships with national, regional, European and international institutions. The network wishes to operate as a truly European force providing expertise in the cultural fields to serve the European project in its social, economic and diplomatic dimension. CPDN intends to be a knowledge-based independent partner, free from any political affiliations or lobby groups.

CPDN has launched a membership call for interested individuals who wish to join the network (www.culturaldesigners.eu). In the coming months, CPDN will also start connecting with other networks and organisations interested in exploring new and alternative solutions to challenges in cultural development through a collaborative pan-European approach.

The Culturelink Team welcomes these two new networks and wishes them a lot of success in their endeavours!

1.   REMINDER! 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, the international conference on Urban Jewish Heritage: Presence and Absence is organised by the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage and the Foundation for Jewish Heritage. The deadline for the final call for papers is 11 May 2018. >>>

2.   2018 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CULTURAL STATISTICS AND CREATIVE ECONOMY

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines is organising an international conference on Cultural Statistics and Creative Economy, to be held in Manila, the Philippines, in the 2nd or 3rd week of October 2018. The goal of this conference is to provide a venue for researchers and cultural workers to enrich and enliven discussions about and propositions for the emerging fields of cultural statistics and creative economy. The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 15 May 2018. >>>

3.   8th WORLD SUMMIT ON ARTS AND CULTURE: MOBILE MINDS - CULTURE, KNOWLEDGE AND CHANGE

The International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) invites proposals to participate in the programme of the 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture, which will explore the theme of Mobile Minds: Culture, Knowledge and Change. The 8th World Summit will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 11 to 14 March 2019. The organisers are seeking participants for a range of roles: from panellists and provocateurs, to presenters and facilitators. The submission deadline is 20 May 2018. >>>

4.   WALKING ART / WALKING AESTHETICS: CALL FOR PAPERS AND ART PROJECTS

A special issue of the InterArtive online magazine - a platform for contemporary art and thought - will be dedicated to Walking Art. The editors invite theorists, critics, curators and artists who work on the subject to participate. This special issue aims to address this important topic, by focusing on the realization of the walking approach as art practice, its theoretical background and the historical approaches of walking. The deadline for the submission of proposals is 31 May 2018. >>>

5.   EUROPEAN CULTURAL FOUNDATION OPEN CALL 2018: COURAGEOUS CITIZENS

The European Cultural Foundation (ECF) invites you - Europe's Courageous Citizens - to submit an application to research and develop ideas around creating positive change and equality at the local, regional and/or European level. The Research and Development Grants support people and their ideas using creativity and cultural methods for positive change. The deadline for applications is 9 May 2018. >>>

6.   EUROPEAN ARTEAST FOUNDATION'S CALL FOR GRANT PROPOSALS 2018

The European ArtEast Foundation (EAEF), in collaboration with the Delfina Foundation, invites proposals for grants for research focused on Eastern European artists working in the region in the 1950's and 1960's. The purpose of these grants is to give art historians and curators the opportunity to carry out ambitious research projects that will make a significant contribution to the field of art history in Eastern Europe. The application deadline is 4 June 2018. >>>

7.   AWARDS FOR SUSTAINABLE CULTURAL TOURIST DESTINATIONS

2018 marks the European Year of Cultural Heritage, an EU initiative which aims to celebrate and engage more people to discover Europe's diverse cultural heritage, and to reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space. Thus, the European Travel Commission (ETC) has joined forces with the European Cultural Tourism Network (ECTN) and Europa Nostra, to address one of the 10 initiatives of the Year: Tourism and Heritage: Responsible and Sustainable Tourism around Cultural Heritage. Applications should be submitted by 1 July 2018. >>>

8.   MEDRESET YOUNG WRITERS PRIZE 2018

MedReset, a consortium of research and academic institutions focusing on different disciplines from the Mediterranean region, has launched its Young Writers Prize in Arabic, English and French. Young writers under the age of 35, who have written a B.A., M.A. or PhD thesis on Mediterranean issues that has not yet been published, are invited to participate. The deadline for submissions is 1 September 2018. >>>

9.   ECSITE ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2018: CREATIVE COLLISIONS

Ecsite, the European Network of Science Centres and Museums, is organising its annual conference on Creative Collisions in Geneva, Switzerland, from 7 to 9 June 2018. The 29th edition of the Ecsite Conference is hosted by the Natural History Museum of Geneva in partnership with CERN, the University of Geneva Scienscope, and Campus Biotech. Online registration is open until 22 May 2018. >>>

10.   SHARING HERITAGE - SHARING VALUES: EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE SUMMIT 2018

The European Cultural Heritage Summit, to take place in Berlin, Germany, from 18 to 24 June 2018 under the motto of Sharing Heritage - Sharing Values, has been recognised by the European Union as one of the key public events of the European Year of Cultural Heritage (EYCH). The deadline for registration is 1 June 2018. >>>

11.   OPEN REGISTRATION TO THE ELIA BIENNIAL CONFERENCE: RESILIENCE AND THE CITY: ART, EDUCATION, URBANISM

Reminder: The European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA) will hold the 15th edition of its Biennial Conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on 21 to 24 November 2018. Online registration is now open! >>>

12.   ON STAGE 2018: A EUROPEAN CELEBRATION OF THE PERFORMING ARTS

On Stage 2018 is Europe's first unique online calendar of selected high profile performing art events across the continent. On Stage 2018 is featured as part of the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage. It will put the spotlight on Europe's wealth of cultural heritage, showcasing its role in fostering a shared sense of identity and building the future of Europe. >>>

13.   GOVERNING HERITAGE DISSONANCE: PROMISES AND REALITIES OF SELECTED CULTURAL POLICIES

This book written by Visnja Kisic, researcher, lecturer and manager in the field of heritage management, interpretation and policy, with special focus on heritage, community engagement and mediation, results from the winning project of the 2013 edition of the European Cultural Foundation's Cultural Policy Research Award (CPRA). >>>

14.   CULTURE. POLICY. DISCOURSE (KULTUR. POLITIK. DISKURS)

The newly published 18th issue of the journal Culture. Policy. Discourse highlights the main activities of the Department of Cultural Policy at the University of Hildesheim in Germany, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2018. >>>

15.   FUTURE CREATIVE CITIES - WHY CULTURE IS A SMART INVESTMENT FOR CITIES

This new Eurocities - KEA report reflects on innovative local cultural policies and sets out a vision for the future of cultural and creative place-making in cities and regions. The report presents concrete examples aiming to tackle key cultural challenges at the local level. >>>

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