The Arterial network to Facilitate Participation of African Journalists at the Highway Africa Conference
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January newsletter
| THEARTERIAL NETWORK | ||||
| JANUARY
2009 | NEWSLETTER Welcome to the January newsletter from the ARTerial Network. The ARTerial Network is an informal, dynamic network of individuals, organisations, donors, companies and institutions engaged in the African cultural sector. The Network was formed to support the effectiveness and growth of the African arts and culture civil society and to enhance the sustainability of creative industries in Africa. |
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World Summit on the Arts The World Summit on the Arts and Culture – an initiative of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) - will be held in Africa for the first when it takes place in Johannesburg in September 2009. The theme of the Summit is “Meeting of Cultures: Creating Meaning (through the Arts)”. A Task Team appointed at the Africa Dialogue symposium hosted by the National Arts Council of South Africa in October last year, met in Addis Ababa in early January to plan how the World Summit could leave a meaningful legacy for the African creative sector. It was agreed that the Summit provided unique opportunities a.to assert an
African agenda in world cultural affairs
b.to provide African intellectual leadership on global cultural issues c.to project African artists, products, ideas and values into the world arena d.to build national, regional, continental and international networks within the cultural sector and e.to align and assert the interests of African civil society in the creative sphere within national, regional and continental frameworks The Task Team further agreed a. to aim to have at
least 120 African delegates at the Summit, with each country on the
continent to be represented
b. to extend the Task Team to make it more representative and to assist in planning, recruiting delegates and building synergies with other African initiatives. c. to develop an “African agenda” – in the context of current global arts and culture discourses and priorities – and to build support for this agenda on the continent and beyond. d. to ensure that there a mechanism is created at the Summit to take further and implement practical resolutions to advance the African creative sector so that the Summit is not simply a talk shop The Task Team met with the African Union’s Culture Department which is responsible for driving the implementation of the Nairobi Plan adopted by Ministers of Culture on the African continent. It was a fruitful meeting with the AU agreeing in principle to having representation on the Task Team in order to align their macro creative industries and cultural plans with those of civil society. *******************************************
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The Arterial Network and the
Summit
At its first meeting in August 2007, the Arterial Network Task Team agreed to seek to work with the organisers of the Summit in ensuring its success. It was also agreed that the Arterial Network would meet on a bi-annual basis after its founding conference on Goiree Island in March 2007, and that the Summit represented an ideal opportunity for the next continental meeting of the Arterial Network. The World Summit Task Team agreed to work with the Arterial Network Task Team to pursue mutual interests through the Summit, and to this end, both Task Teams will meet in Zanzibar (also to coincide with a meeting of Art Moves Africa) on 12 February. It is likely that the Arterial Network conference will take place 20-21 September in Johannesburg so that delegates can then participate in the Summit immediately afterwards. *******************************************
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Task Team
meeting
The Arterial Network Task Team meeting in Zanzibar will be its third since its election on Goiree Island. Basma el Husseiny has resigned from the Task Team as it is likely that her services will be required on a remunerated basis to fulfil particular tasks such as helping to establish the Africa Fund for Arts and Culture. The February meeting will consider reports on current projects, adopt plans and budgets for the next year and work with the Summit Task Team in preparing for September 2009. A new Task Team will be elected at the Arterial Network conference in September. *******************************************
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Website launched
The Arterial Network’s website has been launched at www.arterialnetwork.org. While still a work in progress, the website will provide regular updates on the organisation’s activities. One of the major projects of the Arterial Network is the development of a portal – in English and French – that would serve as a directory of information about the arts, culture and creative industries of the continent. This is a major undertaking, and it is intended that this portal will go live by the end of March 2009. *******************************************
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European Union funding for
Arterial Network projects
