Ποιειν Και Πραττειν - create and do

Initial Proposals for Creative Europe 2014 - 2020

DG EAC proposes a single “Creative Europe” framework programme for the 2014-2020 session. It will thus bring together the current Culture, MEDIA and MEDIA Mundus programmes.

Consequently the Creative Europe framework programme will include separate strands for Culture, MEDIA, a cross-sectoral strand (the latter will include a financial instrument for the cultural and creative sectors (CCS):

  1. Culture - € 500 million
  2. MEDIA
  3. a trans-sectoral strand with €60 million in support of trans-national policy cooperation

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/news/creative-europe_en.htm (accessed: 18.11.2012)

The Commission is also proposing to allocate more than €210 million for a new financial guarantee facility, which would enable cultural operators to access up to €1 billion in bank loans

The trans-national policy cooperation aims to foster innovative approaches to audience building and new business models.

On the official website of the European Commission the main aim of the new Cultural Programme under the name 'Creative Europe' is made explicit, for not Europe should become more creative, but rather culture should be used to further economic growth.

 

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/creative-europe/ (Accessed 18.11.2012)

Creative Europe - aims and intentions

There is a three tier approach being taken so that

  1. the cultural and creative sectors seizes the opportunities of the ‘digital age’ and globalisation
  2. that the cultural sectors can contribute to the Europe 2020 goals for sustainable growth, jobs and social cohesion.
  3. by building on what the MEDIA and Cultural programmes have achieved already, opens up new international opportunities, markets and audiences

 

A special emphasis is given on 'audience' building capacities, something which can be understood within the context of European Capital of Cultures, insofar as Bob Palmer recommends out of the general influx of people coming to the city during that special year audiences in support of particular cultural events and actions should be created if to be sustainable in the long run.

Making a difference

The aim is to make a difference with special emphasis upon building financial capacities / expertise and due to the greater influx of the media to promote the European film.

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/culture/creative-europe/

 

The promotion of cultural and creative industries

In the Impact Assessment presentation following definition of cultural and creative industries (CCI) is used:

"'cultural industries' are those industries producing and distributing goods or services which at the time they are developed are considered to have a specific attribute, use or purpose which embodies or conveys cultural expressions, irrespective of the commercial value they may have. Besides the traditional arts sectors (performing arts, visual arts, cultural heritage – including the public sector), they include film, DVD and video, television and radio, video games, new media, music, books and press. This concept is defined in relation to cultural expressions in the context of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions."

"'Creative industries' are those industries which use culture as an input and have a cultural dimension, although their outputs are mainly functional. They include architecture and design, which integrate creative elements into wider processes, as well as subsectors such as graphic design, fashion design or advertising. At a more peripheral level, many other industries rely on content production for their own development and are therefore to some extent interdependent with CCIs. They include among others tourism and the new technologies sector. These
industries are not explicitly covered by the concept of CCIs used here."

The term CCI is used as well interchangeably with 'cultural and creative sectors'.

Source: Impact Assessment

Brussels, 23.11.2011
SEC(2011) 1399 final
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER IMPACT ASSESSMENT

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/creative-europe/documents/impact_en.pdf

 

Envisioned outcomes

Although there is talk about the programme providing many new opportunities for artists and cultural operators, it is still quite another step before one can talk really about the creation of such opportunities which differ in both quality and substance from the usual 'cultural products' and shall make a difference in how culture is perceived throughout Europe and in the world.

The European Commission means but a few measurable outcomes with regards to the programme 'Creative Europe' such as:

 

There has been made an Impact Assessment

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/creative-europe/documents/impact_en.pdf

 

Some initial reflections:

Obviously the audience orientation can be used as a measure of success while the legal base of the EU Cultural Policy shines through insofar as audiences beyond own national and specific cultural borders are meant. As this pertains to both the European and international dimension, it will be of interest to see whether or not European Platforms for Culture can really create such opportunities, or are rather like the Platform for Intercultural Europe expressions of but exclusive practices while using a language cultural operators in the field cannot really understand. The way success is claimed within this specific Euro-speak language makes it hard to follow in terms of cultural participation as named by Pier Luigi Sacco as one of the prime indicators. The same goes for the difference between a passive and an active audience. If they are meant to be merely paying customers, it would reduce culture to a mere consumer habit with little to show for than what are trends and fashions not really explainable as to why they have become a hit and therefore a success. The latter is measured by the number of hits on YouTube and spills over into what are then revenue gathering forms through advertisement and even share values on the stock market as demonstrated most recently by FaceBook. Above all a prime concern seems not to be addressed, and that is the increasing tendency of loss of cultural diversity despite all claims to heed this need when going really in the direction of the modern media culture.

HF 18.11.2012

 

Report about ongoing discussions at EU Ministerial level and European Parliament

by Budapest Observatory, Peter Inkei in their 'MemoNov':

"Creative Europe in making

Although the first concentrated attempt to agree on the next seven year budget of the European Union failed, deliberations continue on the new Creative Europe programme. When the ministers of culture last met in November (at the 3201stCouncil Meeting), they cautiously “reached a partial general approach” about the programme. Some aspects still need further reflection – they thought – like the position of commercial cultural projects, and the issue of indicators.

The European Parliament is also busy improving the proposal. No fewer than676 suggestionshave been recorded to change theoriginal 19-page text. If you are particularly concerned with one or other aspect of the programme, you can check what the MEP-s want to change about it. (The proposals follow the order of the text.) And if you want to know what happens to the proposed amendments, from page 83 of this “draft report” you can see what the MEP in charge thinks of the first 197 propositions.

Language transversally

MEPs are particularly eager to keep the strands based on the current Culture and Media programmes apart, At the same time, however, many of the amendments emphasise transversal elements. Linguistic diversity is such an issue. MEPs want to add subtitling and surtitling to literary translation (Art.10, para1, point d); also the Cypriot Presidency aims to change the new loan scheme (the “financial facility”) in favour of member states with restricted linguistic areas."


Regional Observatory on Financing Culture in East-Central Europe
(The Budapest Observatory)
H-1051 Budapest, Október 6 utca 14
Tel: (361) 327 3829
Fax: (361) 374 0898
http://www.budobs.org
bo@budobs.org

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