The regional conference Cultu(RE)gion online! The Future Goes By, dealing with the significance of culture portals, the need to utilize the potential of Internet development and opportunities and challenges on the path towards innovative cooperation in the region will take place on 8-9 December 2008 in Belgrade. It is organized by Goethe Institute Belgrade and the Portal for Culture of South-Eastern Europe, SEEcult.org.

The conference be held in the premises of Goethe Institute in Belgrade, and it is an activity within the two-year project for development of Informal Network of Cultural Portals of South-Eastern Europe inSEEcp (Informal Network of South-East European Cultural Portals), supported by the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe.

Read more: inseecp

12 June 2008
City Hotel Ljubljana, Dalmatinova 15, Slovenia

Short overview of the conference

The international conference dedicated to the topic of networking and stimulating transnational cooperation and free flow of information in the cultural sector hosted altogether 150 participants, mainly representatives of various international cultural networks, including ca. 50 delegates of European Cultural Contact Points.

A lively and sincere discussion involving speakers as well as the audience has reaffirmed the absolute significance of transnational networks while highlighting their specific roles as:
- ‘guardians’ of the public domain (the power of networking is sharing),
-  common platforms for identification of and discussion on relevant issues,
- ‘translators’ (mediators) between different stakeholders,
- empowering structures (survival and self-education; visibility and recognition),
- enablers of the decentralisation of cultural industry.

In general it was stressed that culture should not be seen as a mean (illustration, decoration, PR) but as a value as such. As a concrete example of anachronistic notion of the role of culture in our society, the obsolete and unproductive category of »Ambassadors« supported within the EU Culture Programme was pointed out. This financial support should be rather used to stimulate networks and festivals which can actually enhance transnational cooperation.

Appropriate conditions on the national and regional levels as well should enable and enhance transnational cooperation through programmes stimulating mobility of cultural workers. The EU support programmes should broaden the geographical scope and substantially include the EU neighbourhood (more should be invested on future Members and regions “on the borders”).

Existing definitions related to networks are out of date and networks should adopt more innovative conceptions of operation and contemporary, synthetic approach. We should avoid thinking in paradigm of a rigid and stable structure (‘network’) but rather of a fluid and changing process (‘networking’).

Alenka Pirman, moderator
Mateja Lazar, organiser (CCP Slovenia)

About the conference
http://www.ccp.si/re-network/english/#4
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The international conference Re-network! was organised within the Informal meeting of European Cultural Contact Points, Ljubljana and Maribor, 11–14 June 2008, being one of the official events of the Slovene EU Presidency cultural programme.
Re-network! was organized by Cultural Contact Point Slovenia / SCCA, Center for Contemporary Arts-Ljubljana with a support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the European Commission (DG EAC) and Executive Agency (EACEA), Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenian EU Presidency Secretariat, CCP Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia and other partners.
This conference reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Networking in arts and culture has had a long tradition in Europe and there is hardly any professional organisation that is not a member of at least one international network. However, networks as well are facing radical changes affecting cultural industries: new technologies enabling free flow of works and information, audience being transformed into active users…

With the special emphasis put on the intercultural dialogue between the EU and SEE the conference’s aim is to find out how ”old” and ”new” cultural networks respond to these circumstances and how they manage the problem of free flow of information especially if relevant to transnational cooperation.

The conference will be opened with the introductory speeches by Barbara Kozelj, director-general of the Directorate for Art, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and Marko Peljhan, ambassador of Intercultural Dialogue. Alenka Pirman, artist and founding member of the Domestic Research Society, will moderate discussion with the representatives of EU & SEE cultural networks: Daphne Tepper (Culture Action Europe – EFAH), Pal Steigan (TEH), Vesna Milosavljevic (inSEEcp), Juan Carlos De Martin (COMMUNIA), Dragana Alfirevic (Balkan Dance Network).

Moreover, two keynote speakers will present their views on and experience in networking and free flow of information: Peter Inkei (Budapest Observatory) and Vuk Cosic (net artist).