HIVOS and its African partner – the Africa Centre in Cape Town – submitted an application to the European Union after it issued a call for applications along the theme of “Investing in People: Access to local culture, protection and promotion of cultural diversity”. This application was submitted in early 2008 under the title “Linking creativity and building capacity for cultural diversity in Africa”, and the European Union has approved funding of 500 000 Euros over three years for this programme. There are five main areas covered by the programme: 1. the collection and distribution of information through the development and maintenance of the portal on African arts, culture and creative industries, a regular newsletter and a printed Directory on African Arts, Culture and Heritage 2. the annual winter school to train and develop artists’ networks on the continent to develop civil society capacity in cultural policy advocacy, defence of the rights of artists, etc 3. the establishment of a transnational fund to support the African creative sector 4. the development of partnerships between African and European artists’ networks to promote cultural exchange and to project African artists, cultural goods and services into European markets and 5. the coordinating work of the Arterial Network’s Secretariat *******************************************
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Research into the African
Creative Economy
The Arterial Network’s project to undertake research into the impact of the arts on the African economy and to train African researchers in this field has got under way with funding from the Doen Foundation in the Netherlands and the Stromme Foundation in Norway. Agoralumiere – led by Marc Nekeitar and Josie D’Angelo - is managing this project which saw three individuals from each of the DRC and Nigeria being taken through an intensive weeklong training programme in creative industry research by Avril Joffe in Addis Ababa in mid-January. A key outcome of this project is to collect and make available all the research done into the impact of the arts and creative industries in any African region or country in the last five years. If readers know of any such studies, they are encouraged to send this information as soon as possible to Avril Joffe at avril@caj.co.za. *******************************************
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African Fund for Arts and
Culture
As reported in previous newsletters, preliminary research has been undertaken into the feasibility of a transnational fund to support the African creative sector modelled on the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture. The Task Team will meet the researchers in Zanzibar and will map a way forward, with the aim of having such a fund established by, or during 2010. The need for funds for the African creative sector was a key challenge identified at the Goiree conference, and UNESCO’s Convention on the Promotion and Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions calls for the creation of a fund to assist creative industries in developing countries. *******************************************
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The Arterial Network’s first winter
school to help build sustainable national and regional artists’
networks and advocacy groups in Africa will take place in Cape Town
from 1-10 June 2009.
Funded by the European Union, the winter school aims to have two representatives from ten African countries per year in an intensive training programme that will be an exciting combination of a seminar programme on contemporary issues such creative industries, culture and development and cultural diversity; practical workshops in fundraising, lobbying and the use of technology in the arts, and group work sessions devising cultural policy, programmes of action and membership benefits. Representatives from artists’ networks and unions in Europe will be invited to the latter part of the winter school to establish partnerships with African artists’ networks that would encourage exchange and collaboration over a period of at least five years. Participation in the Winter School will be fully funded for African delegates. Applications to attend close on 20 February. Applicants are to provide the following: a. a letter of application detailing the name, contact details and website of the network/advocacy group/artists’ union and motivation to be part of the winter school b. an outline of the history, activities and national membership of the organisation c. the names and positions (within the organisation) of two individuals who would represent the organisation at the winter school d. the names and contact details of two civil society referees based in their countries Applicants may operate in a particular discipline e.g. theatre, visual art, music or be multi-disciplinary in nature. It is the aim of the Arterial Network to build strong women leadership in the African creative sector, and applicants are encouraged to nominate at least one woman participant. Applications are to be sent to Margerie Vacle at margeriev@africacentre.net. Participants in the first winter school will be selected by the Task Team based on the strategic priorities of the Arterial Network and available funding. ******************************************* |
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| HIFA’S 10th Anniversary
