THE 6 EUROPEAN-‐CHINESE CULTURAL DIALOGUE 15-‐17 OCTOBER 2014 BUCHAREST, ROMANIA PUBLIC SPACES – EU AND CHINA SHARING PERSPECTIVES th
The Romanian Cultural Institute has coordinated and will host the 6th edition of the European – Chinese Cultural Dialogue (6D), to take place in Bucharest, Romania, between 15 – 17 October 2014. The European -‐ Chinese Cultural Dialogue is a significant annual project initiated by EUNIC and co-‐organized together with The Chinese National Academy of Arts. The theme of the current edition is “PUBLIC SPACES – EU and China: Sharing Perspectives”. The project brings together intellectuals, cultural practitioners and cultural policy makers from Europe and China, with the purpose of building on and strengthening the existing cultural co-‐operation within the field of creative industries, as well as creating platforms to enable further development of direct relationships between individuals and institutions. Urban development is widely regarded as a primary social challenge across the 21st century. If in 1950 only a third of the world population lived in cities, current estimations predict an ongoing shift to reach an absolute peak by 2030, when approximately three thirds of mankind will have become urban citizens. This data represents a major challenge for humanity and the environment. The 6th edition of the European – Chinese Cultural Dialogue (6D) is built around the subject of Public Spaces and the potential dynamic interaction between Europe and China The symposium will focus on the challenges of creating considered public spaces in cities and specifically focus on the role which artists and creative practitioners can have in the complex place making process. It will reflect on the role art projects and creative events can have in building new communities as well as the potential for the arts to add real value: economic, social and cultural to various environments. The 6th edition of the European – Chinese Cultural Dialogue is an opportunity to acquire a panoramic overview of what’s happening in Europe and China. Discussions will be based on the four pillars of sustainability (economic, social, environmental and cultural). Challenges and opportunities will be discussed by experts and experiences will be shared likewise; as 6D aims to contextualize the EU-‐China Partnership for Sustainable Urbanization, initiated by the European Commission in 2012. The 6D will continue to create appropriate environments for participants to actively search for answers, as well as outline new ideas concerning the imperative of designing considered public spaces which can accommodate many conflicting usage requirements. During the past month six Chinese artists have been in residence across Europe researching new opportunities. Their contributions to the programme will be made via presentations on their impressions of their host cities and the cultural sector they encountered. The residences are a vital part of the dialogues as they foster artist to artist relationships and may result in long term contacts being made between artists and institutions. The European-‐Chinese Cultural Compass report, a publication commissioned by EUNIC in the framework of this flagship project, is available online here. Additionally, a repertory of web-‐links to help prepare cultural mobility experiences in China has been put together by On the Move and is available here ENDS NOTES Programme 6th European – Chinese Cultural Dialogue Oct 15, 18:30 -‐ Romanian Cultural Institute: Welcome and opening of Chinese art exhibition, Artistic residency presentations, dinner • Oct 16, 9:30 -‐ Palace of the Parliament, Nicolae Bălcescu room -‐ Opening Ceremony: Welcome speeches and remarks, key-‐note speeches, two panels: How can artists animate public spaces (add new value, interpretation and engagement of people)? and The value of involving artists/cultural practitioners in the design and management of public spaces, followed by Q&A sessions • Oct 17, 9:30 -‐ Palace of the Parliament, Nicolae Bălcescu room – two panels: How artists can be involved in creating sustainable cities? and Creative imaginings and visions on the future, followed by Q&A session; Concluding remarks and closing ceremony The European – Chinese Cultural Dialogue, 6th edition – a EUNIC initiative IDEA. The European – Chinese Cultural Dialogue is rooted in the exchange of knowledge between the two representative institutions (CNAA and EUNIC), it proposes to create opportunities for greater mutual understanding between Chinese and European institutions via seminars, presentations, exhibitions and residency exchanges PURPOSE. These dialogues mainly target the expansion of existing cultural relations and an increase of bilateral exchanges, in a long-‐term communication framework that calls attention to crucial subjects regarding cultural cooperation between Europe and China. TRADITION. The first meetings of the Cultural Dialogue were held in Beijing (2008), paving the way for reunions in Copenhagen (2009), Shanghai (2010), Luxembourg (2011), Xi’an (2013), and this year’s Bucharest. EUNIC. European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) is Europe’s network of national cultural institutes, with 33 members across 27 EU member states and over 90 clusters established in Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, North and South America and Sub-‐Saharan Africa. EUNIC actively supports the creation of partnerships between Cultural Institutes and other cultural organisations, aiming to improve and consolidate the dialogue between European civil society and the world. Website: www.eunic-‐online.eu CNAA. Chinese National Academy of Arts (CNAA) is an interdisciplinary education institution whose curriculum comprises art studies, musicology, design, theatre, opera, film, audio-‐visuals, dance and literature. Website: http://www.zgysyjy.org.cn/show/zgysyjy/html/woYuanJianJie_English.html ICR. The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) is a cultural institution established in order to bring its contribution to the process of increasing the visibility of Romanian cultural values, and to promote national culture and civilisation nationwide and abroad. Website: www.icr.ro/bucuresti Local partners for the 6th session: Official car: Țiriac Auto-‐Mercedes Benz Institutional partners: Bucharest City Council, The Chamber of Deputies (Romanian Parliament), EUNIC Bucharest Media partners: Agerpres, Capital, Evenimentul Zilei, Igloo, Modernism, Observator Cultural, Zeppelin Recommended by: RFI For more information please contact: Romanian Cultural Institute -‐ Communication Department: [email protected]
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