culture
One of the fundamental objectives of bi-regional dialogue between Asia and Europe is the appreciation for cultural diversity. It calls for different forms of dialogue, exchange and creativity that engage culture-related government agencies, arts organisations, artists, and international cultural organisations. To this end, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) fulfils its role by facilitating policy dialogue, supporting information platforms, incubating cultural networks, and encouraging artistic collaborations. Through its wide range of multilateral programmes, ASEF meets the expectations of the cultural communities of Asia and Europe and addresses the priorities of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) dialogue process.
ASEF Cultural
Policy Dialogue Series
The ASEF Cultural Policy Dialogue Series stimulates analysis and engagement that reflect current debates in arts and culture in Asia and Europe, including the political priorities of the ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meetings.
Activities organised under the ASEF Cultural Policy Dialogue Series in 2013:
5th ASEF Experts’
Meeting and
Public Forum
24-25 June 2013
Myanmar
The 5th ASEF Experts' Meeting and Public Forum titled Investing in Heritage Cities: Stimulus for Sustainable Tourism and Livelihoods promoted knowledge exchange on sustainable urban heritage management strategies. Over 30 government officials, civil society experts, and representatives of international organisations exchanged ideas. Policy recommendations for ASEM Culture Ministers were compiled through a collective reflection. The meeting attracted over 150 audience members, including local heritage and tourism experts, architects, urban planners, representatives of local and international development agencies,
and local and foreign media representatives.
The meeting was organised in partnership with the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) and the Yangon Heritage Trust (YHT) and with the support of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of France and Italy.
The meeting was co-organised
by ASEF as a follow-up to the
5th ASEM Culture Ministers' Meeting: Managing Heritage Cities for a Sustainable Future, which was held in 2012 in Indonesia.
Partners:
6th ASEF Experts’
Meeting and
Public Forum
4-5 December 2013
Viet Nam
Creative industries feature highly on the ASEM cultural agenda. To provide civil society inputs to the ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meeting, ASEF co-organised the 6th ASEF Experts’ Meeting and Public Forum titled Creative Economy in Asia and Europe: Emerging Pillar of Economic Growth and Development. Over 25 government officials and civil society experts gathered at this 2-day meeting, which encouraged the sharing of good practices from both regions. Over 100 arts practitioners, cultural professionals, representatives of cultural agencies, and media persons attended the meeting. The meeting was organised in partnership with the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Viet Nam. It was supported by the British Council, Viet Nam and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Netherlands.
WorldCP-International
Database of
Cultural Policies
Throughout 2013
ASEF, being a partner of the WorldCP-International Database of Cultural Policies, continued to support research studies on cultural policy issues and trends in Asia and Europe. The cultural policy profiles of India, Korea and Viet Nam were launched in 2013 and are now publicly accessible on worldcp.org and culture360.asef.org.
This project is led by the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA).
Partners:
ASEF culture360
Throughout 2013
Online Project
ASEF’s culture360 web portal (www.culture360.asef.org) offers a platform for information exchange among artists, cultural professionals and policy makers from Asia and Europe. The portal provides news and information on events and opportunities relating to arts and culture across all 49 ASEM countries. It also features a special magazine with commissioned articles on cultural issues.
Among other activities in 2013, culture360 commissioned a research study on Funding
Opportunities for International Cultural Exchange in Asia. It also co-organised an online competition, Long Way Home: Asia-Europe Short Story Contest, in partnership with the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival in Bali, Indonesia, which received over 480 entries.
culture360 also supported various arts initiatives throughout the year. They include the Film Restoration School Asia, a 6-day training on film preservation and restoration that was held in partnership with the National Museum of Singapore.
Opening night of the Film Restoration School Asia at the National Museum of Singapore
Partners:
Moving Cities, as part of Default13,
a project on the revitalisation of urban centres
through cultural initiative
Photo credit: Ramdom Association
Creative Encounters:
Cultural Partnerships
between Asia
and Europe
Throughout 2013
Austria, Czech Republic,
Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania,
Philippines
Creative Encounters promotes innovative collaborations between artists and arts organisations in Asia and Europe. It is jointly supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), Arts Network Asia (ANA) and Trans Europe Halles (TEH). It calls annually for the submission of collaborative proposals. In 2013, the 2nd edition of Creative Encounters supported 6
multilateral projects covering architecture, film, literary translation, performing and visual arts. Workshops, panel discussions, artists’ residencies and public performances made up 8 activities that took place in 6 countries across the two regions. They benefited over 150 direct participants while attracting sizeable public audiences in Austria, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania and the Philippines.
Partners:
ASEF Creative
Networks: Open Call
3 June - 15 August 2013
ASEF Creative Networks recognises the growing importance of cultural networks as an integral channel for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. In 2013, the call for the 1st edition of ASEF Creative Networks was launched to support the establishment and growth of sustainable bi-regional networks in arts and culture. Out of 54 proposals, 3 projects were selected for support in 2014 to bring together partners from 19 ASEM member countries from both regions.
Heritage and Creative Economy in New Delhi, India
Photo credit:INTACH