Amateo Online Conference | Friday January 22nd 2021
Cultural budgets are coming under more and more pressure. On top of that, the cultural and creative sectors themselves are among the most seriously damaged by the effects of the pandemic. Many cultural activities are being halted, millions of jobs are frozen or wiped out, micro and small businesses are on the brink of bankruptcy and many talents are forced to leave the sector altogether.
In response to the current pandemic situation, a pan-European community of 110 networks and associations called on the European Commission to encourage Member States to fully integrate culture in their national recovery and resilience plans, allocating at the very least 2% of the RRF budgets to the culture and creative sectors, as called for by the European Parliament in its recent resolution on the “Cultural Recovery of Europe”. Now it is of course important to support the cultural and creative sectors in these difficult times, it is perhaps even more important to give this sector an active role in the national recovery and resilience plans of their respective countries.
Coronavirus is not the only crisis we find ourselves in, but also the decline in biodiversity, the climate crisis and the energy transition. These are major issues that we now have to tackle! It takes imagination, and a creative process to change things. The culture and creative sectors can do that. It is increasingly recognized that art and culture have a special function as accelerators of change – through the ability to reach people at the level of emotions and beliefs, provide new ways to see problems and develop creative solutions.
How can we stimulate collaboration between the participatory arts and other sectors/domains (like health & wellbeing / Sustainable Development Goals / biodiversity / agriculture / shrinkage areas)? And how can local/regional government authorities become cooperation partners of organisations in the voluntary and amateur arts?
By means of Best Practices, we want to explore new opportunities and inspire practitioners and organisers of participatory arts, politicians, etc. Together we will assess ways to collaborate and Reset the Stage by means of some examples that go beyond art for art’s sake, they make art for our sake.
Contact: Jan-Willem van Kruyssen, jw@vankruyssen.eu, +31 (0)631665582