Call for participants in Arterial Network reading groups

 

At its cultural policy seminar and subsequent Steering Committee meeting in Nairobi in November 2009, it was agreed that Arterial Network would establish a number of in-country reading groups of 3-10 participants who would meet fortnightly (or at least monthly) for two hours to read about, debate and write responses to current international cultural discourses and themes.

 

The purpose of these reading groups is to develop greater understanding of these themes, to develop responses to these from within varying African conditions and to help to build African leadership in the ongoing debates.

 

Anyone interested in participating in – and in leading – such reading groups within their city or country, should write to florence@arterialnetwork.org by 5 February 2010, indicating which reading group theme they would like to engage with.

 

Reading groups will be structured around the following themes:

1.The cultural dimension of development: what is its relevance today?

2.Understanding the creative industries and its importance within Africa, particularly in the light of the Nairobi Plan of Action on Cultural Industries

3.Intellectual property rights within an African context

4.Climate change and its impact on culture, cultural diversity and culture and development

5.The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and its relevance to Africa

6.Intercultural dialogue, cultural diplomacy and its meaning for Africa

7.The Recommendation on the Rights and Status of the Artist and its applicability to African countries

8.Culture, the arts, human rights and democracy in the African context

9.Artists’ mobility within Africa and between Africa and other continents

 

Depending on the interest shown, the Secretariat – together with country representatives – will establish reading groups around these themes. Initial meetings of the group will debate a paper on the relevant theme commissioned by Arterial Network.

 

Monthly seminars

It was agreed at the Arterial Network conference to establish a programme of monthly seminars around themes that would be discussed in countries around the continent. This would be both to inform the arts community and public about these themes, but also to develop responses to these and so feed into the reading groups. It is envisaged that by the end of 2010, substantial papers would have been developed on these themes that could be published by theArterial Network and represent its positions on these themes.

 

The agreed monthly themes resonate with the reading groups and are:

 

February: The cultural dimension of development and its relevance to Africa today

 

March: Understanding the Creative Industries and its importance – if any – to Africa

 

April: The Nairobi Plan of Action on Cultural Industries: a civil society response

 

May: Climate change and its relevance to culture, cultural diversity and culture and development

 

June: The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions: Just another document?

 

July: Intellectual property rights, piracy and collective ownership within an African context

 

August: Intercultural dialogue and cultural diplomacy

 

Country representatives will work with partners in their country to host these monthly seminars. Introductory papers on these topics will be provided by the Cultural Policy Task Group.

 

Parties interested in hosting such seminars should contact their country representatives (see the list of country reps and their contact details on www.arterialnetwork.org) or send an email to florence@arterialnetwork.org.

 

Call for blogs

 

 

To encourage debate and writing about issues affecting arts and culture on the African continent, Arterial Network will be posting a weekly blog of 500- 650 words on www.artsinafrica.com. The subjects may be about anything as determined by the writer, with the encouragement to be interesting, provocative and insightful. 

 

Participants in the cultural policy seminar offered a variety of blog topics including Religion: promoter or inhibitor of cultural diversity?; Shifting the tourist market from kitch to art and Are women’s rights relevant to arts and culture?

 

Anyone is invited to submit an article on a subject of their choice, which will be posted by the Secretariat, depending on the availability of space. Please send these to florence@arterialnetwork.org