The international and interdisciplinary conference “Do It Together. Participatory Governance in Culture: Exploring Practices, Theories and Policies” took place November 22-24, 2017 in Rijeka, as a culmination of the partnership between Kultura Nova Foundation and Rijeka 2020 LLC, with the collaboration of European Cultural Foundation (ECF) and International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA). The conference was organized as the final activity of the “Approaches to Participatory Governance of Cultural Institutions” project, supported by UNESCO’s International Fund for Cultural Diversity.

“A shared European future is only possible with substantial and sustainable funding for culture both across policy fields as well as in the framework of a specific cultural programme.”

Social Impact of the Arts Project (SIAP) is a research group from University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice in Philadelphia, one of the most important educational institutions in the USA.

On the occasion of 2018 becoming European Year of Cultural Heritage, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee will organize a range of initiatives and events which will provide greater engagement with and involvement in cultural heritage throughout the year. European Year of Cultural Heritage, celebrated with thousands of events till the end of 2018, aims to guide people towards an appreciation of the importance of cultural heritage as a universal value for individuals, communities and societies in building the future; the search for ways of conservation and maintenance of heritage and the 4 different kinds of cultural heritage (tangible, intangible, natural, digital).

Marking a new beginning for civil society participation in the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity, the questionnaire study, initiated for monitoring CSOs’ awareness and implementation of the Convention, has been completed. A civil society activity report has been published in the context of results to the questionnaire, conducted by the cultural diversity coalitions that carry out the advocacy of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in different countries of the world.

European Network on Cultural Management and Policy (ENCATC) represents, advocates, and promotes cultural management and cultural policy education, professionalizes the cultural sector to make it sustainable, and creates a platform for discussion and exchange at European and international level.

If your background is in political science and/or culture and want to work for a vibrant European cultural network in Brussels, this is a great chance for you! Aspirant interns should be interested in research activities, content creation and distribution, be available for 4 months in Brussels and be fluent in both spoken and written English, French and/or other European languages.

Europe is the second largest Cultural and Creative industries market in the world after Asia. During the last few years, the European Union has launched a number of initiatives to support and promote the Cultural and Creative Industries. As a part of this initiative and promotion, there will be an event organized by Public Policy Exchange on 27th March 2018 at Thon Hotel Brussels. Delegates of this event will get the chance to find out first-hand about the different funding opportunities and cooperation networks within Cultural and Creative Industries, analyse methods to eliminate the fragmentation of different educational domains by using innovations from the Cultural and Creative Industries and receive first hand educatory information from industry professionals. Announced key speakers are Gerhard Jäger, Artistic Co-ordinator of ART BASICS for CHILDREN, and Julie Hervé, Senior Policy Advisor at EUROCITIES.

A three-day international study tour programme by ENCATC is currently being held in New York City, February 11–13, marking ENCATC’s (European Network on Cultural Management and Policy) 7th study tour. The NYC Study Tour aims to bring together an international group of educators, researchers, creators, young and established cultural professionals, cultural entrepreneurs, artists, and decision makers. The programme is designed to provide participants with first hand experience of the art and cultural scene of New York. Included within the event is another ENCATC programme in partnership with New York University, titled 7th ENCATC Academy on Cultural Relations and Diplomacy: "The Rising Role of Cities". The first announced speakers in the programme, sharing their insight and expertise with participants of the 7th ENCATC international study tour, are Sandra Lang and Richard Maloney.

The application of Istanbul Bilgi University for the establishment of a chair of Cultural Policy and Cultural Diplomacy under the framework of the UNESCO Chairs/UNITWIN Networks Programme, which promotes the establishment of networks between UNESCO chairs and universities within the higher education institutions, has been accepted in the previous days. The Chair will conduct its work within the body of Cultural Policy and Management Research Centre (KPY).