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The keynote speech will be delivered by ROB FICHER, Director of International Intelligence on Culture, Honorary Research Fellow, City University, London (where he lectured from 1984-2007 and a Visiting Lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Rod will draw attention to those EU countries where a paradigm shift had taken place (e.g. Austria, Germany and Slovenia), those which appeared to have both cultural diplomacy and more genuine cultural co-operation policies (e.g. Finland, Netherlands and the UK), and those where policy shifts were being actively discussed (e.g. France) or were aspirational (e.g. Romania).
The director of International Intelligence on Culture will also identify trends in cultural diplomacy and international cultural co-operation. These included: a greater willingness on the part of national cultural institutes (NCIs) to co-operate and the emergence of EUNIC; a shift from bilateral to multilateral cultural agreements by some countries, and from cultural diplomacy to cultural relations and mutuality; and the interest of EU Member States to co-operate with accession/pre-accession states, which often tended to wane once they had joined. Mention will be made of the cultural relations of some countries which have been designated to ‘mend fences’ and restore trust for obvious political reasons.
In addition there will be reference to the growth of the importance of the creative industries which has both accelerated interest by governments in the export of their culture and provided them with opportunities to ‘brand’ themselves in the process – trade interests are interestingly linked to foreign ones. The presentation of the first results of the research will be followed by a debate with the participants animated by Gerald LIDSTONE, Director of the Institute of Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths University of London. For the British Council and other agencies he has also taught Arts Management training courses including Arts Marketing, Arts Education, Fundraising, Copyright and Strategic Planning in over 25 countries.
To register to attend this event please click here: http://www.encatc.org/register/