From surveys and publications, to open calls for digital residencies and funding, the world of culture is creatively rallying against the impact of the pandemic.
Culture, in all its forms, has suffered a huge blow worldwide due to COVID-19 pandemic. However, within this dystopic situation, initiatives emerge, which bring art to the forefront and attempt to alleviate anxiety, isolation and fear, and to stimulate creativity, mobilizing the world of culture. Eleusis 2021 – European Capital of Culture has already developed an important international network of partners, specifically through the Culture 2030 program. In fact, the main goals of the program are to bring together culture professionals from all over Europe and to address the common challenges they face today, in terms of cultural strategy and organization. In this context, and based on the current situation, it undertakes and gathers some of the initiatives supporting the artistic community, as well as some open invitations to programs that have already started throughout Europe, thus contributing to the support of the cultural market.
Initiatives of European Networks & Organizations
Future of Culture and Creative sectors in post COVID-19 Europe
European Cultural Foundation & Culture Action Europe
The organizations European Cultural Foundation & Culture Action Europe released a statement addressed to the European Commission, regarding the “Future of Culture and Creative sectors in post COVID-19 Europe.” In this way, the two European cultural organizations emphasize the importance of the initiatives and measures that are being developed to date by cities, provinces, the European Commission, the Member States and the Culture and Creative Economy sector itself.
Coronavirus: new platform for cultural and creative stakeholders
Creatives Unite
Creatives Unite is an initiative by the European Commission, which was created to connect the fields of Culture and the Creative Sector for the sharing of resources and answers about COVID-19. The new platform by Creatives Unite offers a common space for everyone seeking information, resources and other networks and organizations in the cultural and creative space responding to the Coronavirus crisis.
European Cultural Foundation
Read the statement by the European Cultural Foundation for Europe Day 2020. European sense of belonging and solidarity is more important now than it has ever been. Therefore, celebrating Europe Day is also as important as ever. That is why the European Cultural Foundation has created a website where you can experience and imagine Europe through stories, video clips, movies, podcasts, research, works of art, documentaries, campaigns, performances, discussions, etc.
CultureActionEurope
Read the statement by Culture Action Europe supporting the Culture 2030 Goal movement, in the context of its engagement in the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The aim of the Culture 2030 Goal campaign is to invite the services of the UN, local and national governments and all other stakeholders to act, so that in future societies, Culture will always be in the spotlight.
“Corona Virus – Funding sources: Arts, Culture and Mobility”
OntheMove & CIRCOSTRADA
The On the Move and Circostrada networks have created an extensive list of information on the state of the artistic and cultural sector, as well as of cultural mobility, in the context of the current crisis. The list is constantly updated and is global.
See all the information in detail here.
“From Barcelona to Buenos Aires and Hong Kong: The cultural mobilization of cities and local governments in the COVID-19 crisis #CULTUREcovid19”
UCLG
The global organization United Cities & Local Governements (UCLG) has gathered together the actions of cities and local governments, international cultural initiatives, as well as articles and thoughts on the future by renowned professionals from across the globe, on a single page, in response to the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, the goal of this action is the protection of cultural rights for all. The page is part of the “Live Learning Experience #BeyondTheOutbreak” initiative that was developed by UCLG. Visit the page here.
Re-imagining a post COVID-19 world
TheFestivalAcademy
The alumni of the Festival Academy and the professionals who are active in the field of festivals are developing, as a response to the crisis, proposals of solidarity, which also serve as strategies for dealing with an extremely urgent situation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. See all the initiatives here.
Open Calls
CULTUREPRENEURS by Urban Innovative Actions
CULTUREPRENEURS is an entrepreneurship education program for the cultural and creative industries, part of the Project Cluj Future of Work funded by the Urban Innovative Actions initiative of the European Commission. The organization Urban Innovative Actions will select a maximum of 60 participants and will support the implementation of sustainable business ideas. The deadline for applying for the program is July 10, 2020. For more information, terms and conditions and selection criteria, visit:
https://diviziadeinovare.ro/regulation-of-the-culturepreneurs-2020-program/
The second round of Culture of Solidarity Fund announced
European Cultural Foundation
The European Cultural Foundation, a partner organization of Eleusis 2021, released a second consecutive open call for the Culture of Solidarity Fund. This funding program supports imaginative cultural initiatives that, in the midst of the global crisis, strengthen Europe’s solidarity and the idea of a common public space, in which we all participate. The submission deadline is 22.06-14.07. For more information, click here
Open Call for Ideas
Civic Europe
Civic Europe is an incubator of new ideas for organizations and individuals in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, supporting civil society organizations at the local level. It provides grants of up to €50,000, and mentors up to 15 local initiative ideas in order for them to become reality! For more information, visit thsis link. Civic Europe is realized by MitOst and Sofia Platform, funded by Stiftung Mercator.
