we are more: a campaign call

Text delivered at the Culture Action Europe’s conference The Time is Now, including the launch of the Campaign for Culture we are more


Chris Torch, Brussels, 8 october 2010

Artists! Authors! Performers! Makers of Policy! Makers of Spectacle! Soundmakers!

We are rooted in our communities and we cross frontiers. We are more than local citizens.
We are profoundly European in practice and ethics. Although we are more than simply of European origin.

We defend a culture of quality, shared and accessible. We are more than vendors.
We imagine a democratic Europe: fair and curious. We are more than just a few votes.

We must re-learn living together, with fundamental rights - individual and collective - in sustainable development, both environmental and social. We are more than consumers.

We believe that re-thinking culture and its public policies is possible. More than possible. Essential.


Spectators! Opera singers! Street buskers! Funders! Storytellers! Civil servants! Citizens!

We are many actors that shape contemporary European cultures. We are more than many.
We are committed to education and active citizenship. We are more than producers.

And we are confident in our empowering capacities. We are more than bridge builders. We move the rivers.
We can open doors to participation in public space. We are more than observers.

We are ready to engage in responsible dialogue with decision makers. We are more than lobbyists.

We already are engaged with the civil society, with funders and audiences. We are more when we recognize different beliefs and approaches and respond to them.

Let’s go beyond hesitation and fear stemming from crisis situations. Let’s re-imagine public investment, contribute to human and social capital - Europe’s most precious asset.

The time has come to invest seriously in culture. What’s more: in education, in justice and in our natural resources.

The time has come, within our borders and with our international partners, to invest in collaboration.

The time has come to give culture the means to contribute to a collective re-invention of the European project.

Culturewatching ...

I was invited to Brussels for a gathering organized by The Council of Europe, together with the EU Commission for Culture, Culture Action Europe and other organizations. It was part of the Council's CultureWatchEurope program. 


Nearly 200 people met at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) building, among them several Ministers of Culture, State secretaries, Commission representatives as well as many people from the civil sector: networks, institutions and organizations. Considering the tough limitations that EU architecture (hierarchical room settings) puts on real conversation, the meeting was an enlightening and lively experience.
I had the privilege of moderating the plenaries but after (good) keynote speakers each day a considerable amount of time was given to discussion in smaller groups. An exceptional situation, as there were such clear and focused people participating. Nine groups around different themes within the main threads: Mainstreaming Culture, Cultural Diversity and - the most urgent maybe? - Resources.
The first day was animated by Jeremy Rifken, an American scientist and economic advisor to the European Union. He began by announcing that it was quite rationally already too late to save the planet. The challenges were no longer, because we have already failed. That said, he went on to propose empathy as the primary force of change, something he underlined was built into our dna code. And - to summarize - only parenting, schools/education and cultural action can inspire the empathy we desperately need to generate to survive. Economic, industrial and political strategies are insufficient.
This dark optimism hung in the background throughout the two days and, for a change, when the unavoidable but usually boring reports from the groups were given at the end - there was energy and humor and a common will to go home and get back to work.
What was remarkable also was the diversity of experts present, coming from both EU and wider Europe nations. This opened the perspective and manifested the strength released when the Council of Europe (representing 47 countries), the EU (27) and the civil society (millions of citizens) join forces on cultural rights and policies.
Earth-shattering? Absolutely not. But after joining many conferences, it was uplifting to leave with a sense of common purpose. Not empty debate to "convince each other" but to be changed by each other. A transnational breath of fresh air from the staid and uninspiring election campaign we are winding up in Sweden, where culture, if mentioned at all, is about events, cuts, and technology.


chris


See the attached link to know more about CultureWatchEurope