Festival The tenth edition of the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) takes place from 28 April to 3 May 2009. Applications for participation are invited for this significant anniversary of a Festival that continues to be an oasis in the midst of economic ruin and social decline. For more information, see http://www.hifa.co.zw. |
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International Society of African
Philosophy
15TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Re-thinking the Idea of Africa in the Twentieth Century, April 1-3, 2009 University of Cheikh Anta Diop-Dakar Over the past two centuries, Western educated Africans have attempted to explain African societies, to define African societal and political organizations, and to imagine “Africanness” from an African perspective. Yet, rather than producing an Afri-centrist representation of things African, African thinkers frequently react to Western definitions of theAfrican subject, which have, since the 16th century, equated Africanness with inferiority. This reactionary tendency has led African thinkers and artists to acknowledge that one of the major challenges of African thought is to go beyond the reaction to Western definitions of the old continent in order to imagine Africa from an Afri-centrist perspective. ISAPS 15th annual conference, organized in collaboration with Cheikh Anta Diop University, welcomes papers that examine the extent to which discourses on Africa have evolved from the 19th to the 21st century. We invite participants to submit proposals that revisit the implications and possibilities of Afri-centrist conceptions of Africa. Papers that explore questions of identity, history, language, the arts, democracy, economic development, and otherness are particularly welcomed. Please send a short abstract in English or in French to: Cheikh Thiam, Linfield College, Oregon, USA, submissions@isapsonline.com For more information, see http://www.linfield.edu/directory/results.php. ******************************************
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Euro-African Campus for Cultural
Co-operation
The Euro-African Campus for Cultural Cooperation will be held from 22-26 June 2009 in Maputo, Mozambique. The main aim of the Campus is to provide a meeting, training and exchange point for cultural agents in Africa and Europe to reflect, transfer knowledge, exchange experiences and discuss possible joint initiatives in the field of cultural cooperation, in the broader context of the contribution of culture to sustainable development. The proposal has been designed by the Interarts Foundation and the Observatory of Cultural Policies in Africa (OCPA), in the framework of a cultural cooperation programme initiated in 2003 that involves research, awareness-raising, training and networking activities. Both organisations share an aim to further integrate cultural elements in development strategies and promote the transfer of knowledge and practices in the field of cultural policy. The Euro-African Campus for Cultural Cooperation aims to build on other relevant initiatives and involve other partners and organisations with shared aims, in order to guarantee the relevance and effectiveness of the event. For further information, please contact: Interarts Carrer Mallorca 272, 9th floor 08037 Barcelona Tel: ( 34) 934 877 022 Fax: ( 34) 934 872 644 E-mail: africa@interarts.net URL: www.interarts.net Observatory of Cultural Policies in Africa (OCPA) 725, Avenida da Base N'Tchinga P. O. Box 1207 Maputo, Mozambique. Tel: ( 258) 21 418 649 Fax: ( 258) 21 418 650 E-mail: secretariat@ocpanet.org URL: www.ocpanet.org ******************************************
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The second International Conference on
African Culture and Development (ICACD 2009), Accra, Ghana June
14th-24th 2009 The Conference, organized under the theme, ‘African Culture and the Millenium Development Goals,’ seeks to draw global attention to African arts and culture and the significant impact it has on the development of the African continent. It aims to bring together scholars from a broad range of disciplines spanning Development Studies, African Culture, Social Sciences and Humanities as well as representatives of African Traditional Institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations and Government Agencies to discuss a variety of topics aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals while strengthening the outcomes of ICACD 2008. Call for Papers The organizers of the conference invite the submission of papers on the topics outlined below and others falling within the scope of the meeting to be considered for presentation and discussion at the conference. Outlined topics for the conference include: • MDG 1& 2 in the context of African Culture. • Cultural Partnership for Development • African Culture and Conflict Resolution in Africa • African Culture and Governance in Africa The deadline for the submission of Abstracts is Friday, April 24 2009. Abstracts can be submitted to Kojo Appiah , email: kojoappiah@ccoghana.org For more information check: http://www.icacd.ccoghana.org/call_papers.asp ******************************************
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Africa 2009 Special Seminar on Challenges
of Heritage and Poverty Alleviation
