The project is the result of development work with Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Albania, Netherlands, Turkey and Scotland. We are still in discussion with Turkey and the Netherlands. It has been initiated by a consortium of people in Niš in south Serbia, the principle project leaders being the International Network Co-ordinator and the Director of the Centre for European Integration regional initiative. The initial approach to Centre for Community Arts Research & Practice [CCARP] to research and develop this project was in June 2005.
Since then considerable work has been achieved. The following developments have created the basis for the project:
A pan-European network for cultural development and democracy is being established with the partners in the countries and regions who wish to participate in the initiative. The network is being set up as an international civil sector network, a non-governmental organisation (NGO network) and will be supported locally by municipalities. Each partner is registering simultaneously a connected NGO with the European Commission to create the interdependent network. This sustains any strains on one particular partner should local contextual demands require temporary passive participation at any point. The network also supports any partner beyond the local focus towards the European integration and perspective. The individual funding and contextualised cultural development of each partner in the network will not put financial and cultural demands or strain on any individual partner. The democratic foundations, purpose, principles and ethics of the network will support, facilitate and monitor transparent and accountable activities.
The project's aim is to focus on creating this network and infrastructure to support community and cultural development throughout the region. It functions to have a system impact on the following areas:
- Reconciliation through Community Development, Arts Practices and Cultural Exchange
- Cultural Management, Lobbying, Project Management and Sustainability.
- Peace Building
- Social Inclusion
- Dialogue
- Regional Stability
- Co-operation
- Intercultural competence and collaboration across borders.
- Increased participation in the arts and the media and strategies to break cultural isolation.
- The cultural dimension of EU enlargement.
- Strategies for change within cultural infrastructures
- Creative responses to current political issues.
- Development of a common public and cultural European space.
A network coordinating centre is being established in Niš, Serbia, affiliated to CCARP, and is the main point of the cultural development network throughout South East Europe. The main part of CCARP's contribution will commence in September 2007. Extensive development work has been taking place since June 2005.
The network will support and develop the work of artists who have been trained by CCARP. The training will be offered at various levels of post-graduate study and will re-enforce the foundations and functions of the network which are using the arts for peace-building, the development of democracy, human rights, reconciliation and reclamation. The post-graduate training will be delivered in Bitola, Republic of Macedonia.
Once trained, it is these core artists and cultural workers who will form the initial network connected to each coordinating centre and the Niš Network Centre. These artists will go on to facilitate the cultural development and international exchange and other aspirations. They will also participate in the development of the Practical Connections fora which were initiated in Edinburgh in September 2005. This will support the sustainability of the work and ensure the continuous professional development of the artists and cultural workers. The Niš Centre will be responsible for co-ordinating funding and the project administration of this.
The fact that a number of countries are involved with this initiative presents potential for parallel project development which will create comparative research data and a network of sustainability and autonomy which will guard against regional and sectarian introspection. It will encourage European exchange and dialogue to foster the development of good practice, peer learning and is intrinsic to peaceful and prosperous Cultural Development. The foundations for this lie within Community Development practice and this enables the development of democracy, active learning, social justice and active citizenship.
The consortium of project initiators is negotiating an International Council of Advisors who will be the ethical guardians for the project. These include Amnesty, itiUNESCO and eminent academic and humanitarian people. Amnesty and itiUNESCO in Athens have committed to playing a main role in this ethical guardianship.
The particular and distinct role of Centre for Community Arts Research & Practice in Scotland.
Scotland is a small country with an international profile within the arts and cultural development. The Edinburgh International Festivals attract millions of people every year. Scotland's history of community and cultural development is studied throughout the world. We are renowned for our inventions and research and increasingly we have an international profile for our applied research. In the area of cultural development and democracy the Centre for Community Arts Research & Practice is the only International Centre based in Scotland and working in this field. The Centre has a distinct profile which mirrors Scotland's. The Centre makes a contribution to learning, research and development through practices which are high demand internationally. Within the pan-European project there are substantial research opportunities through capacity building.
The project offers the opportunity which the Scottish Executive has highlighted as the desirable exportation of Scotland's strong research work. It is a profiled international example of the excellence within Scottish research, it can be a resource for diplomatic exchange, it is an example of how a small dynamic country can move quickly and responsively in the international domain. It has potential links with new students for the School of Drama and QMUC and it also creates opportunities for collaborations with other centres, faculties and universities.
If you are interested in the project and would
like to find out more,
please e-mail sknight@qmuc.ac.uk