Re-network! represents a public part of the Informal meeting of European Cultural Contact Points (CCP Meeting) taking place in Ljubljana and Maribor from 11 to 14 June 2008 as one of the official events within the Slovene EU Presidency cultural programme. As a parallel event, the inSEEcp Meeting will take place, gathering editors of on-line cultural portals from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosna and Hercegovina.

12 June 2008, from 9.00 to 12.30
City Hotel Ljubljana, Dalmatinova 15, Slovenia

Registration
By filling the electronic form, please confirm your participation at the conference Re-network! by Monday, 2 June 2008. Only on the basis of your on-line registration CCP Slovenia will be able to arrange your accreditation. The conference is free of charge; travel and hotel accommodation will be covered by participants.

Further information
Re-network! website: General information / Target Group / Conference programme / Presentation of the speakers and panellists / Registration
Contact person: Mateja Lazar, CCP Slovenia, tel.: 00 386 1 431 83 85, e-mail:ccp@scca-ljubljana.si

Re-network! is organized by Cultural Contact Point Slovenia / SCCA, Center for Contemporary Arts-Ljubljana with a support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, the European Commission (DG EAC) and Executive Agency (EACEA), Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenian EU Presidency Secretariat, CCP Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia and other partners.

This conference reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

SCCA-Ljubljana
Center for Contemporary Arts
Metelkova 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
http://www.scca-ljubljana.si
phone: 00 386 1 431 83 85
fax: 00 386 1 430 06 29
contact person: Dusan Dovc
e-mail: info@scca-ljubljana.si

SCCA-Ljubljana program is supported by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and City of Ljubljana.

SCCA-Ljubljana is a member of Asociacija, the association of non-government organisations and independent creators in the field of culture and art in Slovenia.

Present (representatives of InSEEcp and of CCPs HR and SLO):
- Anja Jelavic (Ministry of Culture of Republic Croatia / CCP HR)
- Deborah Hustic (Ministry of Culture of Republic Croatia / Culturenet.hr)
- Dea Vidovic (Clubture Network / Kulturpunkt.hr)
- Marija Mojca Pungercar & Dusan Dovc (SCCA-Ljubljana / Artservis & Evrokultura)
- Mateja Lazar (SCCA-Ljubljana / CCP SI)

Zagreb, February 7, 2008

A. Informal SEE Network of Cultural Portals
As the follow-up of two regional workshops of cultural portals, held 2006 and 2007 in Belgrade, the SEEcult.org portal for South-east Europe culture with its partners from region continues developmental project of networking in the field of digital culture in region.

At the meeting in Zagreb, members of the network discussed the aims of the network and how to start expanding the network by including portals from different SEE countries (1st stage: in the region of ex-YU countries).

The members agreed that first steps should be taken as follows:

Network
- to define ways of a formal operating of the network
- to review the statement of the network
- to describe the history of the network
- to review short descriptions of all members portals
- to prepare some questions for editors (politics, langugae, finances) in order to get similar descriptions of cultural portals
- to research culture on-line in BiH, Montenegro, Macedonia in order to detect possible new partners/members

The blog
- to start working on the inSEEcp blog
- to prepare links to network members
- to provide a domain for the blog
- to start organizing different contents for the blog (e.g. rubrics for cultural policies) and to search for interesting themes for the articles
- to prepare an article / editorial comment from the perspective of language (which language is used by different cultural portal) in the light of promoting multilingualism in Europe

Fundraising
- to prepare a project proposal for the ECF open call, deadline April 1, 2008

B. Meeting of the CCP Network during the Slovene EU Presidency

Mateja Lazar (responsible for the CCP SLO) presented the program of the CCP meeting (to be held in Ljubljana on June 12-14) including also a public conference dealing with the subject of networking in the cultural sector with a special emphasis on cultural cooperation between the EU and SEE region. This public event will be organized as a moderated discussion with guest speakers and panelists, aamong them two representatives of the Informal SEE Network of Cultural Portals.

