The Arterial network to Facilitate Participation of African Journalists at the Highway Africa Conference
2009 May
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| THE ARTERIAL NETWORK |
MAY 2009 | NEWSLETTER Dear #Firstname# Welcome to the May newsletter from the ARTerial Network, 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. |
| Table of contents I. What’s new with the ARTterial Network? Africa Day website launch First ARTerial Network Winter School begins this Monday Second ARTerial Network conference, applications still open II. Calls for projects/Invitations Third World Culturlink Conference, Call for papers UNESCO International Literacy Prizes Orient Global Freedom to Create Prize Alter-Ciné Foundation Documentary Film Grants Launch of the Spier Contemporary 2010 III .Conferences Efforts to implement the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions are underway! Euro-African Campus for Cultural Co-Operation, What’s on! 2nd Pan-African Cultural Festival World Summit registrations now open! ICACD Conference, November 15th to 18th 2009 IV. Cultural events Ecrans Noirs 2009 Environmental Film Festival of Accra (EFFA) Kaay Fecc 2009 Duo Solo Dance Festival Timitar Festival National Arts Festival 2009 V. Others Launch of the World Digital Library VI. Contact us |
| I. What’s new with the ARTterial Network? |
| Africa Day website launch www.artsinafrica.com To coincide with Africa Day on 25 May, the ARTerial Network launched is Arts in Africa website at the Goethe Institute in Johannesburg, with Lupwishi Mbuyamba, Executive Director of the Observatory for Cultural Policies in Africa (OCPA) as the guest speaker. Still in development, the website – www.artsinafrica.com – was initiated in response to the overwhelming need expressed at the Arterial Network’s founding conference for comprehensive, up-to-date information about the arts and creative industries in Africa to facilitate networking, tours and building regional markets. Funded by the European Union, the website has a full-time researcher in Florence Mukanga. Comments and feedback to site and suggestions for links to other relevant sites are strongly encouraged: florence@arterialnetwork.org |
| First ARTerial Network Winter School begins this Monday 1-10 June 2009 At the first ARTerial Network Winter School, 17 countries are represented: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The participants of the Winter School are involved in diverse cultural networks representing the panel of the artistic fields. The aim of the Winter School is to help build or consolidate sustainable artists’ networks on the African continent. The winter school will run from 1-10 June in Kalk Bay, Cape Town, and, with the generous support of the European Union and HIVOS, will be repeated over the next two years. The program of this first edition is a mixture of conferences, debates and group workshops focusing on the following topics: “Artists’Networks in Africa: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats”, “Defining issues for lobbying”, “Using technology for networking”, “Developing cultural policy: Why? How? What?”, “Setting up international partnerships”… The aim is that eventually there will be at least 25 national artists’ networks that would be affiliated to a Pan-African Network of Artists’ Networks. This Pan-African Network would be the voice of the cultural civil society sector on the continent which would facilitate regional, continental and global partnerships to promote the African creative sector. A “Network toolkit” will gather and summarize ideas and proposals developed during the Winter School. For more information: margerie@arterialnetwork.org or www.arterialnetwork.org . |
| Second ARTerial Network conference, applications still ope 20 - 22 September, Johannesburg The second conference of the ARTerial Network will be held from 20-22 September in Johannesburg. More than 200 applications were received to participate at this second conference of the ARTerial Network and about 70 delegates are expected to represent all the regions of the continent The theme of the conference is “Advancing the rights and status of African artists through the Nairobi Plan of Action on Cultural Industries”. The Nairobi Plan has been adopted by the African Union and African Ministers of Culture and it represents an opportunity for civil society organisations to promote their interests and better conditions for artists working and living in African countries. The dates of the ARTerial Network conference coincide with the World Summit on Arts and Culture to be held in Johannesburg from 22 to 25 September 2009, which will be very convenient for the delegates who would like to attend the Summit. For more information or to apply to attend the second ARTerial Network conference please send your CV to Margerie Vacle: margerie@arterialnetwork.org . |
| II. Calls for projects / Invitations |
| Third World Culturelink Conference, Call for papers 13-15 November 2009, Zagreb, Croatia The Culturelink Network celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. To mark this occasion, we are organizing the Third World Culturelink Conference under the title "Networks – The Evolving Aspects of Culture in the 21st Century", to be held from 13 to 15 November 2009 in Zagreb, Croatia. The conference is envisaged to bring together Culturelink Network's members, researchers, professionals, and many others who perceive networking as one of the most intriguing phenomenon of contemporary culture. The Third World Culturelink Conference will investigate into the role and relevance that cultural networks hold for cultural development. A retrospective overview of the cultural networks phenomena in the past 20 years will pose as grounds for debate on new perspectives of cultural networking in the 21st century. Special consideration will be given to issues regarding the position of cultural networks within cultural policies structures, as well as to the effective usage of innovative ICT and networking applications that significantly develop the modes and scopes of activities of cultural networks. The event will include discussions on the promotion and affirmation of cultural diversity and intercultural communication through networking processes and will closely look at case studies from all regions of the world, thus providing comparative examples and experiences on a global level. We invite the submission of papers to be included in the Third World Culturelink Conference programme. All proposals should be submitted for revision by 15 July 2009 to clinkconf@irmo.hr. For more information about the submission of the papers: www.culturelink.org/clinkconf.html . |
