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Alina Dzeravianka: "Belonging to a culture provides people with a sense of identity"

Meet the National Coordinator of the EU-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme in Belarus. In this short article she talks about the activities planned within the Programme in Belarus in 2016 and shares her ideas about the role of culture in society.

Alina Dzeravianka works as cultural manager since 2010. For the past two and a half years Alina has been working as a project director at Brest Fortress Development Foundation in Brest, Belarus. During her work in Foundation, Alina has implemented a number of projects on cultural and historical heritage, worked with business and developed CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) projects. Alina is also volunteering in independent space “Prastora KH” in Brest, where she organizes non-commercial cultural events together with Kryly Halopa theatre.

From 2010 to 2013 Alina has worked as a project manager of Association of Cultural Managers in Moscow. She used to operate the network of cultural managers in Russia. She has also received an experience of managing EU project during the implementation of the project "Museum Token"/Музейный сувенир in Russia, financed by "The Institution Building Partnership Programme (IBPP)" of EU in Russia.

Alina has managed a number of big international festivals such as I Moscow International Forum “Culture. Look into the Future” (2014), Intermuseum festival-2013; festival Archstoyanie (2011-2012); international art residency programme in Nikola-Lenivets (2012) and others.

Alina holds a degree in Cultural Management from Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences (Master of Arts, the University of Manchester).

About the Programme activities that are planned in Belarus this year

Among the main activities of the Programme in 2016 in Belarus will be the Associates programme for cultural leaders. The Programme will focus on capacity building for managers working in advertising, architecture, museums, galleries and libraries, arts, audiovisual industries and other creative spheres. Workshop topics will cover: advocacy, fundraising, arts marketing, developing audiences, finance skills and more. There will be a number of special workshops for cultural journalist and editors. One of the programme activities will be a campaign “Culture matters” in Belarus. We hope that the programme will support the development of Creative industries and capacity building of cultural leaders in Belarus.

About the role of culture in the society

Culture is important for society for a number of reasons; it determines values as well as economic and social development. It influences a life of the society in a variety of ways, including views, desires, way of behavior and a lot of others aspects of life. Belonging to a culture provides people with a sense of identity, purpose and belonging. However today culture is also a new driver for economy, it creates the added value to the products, support the innovation and creativity, helps to develop new spheres of economy. That’s why it is important to pay attention and support Culture from the State level as well as to support people working in the cultural sphere. Our programme will help to point out to authorities, business and public - Why Culture matters, and also we will support the cultural leaders with capacity building and new knowledge.