Romanian Artists Abroad
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EUNIC 2011 – In the limelight – Towards the Enduring links – Continuity – scho‑ balance sheet of Romanian artists future – interna‑ projects for interna‑ larships, courses, the Romanian abroad tional visibility for tional co‑operation residencies presidency Romanian festivals 4 12 28 38 46 Dear friends of the celebrating the prestige Romanian artists place or are due to take place in the imme‑ Romanian Cultural Institute, have achieved abroad and the praise both diate future (p. 38). they and Romania have garnered in the 2011 was a dynamic year for the RCI, one international press (p. 12). At the same Although the Institute’s strategy is rich in cultural projects, which bore fruit time, in this publication we would like to updated according to goals that have also thanks to the seeds sown in previous present to you the vision that guides our already been met and the circumstances in years. The creativity of Romanian artists is activity, the strategies we have adopted, which we operate, some programmes have gaining an ever wider audience abroad, and and the tools we employ in order to been continued and improved year by year: increasing numbers of prestigious cultural place the work of Romanian artists in scholarship programmes, residencies, and institutes are coming to us to request international circulation. courses teaching Romanian as a foreign the participation of Romanian artists in language (p. 46). their programmes. Year after year, the Romanian Cultural Institute has supported major Romanian Of course, none of this would have been Between June 2010 and June 2011 festivals by inviting programmers, curators, possible without the support of our partners the Romanian Cultural Institute, in the critics and journalists from abroad, with a and the professionalism of the teams of the person of its president, Mr Horia‑Roman view to encouraging joint cultural projects Romanian Cultural Institutes abroad and Patapievici, held the one‑year rotating and also to fostering an ever stronger profile the team in Bucharest. presidency of EUNIC (European Network for Romanian festivals (p. 28). of National Institutes for Culture), which gave Romanian cultural diplomacy unprec‑ The mobility programme, whereby Irina Ionescu edented exposure among cultural institu‑ international programmers, curators and DIRECTOR GENERAL – GENERAL tions abroad. In 2011, one in three direc‑ specialists are able to visit Romania for DEPARTMENT FOR ROMANIAN CULTURAL tors of Romanian cultural institutes abroad research and to prepare cultural projects INSTITUTES ABROAD either concluded or took up a mandate with Romanian artists and cultural insti‑ as president or vice‑president of a EUNIC tutions has been implemented at the level Ovidiu Dajbog‑Miron local cluster in the country where they of the entire network since 2009. Although DIRECTOR – DEPARTMENT FOR MONITORING operate (p. 4). the results and impact of this type of THE PROGRAMMES OF THE ROMANIAN programme will become visible over the CULTURAL INSTITUTES ABROAD The same as in previous years, we long term, there are already numerous inter‑ would like to invite you to join us in national projects that have already taken 2 In 2006, EUNIC (European Union National of national institutes form local groups for backed by both the European Parliament Institutes for Culture) was as yet an co‑operation in the cultural sphere. and the European Council, EUNIC now has informal network for co‑operation between The Romanian Cultural Institute joined the appropriate framework to play a deci‑ European cultural institutes that had agreed EUNIC as early as 2007, and a year later, in sive role. Since the establishment of the to pool their creative as well as financial June 2008, the president of the Romanian European External Action Service, culture resources in order to implement trans‑ Cultural Institute, Mr Horia‑Roman has become a sine qua non component of national cultural projects celebrating Patapievici, was elected vice‑president, European public diplomacy. But in order to European diversity. Five years on, EUNIC going on to hold the presidency of the put this vision into practice, there is a need is an official network with a well‑estab‑ network between June 2010 and June for professionals capable of conceiving and lished remit and area of extent, with perma‑ 2011. The changes implemented during putting into practice projects for co‑oper‑ nent headquarters in Brussels and its own the mandate of the Romanian presidency ation in EU regions of interest, logistical renewable budget, which, coupled with have built a clear and functional operating infrastructure, funds to top up those made the combined human, financial and logis‑ structure, as well as laying the foundations available by the Union, and credible repre‑ tical resources of its members, makes it the for long‑term development. In the context sentatives at the local level – all of which largest cultural