Re-network!
International conference on networking in the cultural sector and stimulating transnational cooperation and free flow of information

In the light of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 (EYID), the meeting will focus on intercultural dialogue between the EU and South East Europe (SEE). The SEE region is an integral part of the Slovene orientation not only due to its historical and geographical links but also especially in the light of further enlargements of the European Union. On practical level, the meeting will be structured around the topic of fostering the networking and information flow between different arts and culture stakeholders in the EU and SEE region.

The international conference entitled Re-network! will be dedicated to the topic of networking seen as an indispensable prerequisite stimulating free flow of information and transnational cultural cooperation. Networking in arts and culture has had a long tradition in Europe and there is hardly any professional organisation that is not a member of at least one international network. However, networks as well are facing radical changes affecting cultural industries: new technologies enabling free flow of works and information, audience being transformed into active users… It seems that the only problem to be solved remains free flow of persons, i.e. transnational mobility of people working in the cultural sector.

With the special emphasis put on the intercultural dialogue between the EU and SEE the conference’s aim is to find out how “old” and “new” cultural networks respond to these circumstances and how they manage the problem of free flow of information especially if relevant to transnational cooperation.

The conference (public panel) will focus on the political and cultural context of developing and enabling cultural networks as a link between local, national and international cultural milieu.

(Text by Dusan Dovc: SCCA-Ljubljana / Evrokultura)

The second workshop of cultural portals from the SEE region was held on December 3-4, 2007 in Magacin Culture Centre in Belgrade, organized again by SEEcult.org with the support of the Goethe-Institut Belgrade, and bringing together the most active members of the inSEEcp in order to assess the results of joint activities and plan the agenda for 2008.

Among the participants, beside the representatives of the inSEEcp’s members (Artservis.org and Evrokultura.org, Slovenia, Culturenet.hr and Kulturpunkt.hr, Croatia, and SEEcult.org Serbia), was also Anja Seeliger, founding member of from Perlentaucher.de and SignandSight.com.

Reviewing joint activities between two workshops, participants from region agreed on network’s name inSEEcp, discussed about drafts of possible joint projects and possibilities to apply on several open calls due to need to find basic financial resources for further activities. Also was talking on possibilities for exchange of contents (writing, translating, publishing…at least one text monthly on actual cultural politics or related specific themes), as well as about possibility to establish a network for training new young collaborators (writers, editors… as inSEEcp’s internship program) etc.

Beside some organizational issues, like establishing rotating coordination, the workshop was dedicated to some concrete joint projects and among the conclusion of the workshop is to create inSEEcp’s blog on some of free services (like Blogger.com), where should be posted the Network’s manifesto, as well as data base on forming the network and its founding members, cultural policy in respective countries in the region regarding culture on internet and other related topics. In 2008 are also planed monthly features on themes of common interests,

SEEcult.org announced the third workshop in Belgrade until the end of 2008, which should bring together all participants from the first workshop, as well as new potential members from the region. Due to lack of money – not only for joint actions, but also for individual portal’s activities, the participants concluded that there is necessity for extra fund that will enable further networking, which is also one of the main tasks of coordination team.

The conclusions were presented at the panel discussion on the theme “Culture policy and Internet – SEE region and Europe”, moderated by the Goethe-Institute Belgrade’s director Jutta Gehrig. All participants presented situation in their respective countries, which again attracted significant interest of public, as well as print, electronic and Internet media.

All photos in this post by Tihomir Stojanovic, www.creemaginet.com (c)

(Text by Vesna Milosavljevic, SEEcult.org)

The inSEEcp was founded by representatives of SEEcult.org (Serbia); Culturenet.hr, Kulturpunkt.hr, Culturelink.hr and Knjiga.hr (Croatia); Radio Student, Artservis.org and Evrokultura.org (Slovenia); Culture.in.mk (Macedonia); Bosniaexpress.com (Bosnia). It was founded at the first workshop of regional cultural portals, held on November 27-29 in Belgrade, and organized by Belgrade based SEEcult.org portal for the SEE culture, with the support of the Goethe Institute Belgrade. Among the participants at the workshop “Culture on the Internet / Networking Participants in the Cultural Domain in South-East Europe through Specialized Internet Portals” at the Goethe Institute Belgrade also was N-ost.de portal and, as moderator, representative of Germany’s major independent online cultural magazine Perlentaucher.de and its English service Signandsight.com.