| UNESCO International Literacy Prizes Deadline Date: June 30, 2009 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Member States are invited to submit projects and programmes for the 2009 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes. The theme is “Literacy and Empowerment”. The 2009 Literacy Prizes intend to reward well-established and innovative practices documenting how literacy skills (basic skills in reading, writing, and numeracy) contribute to empowerment, enabling people to better direct and control their lives. For more information: literacyprizes@unesco.org or visit the UNESCO website. |
| Orient Global Freedom to Create Prize The Prize honours artists on the frontlines who promote social justice, build foundations for open societies and inspire the human spirit. Categories: Main, Imprisoned Artist, Youth Entry Deadline: 14 August 2009 Total Prize Fund: US$125,000 To find out more, please visit: www.freedomtocreateprize.com E-mail: info@freedomtocreateprize.com |
Alter-Ciné Foundation Documentary Film Grants Deadline Date: August 15, 2009 The Alter-Ciné Foundation offers a yearly grant to young film and video makers born and living in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to direct a documentary film on the theme of rights and freedoms, including social and economic rights, women’s rights, the right to culture, and artistic creation. The Foundation will award a grant of CDN$10,000 to a video or filmmaker to assist in the production of a documentary project. The grant is aimed at young video and filmmakers who want to direct a film in the language of their choice that respects the aims of the Foundation. Tel: 1 514 273 7136 E-mail: alter@mlink.net |
| Launch of the Spier Contemporary 2010 The Spier Contemporary 2010 is inviting all artists living in South Africa to reflect their experiences, aspirations and visions through new work submitted to this competition/exhibition. The deadline for submissions is the 30th October 2009. The Spier Contemporary was born in 2007/08 and is growing to become the largest biennale art competition and exhibition in South Africa. The inaugural exhibition received over 2,500 submissions from around the country, exhibited 95 artists in Cape Town and Johannesburg, hosted 25,000 visitors and awarded R1,000,000 in prize money. To find out more, please visit www.spiercontemporary.co.za E-mail: spiercontemporary@africacentre.net |
| III. Conferences |
| Efforts to implement the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions are underway ! At the first Conference of Parties to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Intergovernmental Committee was tasked with developing operational directives for convention implementation. The Intergovernmental Committee has held two regular meetings and two special sessions. The second Conference of the Parties will be held from June 15 to 18, 2009, at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. 99 had ratified the treaty. Efforts to implement the treaty are well underway, but the mobilization campaign to encourage Member States who haven’t already done so to ratify the treaty must continue with commitment and conviction. The Convention’s legitimacy will be directly proportional to the number of countries from all parts of the world that ratify, accept, approve, or join the treaty. More information about the Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions visit the UNESCO website. |
| Euro-African Campus for Cultural Co-Operation: what’s new? 22-26 June 2009, Maputo, Mozambique 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 programme is available at this link www.interarts.net/descargas/interarts394.pdf With over 80% of speakers confirmed by now, the registration period remains open. Please register as soon as possible, as places are limited. The Campus programme, a registration sheet and practical information is available at www.interarts.net. |
| 2nd Pan-African Cultural Festival 5 to 20 July 2009, Algiers, Algeria The 2nd Pan-African Cultural Festival will be taking place in Algiers from July 5 to 20, 2009. The event hopes to draw hundreds of thousands of people to celebrate Africa's artistic renaissance. Algeria, commissioned by the African Union (AU) to organize this festival under the banner of "African renaissance", has already received confirmation of participation from 44 countries on the 53 AU members, said Algerian Minister of Culture Khalida Toumi at a press conference in Algiers. Panaf 2009 will showcase the richness and beauty of African culture and cultural expressions such as drama, music, dance, film, literature, cartoons, visual arts, and traditional crafts. The programme includes exhibitions of contemporary African art, design, photography, fashion design, architecture, and the Sahara. Also planned are symposia and conferences that will touch on subjects ranging from colonialism in Africa, the origins of the human race and zaouia tidjania to theatre and financing film productions in Africa. A lot of preparation has already gone into the festival, with the Algerian Ministry of Culture having launched an Internet Site dedicated entirely to the event. The first event of this nature, organised by the Organisation of African Unity, was held in Algeria in 1969. The colorful and poetic programme is available on the Panaf 2009 website: www.panafalger2009.com |
