This sentence from the presentation of Dr Claartje Rasterhoff (Maastricht University) was the premise of last year’s first successful cooperation between the European Academy Berlin and FMCC/European House for Culture. In an informal conference format academics, artists, presenters & producers, government advisors and heritage specialists intensively exchanged views and practices on the instructive role of the artist and the presenting organisation as a driver of active citizenship.[1]
This is the main topic of several joint activities of FMCC and a multitude of partners from EU and accession countries, in 2024 and years to come, in close cooperation with the European Academy Berlin. The conference report of last years’ conference can be found here.
Our upcoming 2024 conference on ‘The Artist as Citizen’ will elaborate more on the political role of arts and culture.
The urgent questions to be analysed are:
- What is the role and responsibility of artists and cultural professionals in the public sphere?
- How do they contribute to European citizenship?
- How can synergies in the cultural sector be strengthened in order to maximise political influence?
- What tools can the EU and the Member States develop to integrate the ‘Artist as Citizen’ into their policy measures?
- How can the sector’s contribution be made more visible and effectively considered in the decision-making process at local up to European level?
Artists, academics and cultural practitioners from Kosovo, Serbia, Italy, Poland, Spain, Georgia, Ukraine, Germany, Flanders and the Netherlands will exchange ideas and experiences on how to take responsibility in defending democracy and promoting citizenship education.
About these speakers:
Eliza Hoxha, architect/urban planner, pop singer, who raises awareness for the victims of sexual violence during the Kosovo war and gives a voice to the women who for years have been ignored and silenced.
Levan Khetaguri, Executive Council Member UNESCO International Theatre Institute; founder of the Silk Road Culture Hub in Georgia, aims to foster citizen engagement, community building, entrepreneurship and the spread of European values in a multi-ethnic region near the border with Armenia and Azerbaijan through culture (8,000-year-old wine heritage), tourism, monuments and artistic events.
Among other things, Dejan Ubović founded the ‘Museum of the 1990s’ in polarised Belgrade, an educational platform for young people who have little awareness of the tragic events of recent history and are extremely vulnerable to disinformation.
Weronika Czyżewska is international programme coordinator of Borderland Foundation, in the Suwalki corridor in northeast Poland, which developed a unique model for dialogue and bridge-building through culture between minorities with a ‘legacy of conflict’.
Paul Spies, as director of Stadtmuseum he developed the innovative interactive exhibition Berlin Global. By involving international and marginalised Berlin communities this exhibition shows underrepresented perspectives on Berlin’s past and present.
Miguel Ángel Martín Ramos, Head of Brussels Delegation and European Affairs of the European and Ibero-American Academy of Yuste Foundation, promoting culture as a pillar for EU Integration. President of the Cooperation Network of Routes of Emperor Charles V. The European Routes of Emperor Charles V are a successful example of interaction between local communities, heritage sites and stories, tourism, citizenship education, small enterprises and (inter)national bodies.
Akudo-Kyoshia Mcgee-Osuagwu, Human Rights Focused Advocacy Officer, The Hague, received her PhD from Maastricht University with her thesis ‘When Norms Clash: How Polish Liberal Civil Society Contested Government Standards for the Rule of Law and Human Rights from 2015-2022’
Oleksandr Butsenko senior researcher of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts, international matchmaker, director of the Development Centre “Democracy through Culture”, counsellor of the Institute for Cultural Research, UNESCO global facilitator on intangible cultural heritage and an independent expert on cultural policies issues, literary translator, journalist.
Thanks to its director, Herman Tibosch, Museum Jan Cunen could take up an important role in local and regional awareness in heritage and identity matters reaching out to citizens in neighbourhoods who have no regular connection with museum visits. Tibosch has placed the museum collection in a fresh and inspiring local context appealing to feelings of belonging to all living in the community the museum is working in. More and more residents want to be included in shared initiatives and storytelling even in their houses.
Romy Heymans, Editor-in-Chief at Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam, producer of social, cultural and creative programmes, most of which focus on implicit citizenship education. It aims to further connect the various subgroups participating in these programmes.
Mario Neve, full professor of Geography at the Department of Cultural Heritage at Campus Ravenna, University of Bologna, addresses the relationship between maps, landscapes and identity, focussing, e.g., on the ability of landscapes to provide a shared, mutual ground trespassing the borders of European nations.
Oeds Westerhof, creative entrepreneur / writer / former director Leeuwarden Fryslân European Capital of Culture 2018 and gifted causative agent for repositioning cultural organisations by inspiring devoted employees.
Arent Boon is art historian and museologist, writer and researcher, independent analyst of existing museum practices.
Hugo de Greef, Culture entrepreneur, founder of a multitude of international European initiatives, mainly informal, in the field of performing arts production and writing. His latest initiative is De School van Gaasbeek, a Brussels platform for Creation and Residence of performing arts and music, where he aims to introduce The Artist as Citizen in the local situation.
Artist and philosopher Joseph Sassoon Semah explores whether European pluralistic society is reflected in art museums and in the ‘Canon of Modern Art’, and stresses the need for contextualisation of artworks in museums.
Linda Bouws, experienced artistic leader of international operating cultural entities, co-producer and programmer of international film and performing arts programmes, lately curator of the visual arts activities of Joseph Sassoon Semah, director and board member of Stichting Metropool International Art Projects and in that capacity one of the founders of the EHfC EEIG.
Steve Austen, entrepreneur in (higher) education, innovative (performing) arts organisations, festivals, advisory entities, writer, public speaker and University Lecturer.
Christian Johann is director of EAB, and member of various boards and advisory councils in the field of international encounter and political education. As an expert on the topics of European integration, international organisations, democracy and political education, he is a sought-after discussion partner for politicians and the press.
- [1] “Participation in civil society, community and/or political life, characterised by mutual respect and non-violence and in accordance with human rights and democracy.” (EU definition of Active Citizenship by Professor Bryony Hoskins, University of Roehampton, 2006)