This seminar will take place from 2-6 March 2009 in Sao Tome, Sao Tome e Principe and is organised by AFRICA 2009 Programme, Ecole du Patrimoine Africain, African World Heritage Fund, Direction Générale de la Culture de Sao Tomé et Principe. Africa 2009 is a ten-year capacity building programme launched in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in 1998. It is the result of a survey and needs assessment carried out in 1996. The programme is a joint effort of African cultural heritage organizations, EPA, CHDA, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, ICCROM, and CRATerre-ENSAG. It is rooted in the notion that the problems facing conservation in Africa must be addressed not only through technical solutions, but also through a better understanding of the relationship between the immovable cultural heritage and its social-economic and environmental aspects. The programme which, closes at the end of 2009, has during its various phases continuously contributed to the improvement of national capacities in the management and conservation of immovable cultural heritage in sub Saharan Africa. Africa 2009 is supported by following sources: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through the Swedish National Heritage Board, the Ministry Foreign Affairs of Norway, Italy, Finland, UNESCO World Heritage Committee and ICCROM. A study of national economic policies of various African countries has shown that most African development policy makers generally view cultural heritage as a barrier to poverty eradication and economic development and as a result, most African development policies do not mention culture or only mention culture in a negative way. Heritage practitioners on the other hand, argue that cultural heritage can directly contribute to poverty eradication by acting as a resource that cultural practitioners and local communities can use to generate income, create employment for themselves and others, and ultimately improve living conditions. This seminar seeks to show how preserving and promoting cultural heritage is fundamental to the eradication of extreme poverty in Africa and how local communities in these countries can harness cultural heritage to stimulate sustainable economic growth and, thus, help meet some of their country’s Millennium Development Goals. This exchange forum will also identify mechanisms and possible partnerships for a better use of heritage as a development tool. 15 to 18 heritage professionals from sub Saharan Africa will be selected for the seminar. Contact: Africa 2009 Special Regional Seminar on Heritage and Poverty alleviation Ecole du Patrimoine Africain (EPA) B.P. 2205, Rue de l’Inspection Porto Novo, Bénin Tel. 229 214838 Fax: 229 212109 ******************************************
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| Putting Culture
First In March 2008, the Commonwealth Foundation's Culture and Diversity Programme launched a major research project into culture, cultural policy and development, called "Putting Culture First". How does 'culture' become intrinsic to development, rather than simply instrumental? Putting Culture First is a research project recognising culture as a foundational pillar of development, and seeking to identify what the principal connections look like in practice. To download the report please see http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/culturediversity/Research/ ******************************************
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| International Arts
Residencies At the end of June 2009 six grants of up to £8,000 each will be awarded to artists to travel and study in another Commonwealth country. The scheme is part of the Culture Programme of the Commonwealth Foundation. The residencies are open to professional visual artists who are citizens of a Commonwealth country. Eligible artforms are: basketry, ceramics, decorative arts, glass, installation art, jewellery, painting, papier mache, performance art, photography, printmaking, sculpture, silversmithing, textiles and video art. Applicants may apply online, by email or by post. Deadline for receipt of entries: 1 March 2009 Further information and downloadable application form can be found at www.commonwealthfoundation.com/artsresidencies You may also request further information and an application form by emailing e.dcosta@commonwealth.int Commonwealth Connections, Commonwealth Foundation, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HY, United Kingdom *************************************
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Perspective on Impact Evaluation :
Approaches to Assessing Development
Effectiveness An International Conference in Africa for policy-makers, program managers, evaluators, sponsors and other stakeholders in evaluation and development Sunday 29 March – Thursday 2 April 2009 Semiramis InterContinental Hotel, Cairo, Egypt For more info, please check http://www.impactevaluation2009.org/home/?navID=1&itemID=1 *************************************
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Contact
details
If you wish to make contact with the Arterial Network or if you received this newsletter second hand and would like to be on our database, contact Margerie Vacle: margeriev@africacentre.net; Florence Mukanga: florencem@africacentre.net or Mike van Graan mikevg@africacentre.net |
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