Regarding the importance of the presence of culture on internet, common problems of cultural portals in region (cultural policy, IT development, finance…), sort of a gap in this field between our most of our countries and EU, as well as fast development of web technology generally, the participants of the first workshop concluded that inSEEcp network is needed for exchanging information and experiences, improving professional and technical skills, support and promote quality culture production in the region and also to bring new audience to our respective portals, especially because of the fact that, as for now, there isn’t such of regional platform for cultural portals in the former Yugoslavia region and wider, while cooperation in culture on institutional (state) level between the countries in the region is slow and overwhelmed with various administrative issues.

The participants of the workshop agreed to make an informal network and set out a joint founding manifesto regarding common mission and goals, as well as to continue networking through the Internet, organizing follow-up training and networking workshops and building resources for various joint on-line and off-line activities.

Among the goals which were set out at the workshop are: promoting inter-cultural exchange and transnational debate between the countries of former Yugoslavia, promoting European integration from the bottom up by means of civil society networks on the Internet, communicating the significance of culture for system change and democratization in the region, as well as communicating the current gulf between the significance of cultural portals in SEE region and their poor financial backing, and engaging in joint fund raising strategies.

Also was concluded that Internet fulfils a crucial role in culture in region in the midst of transition and European integration process, because it facilitates and promotes transnational debate and cultural exchange among like-minded people in neighboring countries and the EU as a whole. It also contributes to the internationalization of the regional culture and art scene, enabling also the reverse process – promotion of contemporary world trends in region.

As part of the workshop also was held a panel discussion on the theme “Significance of Culture Portals”, which brought together representatives of state institutions, cultural institutions, the university, artist groups and artists, media, net-activists and other professionals from culture portal’s target groups, as well as public.

Among the participants of the round table were professor Milena Dragicevic Sesic from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, Belgrade Assistant Mayor Gorica Mojovic, Yugoslav Film Archive Museum director Dinko Tucakovic, Belgrade Dramatic Theatre director Nebojsa Bradic, editor of the daily Politika’s culture section Andjelka Cvijic and artist Zoran Popovic, and the aim was to affirm the significance of culture portals as the new media and platforms for comprehensive presentation of the regional culture and art scene, distinguishing the possibilities for networking them, for the purpose of internationalizing regional culture and art, as well as for promoting cooperation and networking between the participants in the culture and art domain.

The workshop and panel discussion triggered comprehensive coverage in Belgrade media, as well as on the culture and Internet related forums and blogs, and the German portal Signandsight.com, which was represented at the workshop by Gabriella Gönczy, in role of moderator, noted that “the workshop has shown that journalists, multiplicators and actors in the areas of culture and international communication have come much farther than politicians in the respective countries. With the networking possibilities of a cross-border medium like the Internet, this group shows much promise for promoting cultural dialogue between their countries and with the countries of the EU”.

Participants: Zlata Veselinovic (Bosniaexpress.com), Aleksandra Uzelac (Culturelink.hr), Dea Vidovic (Kulturpunkt.hr), Deborah Hustic (Culturenet.hr), Valerij Juresic (Knjiga.hr), Jasna Vrteva (Culture.in.mk), Marija Mojca Pungercar (Artservis.org), Petja Grafenauer (Radio Student), Dusan Dovc (Evrokultura.org), Vesna Milosavljevic and Mima Marjanovic (SEEcult.org), Jenni Winterhagen (N-ost.de).

(Text by: Vesna Milosavljevic, SEEcult.org)

The workshop “Culture on the Internet / Networking Participants in the Cultural Domain in South-East Europe through Specialized Internet Portals”, was the first initiative of that kind in the region, followed with the second workshop in December 2007, also in Belgrade, and other various activities of the founding members, including the inSEEcp’s blog as a joint platform for further various on-line and off-line actions for advocacy in culture on internet and cross-border cooperation, as well as for broadening the network.
(Text by Vesna Milosavljevic, SEEcult.org)