16 culture news headlines from 6 countries in March
Armenia
Culture ministry announced restoration of seven historic monuments in 2017. Gayane Nuzlukhanyan, the head of the monument restoration department of the historic-cultural monument preservation agency of the culture ministry, noted that Armenian government approved the budget of the restoration works. According to the official, the ministry has invited foreign experts to complete the restorations. armenpress.am
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan’s Shamkir selected to participate in EU-EaP project. This region has become one of six participants of the Creative Towns and Regions Initiative launched by the EU-EaP Culture and Creativity Programme. As noted by organizers, in Shamkir there is “combination of various evident and “hidden” assets for cultural development, which will be useful to make a case on how to disclose them and bring into action.” Echo.az, trend.az, abc.az
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Days of Hungary took place in Azerbaijan’s Baku. The project is co-implemented by Hungary’s Embassy in Azerbaijan and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Among other activities, the Days of Hungary featured the opening of an exhibition and a gala concert at the Heydar Aliyev Center. Mehriban Aliyeva, First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, attended the event. They were joined by Imre Laszloczki, Hungary’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan. Azertag.az
Belarus
EU-EaP Culture and Creativity Programme will help Svetlogorsk to improve its image. This Belarussian town became a winner of Creative Towns and Regions Initiative launched by the EU-Eastern Partnership Culture and Creativity Programme. Vadzim Vezhnavets, editor-in-chief of local radio “Ranak” who initiated town’s participation in the contest, stressed that this programme will improve the image of the city and give a kick to positive changes in the local culture. Ranak
Belarus marked 500 of its book printing at Paris Book Fair. The delegation of Belarusian book printers supported by the Ministry of Culture presented new books to visitors of the Fair. Belarusian delegation also donated some of the publications to the Paris-based National Institute of Oriental Languages and Cultures (INALCO). BelTA
Georgia
Georgian Mtskheta-Mtianeti region won in contest for creative cities and regions. Creative Towns and Regions Initiative organised by the EU-EaP Culture and Creativity Programme will enable qualified experts to work on region’s attractiveness for tourists and to strengthen its creative potential. Mtskheta-Mtianeti will get the access to capacity building package for region's representatives and community. Additionaly, it will have the opportunity to work with specialised experts and to network with international peers from other EaP countries as well from the EU Member States. Newsgeorgia.ge,apsny.ge
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British dance company visited Tbilisi within EaP tour organised by British Council. Candoco Dance Company consists of seven permanent dancers. This unique dance troupe brings together disabled and non-disabled dancers. Each one of them has a personal story, but they share a goal: to show that everyone can dance, regardless of his or her physical abilities. EU-EaP Culture and Creativity Programme
Moldova
EaP Culture and Creativity Programme Team Leader visited Moldova’s Ministry of Culture. Tim Williams had a meeting with Andrei Chistol, State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture. Chistol presented the latest developments in cultural policy area, objectives established by the Ministry of Culture for 2017 year, as well as reform priorities for the near future. The sides also discussed the current situation in implementing the activities of the EU-EaP Culture and Creativity Programme in Moldova, namely the provision of technical expertise to achieve the reforms from the cultural policy field, capacity consolidation in the cultural and creative sectors, as well as the platform for communication and involvement of civil society in developing cultural policies. Ministry of Culture of Moldova
Culture minister visited Baltic states to deepen cooperation in culture sphere. Monica Babuc, Moldova’s culture minister, paid official visits to Estonia and Latvia. While visiting such institutions as Creative Industries Center in Tallinn, University of Tartu and Central Palace of Culture of Cesis in Riga, she observed how new partnerships with cultural institutions from Estonia and Latvia are being strengthened. Ministry of Culture of Moldova
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Monica Babuc discussed cultural cooperation with French officials. In course of her official visit to Paris, Moldova’s culture minister had a meeting with Frédéric Reiss, the Chairman of the France-Moldova Parliamentary Friendship Group. The discussion was focused on promoting the “Cultural practices associated to the first day of March” multinational file into the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This is a common file of Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Macedonia — the lands where the traditional to wear “mărțișor” at the beginning of the spring exists. Ministry of Culture of Moldova
Ukraine
Verkhovna Rada adopted law on state support for Ukrainian cinema sphere. 270 MPs voted for the law №3081-d “On state support for Ukrainian cinema,” Ministry of Culture of Ukraine informs. Mykola Kniazhytskyi, the head of parliamentary committee for culture and spirituality, welcomed this decision saying that it will facilitate the development of Ukrainian cinema and will bring new investments into this sphere. Yevhen Nyshchuk, Ukraine’s culture minister, stressed the importance of this achievement as well. In his opinion, this law will change Ukrainian TV-landscape, as more Ukrainian films and series will be produced specifically for TV. Ministry of Culture of Ukraine
Establishment of Ukrainian Culture Fund finalised by country’s legislative institution. Verkhovna Rada adopted the respective law on 23 March, the website of Ministry of Culture of Ukraine reports. The Fund is set to support Ukrainian culture and create conditions for the development of art and spirituality in Ukraine. Another task set for Ukrainian Culture Fund is to facilitate the societal access to culture sphere. Ministry of Culture of Ukraine
International experts to develop creative industries in Ukraine’s Kosiv.The town has become one of six finalists of the Creative Towns and Regions Initiative launched by the EU-EaP Culture and Creativity Programme, Ukrayinska Pravda reports. European culture experts will work on the programme of Kosiv’s creative industries developments till September 2017.Ukrayinska Pravda, LB.ua
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British journalist advised on quality writing about culture. Maya Jaggi, a well-known culture journalist who has written for The Guardian, The Economist and Financial Times Weekend Arts, held a lecture in Kyiv organised by the EU-EaP Culture and Creativity Programme. She explained how to become a professional journalist in culture sphere and how to write texts which would be interesting for the audience. Medialab, telekritika.ua
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Experts highlighted systematic mistakes in Ukraine’s culture policy. Iryna Vikyrchak, former head of the Ukraine’s Creative Europe Desk, pointed out that culture policy receives too little financing to be developed properly. Another problem, according to her, is the legislation which is often missing or makes little sense. Olha Zhuk, former head of culture diplomacy unit at Ukraine’s foreign ministry, argued that ministry’s officials have not fully accepted culture diplomacy as a concept. She also noted that state “cannot control the cultural content and treat culture as something decorative.” Ivan Kozlenko, former manager of state-owned Dovzhenko Centre, noted the lack of communication among those who develop Ukraine’s culture policy. In his opinion, the voice of non-official creative sector is rarely heard as well. According to Vasyl Rozhko, who used to manage the museums department of Ukraine’s culture ministry, there is little to no political will for culture policy development. LB.ua
Culture minister vouched for introduction of subventions for restoring objects of cultural heritage. According to Yevhen Nyshchuk, Ukraine’s culture minister, objects of cultural heritage in Ukraine should receive subventions from budgets of different levels — state, region, city, local government — following an example of European countries. He proposed this while speaking at Government Question Hour meeting held in Verkhovna Rada on 24 March. Ukrinform