#CreativeEuropeAtHome | Share your art from home
Open invitation for a residency from home
Creative Europe
The European Commission is launching the #CreativeEuropeAtHome campaign, asking the beneficiaries of the Creative Europe program to offer their cultural activities online, to the general public at home. Read the entire announcement in Greek here.
Online Mobility Grant program
Citizens for Europe
The Citizens For Europe program is expanding its activities and offers the Online Mobility Grant program, providing an opportunity for the exchange of knowledge and experiences with colleagues, as well as the participation in events. You may find more information on the terms of participation here
Digital Discussions
Kaunas 2022 | Culture in the Time of Corona Forum
Click the following link to see the videos from the annual forum of Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022, which was held online, in collaboration with the Creative Europe Desk in Lithuania.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQRd4jXYdeNCKL9iCVGWV2A
Research
Cultural professional affected by#Covid19?
Take part in this survey & help shape recommendations to boost cultural and creative sectors after the crisis! → https://1ka.si/a/271744
This initiative is part of the ‘Makers’ Mobility’ Pilot project, supported by #CreativeEurope.
The Road to Reinvention
A People Centered Response to Recovery
The organization Urban Scale Interventions (USI) has used an innovative and interactive way to tell the story of “reinvention,” a project initiated by the changes and new opportunities that Covid-19 has brought forth on the personal, social and economic levels. The “Road to Reinvention,” as the innovative USI studio calls it, is developed in three sections, which include: results from their survey of lifestyle changes from Northern Ireland in Lockdown, 5 themes to lead a people-centered recovery and 3 tools to help professionals deliver change.
Art consumption and its connection to well-being during the Covid 19 pandemic | Art & Well-being
The project Art &Well-being, launched by four leading European institutions, conducts a survey on the consumption of art and its connection to well-being in the COVID-19 era. Fill out the questionnaire here in English by May 20, or invite friends and colleagues to do the same. The relationship between art and well-being is a question that has been on cultural professionals’ minds for many years. The aim of this survey is to expand this search within the COVID-19 era. The survey is open to anyone who wishes to participate, without discrimination in terms of age and origin.
COVID-19: Impact Survey on the Arts Residencies Field
Res Artis, the Worldwide Network of Arts Residencies, is collaborating with UCL (University College London) to conduct a survey that will assess the real impact of COVID-19, specifically in the field of Artist Residency Programs. The survey is open to the entire international art community. You do not need to be a member of Res Artis or registered with UCL to participate. You can participate in following the link
Publications
CULTURE 21 Reports by UCLG
Eight different progress reports in the framework of analysis and research on Agenda 21, the UNESCO-approved agenda on the role of culture in the sustainability of modern cities, by UCLG (UnitedCommitteeofLocalGovernments).
http://www.agenda21culture.net/documents/reports
Cultural and Creative Spaces and Cities
A new report that follows the final selection and review of 55 projects and 45 resources related to urban regeneration across Europe, introducing the framework and theoretical background for each of the key issues in the document and briefly reviewing a number of relevant projects and resources.
CCSC Charter of Principles
This charter, which is available to download, is a statement of the direction of the Cultural and Creative Spaces and Cities project. It offers a guide for the project—as well as an invitation for the whole European cultural sector—in its quest for structural change across European society. We believe in and work for a culture that operates at the level of grassroots participation, local decision-making and commoning.
“Performing arts in times of the pandemic: status quo and the way forward”
International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts ΙΕΤΜ – Publications
The performing arts sector has been deeply impacted by the current COVID-19 crisis. At the dawn of lockdown measures taken by governments across the globe, IETM circulated a survey among members of the network, to get a grip on how the new reality has affected them so far. Based on the key findings of the survey, this report outlines the situation on an international scale, identifies the most burning needs of the sector in times of the pandemic and presents an overview of governments’ responses to the COVID-19 crisis. The report concludes with policy recommendations intended for EU, national and local authorities. Read the survey here.
Common Ground: our new annual magazine by European Cultural Foundation
Just as European Cultural Foundation’s five-year strategy, a new magazine Common Ground raises concerns for an uncertain future. Both the name and the philosophy of the magazine derive from Robert Schuman’s appeal of May 9, 1950: “Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity.’ Thus for the editors “we need to get to a common ground. So, this is not a magazine of certainty but of opportunities. Let’s make the most of them”.
#CallingforSolidarity #ImagineTomorrow #Culture2030