operator in the world. in which the European Union intends to EUNIC has. In other words, over the medium EUNIC operates at two complimentary gain recognition as one of the most impor‑ term EUNIC has the groundwork to become levels: heads – presidents and directors tant cultural players on the world stage, the main platform for implementation of EU general of national institutes for culture – and given the adoption of the European cultural policies in the sphere of its interna‑ and clusters – the directors of the branches Agenda for Culture in a Globalising World, tional relations. EUNIC 2011 – balance sheet of the Romanian presidency 4 The basic idea from which EUNIC set out is governments they represent and operate hundred joint projects in 2011 alone, with extremely simple: it is that many good things outside national borders. EUNIC does not the most efficient clusters developing more can result if people decide to work together. function at the national or inter‑govern‑ than ten projects yearly, projects that are Although simple, this basic idea was not mental level: it can and indeed does have innovative and go beyond traditional arts naïve. It hinges on two crucial observations. multiple members from a single country. festivals. The shared wealth of EUNIC consists The first is that in today’s world the bipolar What counts is sooner what these members of more than 2,000 branches in more than tends to be incorporated into the multipolar. do than their country of origin. The initials 130 countries, employing more than 25,000 The second is that today’s societies can no “EU” in the acronym EUNIC express a people, including 7,000 teachers who give longer be reduced to nation states in order to geographical rather than a political position. language lessons to more than 2,000,000 confer upon them international representa‑ At present, EUNIC is made up of twenty‑nine students annually and provide more than tion. These two observations allow two direct institutes for culture from twenty‑five 8,000,000 certificates of foreign‑language conclusions. The first is that the rigid, typi‑ member states of the European Union, which competence. It is indicative of EUNIC’s poten‑ cally modern opposition between centre and operate independently of their governments tial that in 2011 its twenty‑nine members periphery, north and south, developed and and therefore enjoy a position of autonomy had a business turnover of more than underdeveloped or developing is on the way from them: the degree of autonomy varies 2.5 billion Euros. to being destabilised, either through relativi‑ from case to case, depending on the institu‑ EUNIC’s operating structure, as agreed sation or through co‑operation, the second of tional architecture of the particular country. upon, voted and budgeted during my these being by far the most interesting case. EUNIC promotes European agendas and mandate as president, incorporates a bureau If these two conclusions are true, then a third values. EUNIC is active through an ever in Brussels, which opened in July 2011, also presents itself: traditional cultural diplo‑ greater diversity of projects. These projects and a think tank available to the heads macy has become too narrow a framework for not only unfold at the cluster level, but also for multi‑sector expertise, which is called the aspirations toward cultural contact felt are multi‑cluster and multi‑member in the Strategy Group and has already deliv‑ by societies today, which tend to favour direct nature. EUNIC advocates cultural co‑oper‑ ered its first studies at the twice‑yearly forms of co‑operation to those mediated ation and direct cultural relations. Its meeting of high‑level representatives of by official institutions. This is the horizon members benefit from formal and informal EUNIC members – the Heads Meeting held in within which the idea at the origin of EUNIC collaboration and partnerships with the Lisbon in June 2011. Also during my presi‑ inscribed itself. European Commission, among others. dency, at the Heads Meeting in Bucharest in EUNIC members are organisations that EUNIC is accepted by the European Union as June 2010, the matter of joining the network function according to the following princi‑ a source of advice and suggestions for the and membership status was clarified. At ples: they support national cultural diplo‑ cultural policies it implements. Relations present, there are clear rules on member‑ macy and operate at an organisational with the European Union/EEAS are close ship status within a cluster: each member at level to establish cultural relations; they and aimed at reciprocal support. At present, the heads level may nominate a representa‑ are financed from the public sector; they EUNIC has more than sixty‑five clusters tive within a cluster as a full member, which enjoy a certain degree of autonomy from the worldwide, carrying on more than four occurs automatically for institutes; in the 6 case of embassies, a decision is taken at the whose number is growing rapidly.