ASEF promotes various forms of cultural cooperation between Asia and Europe including policy dialogue, bi-regional networks and artistic collaborations. It fosters sustainable partnerships between Asian and European arts organisations, while also facilitating dialogue between the arts sector and government agencies responsible for culture.
The ASEF Cultural Policy Dialogue Series stimulates analysis and engagement that reflect current debates in arts and culture in Asia and Europe, including political priorities at the ASEM level.
The contributions of culture and the creative economy to urban development have been widely acknowledged in recent years, including at ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meetings (ASEM CMM). To provide inputs to the Ministerial discussions in 2016, ASEF co-organised the 8th ASEF Public Forum on Creative Cities in Asia and Europe, titled “Cities – Living Labs for Culture?” The forum facilitated the sharing of good practices on arts leadership, public access to culture and the catalytic role of creativity in contemporary cities.
15 cultural experts led the discussions and explored ideas for greater bi-regional collaboration between Asia and Europe. They particularly stressed the role of cities in brokering inter-regional, cross-sectoral, and inter-generational understanding. It was noted that leaders in the arts must develop a greater appreciation of other fields (business, health, technology, etc.) and facilitate cross-sectoral dialogue.
Concrete recommendations from the forum will be presented at the 7th ASEM Culture Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM CMM7) in June 2016 in Gwangju, Korea. The forum was organised in partnership with the Asia Culture Forum; Gwangju Metropolitan City; and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea. It was held alongside the opening of the Asia Culture Centre in Gwangju.
Dignitaries, panellists and organisers join hands to open the forum.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
As a partner of WorldCP-International Database of Cultural Policies, ASEF continued to support research studies on cultural policy issues and trends in Asia and Europe.
UNESCO, the UN’s agency for culture, has recognised the WorldCP initiative as a valuable information and monitoring system of cultural policies in “Re-shaping Cultural Policies: A Decade Promoting the Diversity of Cultural Expressions for Development – 2005 Convention Global Report” (November 2015).
The cultural policy profiles of Cambodia and the Philippines were commissioned in 2015. The profiles launched under the WorldCP-Asia initiative are accessible on www.worldcp.org.
Asian authors and partners gathered in Wrocław, Poland, alongside the 14th Assembly of Experts of the Council of Europe/ERICarts Compendium of Cultural Policies & Trends in Europe. Issues of common interest in policy research were discussed.
This project is led by the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), with ASEF serving as the Regional Secretariat for WorldCP-Asia.
Other partners include: Arts Council of Mongolia; Cambodian Living Arts; Council of Europe; City of Wrocław (European Capital of Culture 2016); European Institute for Comparative Cultural Research (ERICarts); Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Singapore; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea; Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Viet Nam; Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Mongolia; National Centre for Culture, Warsaw; National Commission for Culture and the Arts, The Philippines; and Korean National Commission for UNESCO.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
The ASEF Cultural Platforms and Networks Programme actively supports artistic collaborations and bi-regional networking among arts professionals from Asia and Europe. It also facilitates public access to information on arts and culture through online platforms.
ASEF culture360 is an online platform for information exchange among artists, cultural professionals and policy-makers from Asia and Europe. It is a portal that provides information on news, events and opportunities relating to the arts and culture in 51 countries in Asia and Europe, and features a special magazine with commissioned articles.
In 2015, ASEF culture360 marked its 7th year of activity with a new design and features. Among other projects in 2015, the portal commissioned “Creative Responses to Sustainability”, a new series of guides looking at the most pioneering and significant cultural organisations contributing to social and environmental changes through their artistic practice in Asia. The 1st Guide for Singapore was launched in November 2015 featuring a directory of the 20 most pioneering and significant cultural organisations involved in environment and sustainability.
The portal also published 2 new Mobility Funding Guides for Croatia and Kazakhstan, as part of the on-going research on Funding Opportunities for International Cultural Exchange in Asia and Europe. The Guides have been recognised by UNESCO as important information tools for artists in its recent report, “Re-shaping Cultural Policies: A Decade Promoting the Diversity of Cultural Expressions for Development - 2005 Convention Global Report” (November 2015). The portal supported various arts initiatives including the ArtCOP21 Professional Workshop in Paris, France, which gathered over 100 cultural organisations with the aim to promote the integration of sustainable development within their art and culture practice.
Prize-giving ceremony to the selected projects at the inaugural Southeast Asian Film Financing Project Market.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
Mr Benny GRATHA (Museum Tekstil Jakarta) discussing batik motifs with curators from Weltmuseum Wien during the Curating Batik workshop.
ASEF Creative Networks recognises the growing importance of cultural networks as a channel for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. In 2015, the 2nd edition of ASEF Creative Networks supported 4 projects from a pool of 39 proposals received in response to an open call. Meetings and public events took place in 7 countries, involved 12 partners and benefited 150 participants from Asia and Europe. Supported projects included (1) SEAAA Mobility Platform, (2) Asia-Pacific Screen Lab, (3) Curating Batik, and (4) Thrive: Networking Culture Leaders. In 2015, the call for the 3rd edition of ASEF Creative Networks was launched and 22 proposals were received
Cultural network leaders met at the LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore in August 2015.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
Creative Encounters supports innovative collaborations between artists and arts organisations in Asia and Europe. To this end, the project series invites proposals through a competitive annual call. In 2015, the 4th edition of Creative Encounters supported 3 multilateral projects covering circus arts, contemporary dance and the visual arts. 6 activities, including artist residencies, public performances, panel discussions and workshops took place in 7 countries across Asia and Europe. They benefited 80 participants and were attended by sizeable public audiences. In 2015, the 5th edition of Creative Encounters was launched and received 75 proposals.
Circus on the Edge workshops took place in Thailand.
Dance Connect performances took place in 3 countries.
Curators walk through the exhibition “20th Century, Continuities and Raptures” at the Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
Public viewing the ASEF Photo Exhibition “On the Go” in November 2015 in Luxembourg.
The ASEF photo exhibition “On the Go” was launched on 4 November in partnership with the City of Luxembourg. It was organised in conjunction with the 12th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FMM12) that took place in Luxembourg at the same time.
The photographs displayed at Luxembourg’s City Hall Square were shortlisted from a photo competition, undertaken by ASEF in 2015. Photographers from all 51 ASEM member countries submitted over 1,500 entries capturing on-the-go scenes. The competition was judged by a panel of experts, chaired by LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore.
Following the launch in Luxembourg, the photographs will be exhibited in several capitals in Asia and Europe in 2016 to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).
Guests and organisers at the opening of the ASEF Photo Exhibition “On the Go” with Deputy Mayor of Luxembourg.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.