| World Summit registrations now open ! Registration is now open at www.artsummit.org for the 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture, to be held in Johannesburg, on 22-25 September 2009. IFACCA’s World Summits are triennial events that aim to provide an opportunity to discuss key issues affecting public support for the arts and creativity as well as catering for IFACCA members and affiliates. The Summit is open to representatives of national arts funding bodies, ministries of culture, culture networks, city and local government, foundations, the private sector, arts policy makers, researchers, artists, arts educators, administrators and anyone interested in arts support and policy. The theme of the Summit is Meeting of cultures: Making meaning through the arts. Further information on the programme is published on the website. Contact: E-mail: info@artsummit.org Rosie Katz, World Summit Coordinator: rosie@artslink.co.za / +27 11 838 1383 |
ICACD Conference, November 15th to 18th 2009 The Secretariat for the International Conference on African Culture and Development (ICACD) has re-scheduled the 2009 Conference with the new dates being November 15th to 18th 2009. In announcing the new dates, Secretariat Chairman and former Director of the Secretariat Mr. Kojo Appiah-Kubi also announced the appointment of the new Executive Director for the Secretariat, Mr. Tony Duke. The 2009 ICACD conference will take place in Accra, Ghana and will bring together academics, policy makers, artists, cultural workers and representatives from NGO’s and Government agencies. The themes for the 2009 Conference will address the impact of culture on achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Duke said: « For ICACD 2009 we are additionally negotiating to host focus events on Culture, Governance and Traditional Leadership. As well as, Art and Culture as tools for conflict resolution. The 2008 Conference highlighted the importance of this initiative and we are heartened at the initial support and interest that has been pledged for 2009. » The 2nd International Conference on African Culture and Development is a timely and important event for Africa and the nations of the world that support a just and equitable future for the people of Africa. For too long those wishing to help us have denied our culture and thereby denied our voice in finding the solutions and strategies that will take Africa forward. I invite you to attend ICACD and work with us to give us that voice, added Appiah-Kubi. For more details and information please visit: www.icacdafrica.org or contact: Kojo Appiah-Kubi kojo@icacdafrica.org +233 244 634 960 Tony Duke tony@icacdafrica.org +233 542 943 833 |
| IV. Cultural events |
| Ecrans Noirs 2009 From 30 May to 6 June, 2009 in Yaoundé, Cameroon The theme for this 13th edition is « Cinema and Economy ». www.ecrans-noirs.org contact@ecrans-noirs.org |
| Environmental Film Festival of Accra (EFFA) From 4 to 12 June, 2009 in Accra, Ghana The festival’s films are selected to stimulate the audience to consider how social and physical environments have changed over the past years both in Ghana and around the globe. This unique festival was founded to raise awareness of environmental issues through film. The festival aims both to entertain and to educate, targeting both the general public and school children. The festival also hopes to encourage young filmmakers to produce high quality films with a social message while also encouraging the audience to consider the issues that touch them. www.effaccra.org |
| Kaay Fecc 2009 From 30 May to 5 June , 2009 in Dakar, Senegal The 5th edition of Kaay Fecc, an international dance festival, addresses the tension being "being" and "appearing" by putting in perspective the issue of rootedness and openness. www.kaayfecc.com |
| Duo Solo Dance Festival From 8 to 12 June, 2009, Saint Louis, Senegal The international contemporary dance festival. duosolodanse@gmail.com duosolodanse.com |
| Timitar Festival From 1 to 5 July, 2009 in Agadir, Maroc The 6th edition of the Festival Timitar has become the annual rendezvous of Amazigh music and world music. It will take place this year from 1 to 5 July in Agadir. press.international@gmail.com www.festival-timitar.com |
| National Arts Festival 2009 From 2 to 11 July, 2009, Grahamstown, South Africa The largest festival of its kind in Africa. A true Arts Festival with drama, dance, visual arts, music, film, jazz, painting, sculpting, etc. One festival NOT to be missed on your arts calendar. info@nationalartsfestival.co.za www.nationalartsfestival.co.za |
| V. Others |
| Launch of the World Digital Library On 21 April, UNESCO, the US Library of Congress and 31 other partner institutions launched the World Digital Library, a website that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives around the world. The site includes manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, prints and photographs, which are made available free of charge. For further information, visit www.wdl.org |
| VI. Contact Us |
If you wish to contact the ARTerial Network or if you received this newsletter second hand and would like to be on our database write to: info@arterialnetwork.org and for further information, visit www.arterialnetwork.org and www.artsinafrica.com . Tel: + 27 (0) 21 465 9027 The ARTerial Network Union House, Second Floor 25 Commercial Street Cape Town 8001 South Africa |
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