Summer Reflection
- yabarinova
- 25 сент. 2014 г.
- 5 мин. чтения
Fall is often a time to look forward - towards the new plans and preparation for the future events. But it's also important to look back - how did you spend your summer and what did those experiences help you learn about next steps..
I'd like to tell you about my summer I spent in Brussels. I was working in leading consulting company KEA European Affairs. KEA is a brand with international reputation. No real competitor as a consultancy. KEA designs, inspires and engineers policies, projects and partnerships with a passion for the art, culture, diversity and creativity. KEA is essentially an enthusiastic company. A consultancy that advice on strategies to make territories, organisations and people to be more innovative and more aware of their creative resources.
Particularly I was involved in the Eastern Partnership Programme «Culture». The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is the leading policy initiative of the European Union governing its relationship with six countries in Eastern Europe and South Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The Programme intends to provide a platform for discussions of trade, travel agreements, and other issues between the EU and its neighbors, deepening political co-operation and economic integration. The Eastern Partnership was inaugurated by the European Union in Prague on 7 May 2009.
Eastern Partnership Culture Programme II (2015-2018) builds upon the experience of the EaP Culture Programme I and aims at further strengthening cultural policies in EaP Region. Specifically it aims at: developing culture and creative sector (CCS); creating synergies between public and private actors; promoting of inter-cultural dialogue and social cohesion; strengthening the capabilities of EaP countries to facilitate their participation in international culture cooperation initiatives, including the MEDIA and Creative Europe programme as well as UNESCO activities.
The CCS is increasingly accepted worldwide as a significant component of international cohesion providing purposeful platforms for debates, cooperation and sustainable development. Based on this approach recently the European Commission has published a Call for Proposals providing the budget (about €5 million) for building capacities in the culture and creative sector in the 6 mentioned countries. This Programme will provide grants to cultural organizations, as well as national and local institutions for regional cooperation projects encompassing the entire cultural and creative sector, including cinema and the audiovisual sector, contemporary arts, tangible and intangible heritage, as well as support to heritage conservation projects.
The Eastern Partnership Culture Programme seeks to assist the Partner Countries in their cultural policy reform at government level and furthers linkages between cultural activities and wider regional agendas ranging from economic development, employment creation to social inclusion, conflict prevention and intercultural dialogue. While the creative economy agenda is little developed in these countries, there is a growing interest of citizens – particularly the young – toward culture and creative sector. Therefore one of the main aims of this Programme is to respond to those needs. Participation in EU programmes is accessible to all EaP countries that have Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCA) with the EU.
The countries of the Eastern Partnership are less known, and as a result less well understood, than they should be. The situation of the culture and creative sector in each country is certainly unique and some differences in the situations of the CCS between the countries are striking. Hence I had to complete the research and contribute to the elaboration on the expertise, objectives and action plan for Eastern Partnership region. I was mandated to help in the preparation of the successful offer. The programme will run for 3 years and consist of a web platform, a series of events and an ambitious activities to share knowledge for growth in CCS.
Unlike those countries, which have a longer tradition of affirmation of the culture and creative sector, as well as public support to their development, in the Eastern Partnership countries public policies have a tendency to define culture narrowly in terms of heritage and its preservation, therefore CCS remained undeveloped and largely founded on general economic measures. Whereas the European Union recognize that the CCS is a strategic factor of development globally, at political, social and economic levels, it is still insufficiently part of the EaP countries agenda, and it is not yet perceived as a key driver for the new economy.
I was responsible for assessing the potential of CCS in the Eastern Partnership region. For this I have undertaken mapping exercise in each of 6 countries and determined the volume and characteristics of CCS in order to evaluate their potential for the socio-economic development of the EaP countries. As well as I tried to define what kind of governance is going to be needed at all levels – state, NGO, private sector. I made an overview of the current situation in the sector at regionaland national level and prepared the draft of the strategy for the development of CCS including the action plan.
Main observation is that the Eastern Partnership countries differ from many of the EU Member States in various aspects for what concerns cultural policies. Subsequently, there is lack of international collaborations and partnerships; too big influences from political strategies; small involvement of private sponsors. As well as there are centre-region divides which are serious challenges for the CCS.
The most problematic thing was defining the ad volume in the CCS because of the absence of further serious research of the whole market and its various segments. EaP countries have to explore the importance of cultural statistics, adopting standard methodologies for that. Then using these estimates it's possible to measure the direct economic contribution of the CCS to the economy.
By my opinion the main obstacle in all Eastern Pasrtnership Countries is that there is a crisis of approach to the CCS - the understanding of culture does not correspond to nowadays challenges. According to the information collected during my reflection process, it has been possible to observe some common weaknesses of the culture and creative sector in the all countries, as follows:
The absence of a mutually supportive environment between state, private, independent and NGO interests and activity.
The ‘creative industries’ are not recognized or categorized as a separate sector of the national economy.
Not enough analytical and critical work is being produced by government and academia.
Low level of international cooperation
Urban-rural divides
The lack of vision among political class and businessman.
Based on the mapping and findings some axes of priorities have been identified. Next areas need to be taken into account: Cultural Policy; Creative Economy; Cultural Diplomacy; Creative Cities; Cultural Identity and Diversity; Cultural Tourism.
The best way to move forward is to develop a partnership between international organizations such as the European Commission, Council of Europe and UNESCO and locally operating foundations as well as the municipality all of whom should contribute to the initiatives. Now the primary issue and need for EaP is to develop a cultural strategy as distinct from a policy and furthermore within this strategy a series of catalytic projects should be inplemeted that can embody the changes that the countries’ desire.
Sure besides working as researcher I have investigated many interesting places around the Brussels. In general, Brussels is probably best known for being the seat of the European parliament and Commission; however there’s much more to Belgium’s capital than stuffy looking government buildings and important looking politicians. It would be wrong not to get involved with Belgian chocolate when in Brussels. Sure I became addicted a little bit to waffles, praline, manon and other sweets. My favorite candies consist of a chocolate shell, artisanal nougatine and a heart of fresh cream or ganache… And the Sablon is the place to be for chocolate addicts - the most famous Belgian chocolate makers all have a shop there.
To sum up, it was unforgettable summer in Brussles. However this is not that place where I want to stay at long term. Moving forward with a heavy heart but a hopeful soul.
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