The Bigger Picture:

how local cultural development fits into an international context

Castlemaine March 2008

The Cultural Development Network is a small non-profit organisation that generates new ideas and new connections for governments, communities and individual practitioners around issues of cultural vitality.

Inaugural meeting, South-west region Cultural Development Network, Port Fairy, July 2007

CDN works towards a society in which local communities, in all their diversity, have the resources and support they need to make and express their own culture. We advocate a stronger role for local government in nurturing cultural vitality and see the arts (at the heart of culture) as central to this vision.

www.culturaldevelopment.net.au

Small Towns Big Picture project, Wedderburn

Four Pillars of Sustainability

Economic viability Social inclusion Environmental responsibility Cultural vitality

Jon Hawkes, 2001

Networking:

Information exchange E-newsletters Artists Talks Regional networks

Participants, ‘Arts Health and Community’ ‘forum, Horsham, August 2006

Corridor One 4:

Corridor One 4 celebrating arts, culture and people in the north (Geelong region) Co-ordinator, health worker Dale Newman at From The Teacup, Community Voice conference Geelong 2006

Public Programs

\ Advocating for arts and cultural development Presentations and workshops at Community Voice conference, Geelong 2006 Artist Julie Tipene O’Toole’s exhibition ‘From the Tea Cup’ ‘a celebration of the age old ritual of sharing stories over a cup of tea’,

Expanding Cultures: arts and local government conference, July 2007

Initiated by the Inner Metropolitan Arts and Culture Managers' Group, involving eight Melbourne inner city of councils: Stonnington, Yarra, Melbourne, Moreland, Maribyrnong, Moonee Valley, Boroondara and Port Phillip .

The conference themes were identified as being the most significant issues for the eight host councils, in the area of arts and culture, especially focussing on the contribution of arts and cultural development to the strength and well-being of local communities.

Expanding Cultures: Conference themes

- the changing shape of community cultures and their impact on local government in Victoria, Australia and overseas – arts as a vehicle for strengthening communities and facilitating social inclusion – the impact of arts activities on health, education and economic development – local government’s engagement with Indigenous art and culture – improving evaluation of arts activities and cultural development programs – innovative partnerships

Projects: Generations Building civic engagement through the arts in five communities across Australia

Three year project: 2006-2009 Five councils in three states Dalrymple Shire (Qld); Liverpool (NSW); Rural City of Wangaratta; Greater Geelong and Latrobe City (Victoria).

Issues addressed: ‘A major issue in the municipalities that if not addressed, would have an ongoing negative impact on the local community’. These include the challenges of an aging population, relationships between traditional landowners and pastoralists, environmental sustainability and young people’s disengagement with school. Still Life!, Wangaratta

Generations project background

‘Generations’ is a test of the belief that sustainable communities not only need a viable economy, a healthy environment and good social policies, the ‘triple-bottom line’ model, but a fourth dimension, or pillar, of cultural vitality. The 'Generations' project will build on current research and knowledge gathered to demonstrate that cultural vitality is a critical aspect of community sustainability Connecting through Three Generations of Time, Dalrymple Shire, Queensland

Advocacy

/

CALL FOR PAPERS: e-journal of the UNESCO Observatory on Multi-disciplinary Research in the Arts Volume 1, Issue 2: ’Creative Local Communities: Cultural Vitality and Human Rights’ Guest editors

: John Smithies, Director and Kim Dunphy, Manager, of the Cultural Development Network,

Call for Papers closes on Monday March 31, 2008.

Topic:

The editors welcome articles that examine the way policy and practice can impact the cultural vitality of local communities. • • Papers are invited on topics including: • pro-active planning for creative communities • the relationship between creativity and cultural expression on health and well being, and the ability of local communities to keep pace with change the significance of freedom of expression and cultural rights, as an aspect of a broader human rights agenda.

impact of the framework that includes cultural vitality as a necessary ingredient for the sustainability of local communities alongside economic, social and environmental concerns.

Researchers and practitioners from the areas of cultural policy, cultural development, community-based arts, government and civil society, cultural diversity, cultural rights and are invited to submit proposals. Articles, essays and review formats are invited.

For further information: www.abp.unimelb.edu.au/unesco/ejournal/vol-one-issue-two.html

Background:

This issue takes its title and motivation from the declaration of the 2007 World Congress of United Cities and Local Governments in Jeju, Korea, that placed culture as a priority for cities, councils, local government associations and communities.

Declaration II.

’

Act to promote all human rights and respect diversity in our cities and territories as a foundation for peace and development ’ .

In this declaration, the Congress recognised ‘

that cultural policies form part of the different dimensions of good local governance in the same way as economic and social development or environmental protection.’

Why invest in community arts and culture?

• The Australia Council Scoping Study Reference group found that arts and cultural activities make significant differences to people’s lives in many different ways, including: •

Inclusiveness

tolerance. – making art together and exploring each other’s cultures, teaches people to live together with respect and •

Belonging

– creating distinctive places through arts and cultural activities generates a sense of identity and shared ownership. • C

ommunity building

– making art together builds and strengthens communities in neighbourhoods, suburbs, towns and rural areas.

Moon Lantern Festival, North Richmond Community Health Centre

Creative Communities stronger, more self-directed and culturally vibrant communities shared common goals of economic viability, social equity, environmental sustainability and cultural vitality • Arts and cultural practices are valued as an integral part of everyday life; • Communities are valued as creators and active participants (not just consumers); • Cultural diversity is valued as a foundation of innovation, creativity and artistic excellence; and • Creativity and innovation are valued as means of engaging communities, building capacities, responding to issues and generating change. •artists and communities work together to make a difference.

Australia Council Scoping Study, June 2006

Definition of culture:

• Aesthetic • Anthropological • sociological

Value of culture:

• Intrinsic • Instrumental • Institutional

Capturing Cultural Value

, John Holden, Demos, UK, 2004

Artists can help people map their communities, research and tell their histories, and convey their possible futures, in ways that are creative, engaging, dynamic and inclusive.

Rick Flowers, University of Technology, Sydney, ‘Community Capacity Building and Community Cultural Development’

Value of arts participation: health and well-being ‘

a substantial body of research pointing to the positive health impacts of community arts practice. This research supports widely held views about the value of community arts practice to the health and well being of participants and the community more broadly’.

Cultures of Well-being: a review of evidence for the health benefits of community arts practice VicHealth, 2002

African women’s mosaic garden and seating project, Park St, South Melbourne housing estate

Agenda 21 for Culture, United Cities and Local Governments

www.agenda21cultura.net

Jordi Pascual, Coordinator, Agenda 21 for Culture, UCLG

•Central role of culture in public planning and policy •Cultural rights •Cultural diversity •Intercultural dialogue

Agenda 21 for culture: United Cities and Local Governments

• The first document with worldwide mission that advocates establishing the groundwork of an undertaking by cities and local governments for cultural development.

• Agreed by cities and local governments from all over the world to enshrine their commitment to human rights, cultural diversity, sustainability, participatory democracy and creating conditions for peace. Approved Barcelona, May 2004 as part of the first Universal Forum of Cultures.

Agenda 21 for Culture working group meeting, October 2006, Barcelona

Meeting of the Working Group on Culture of UCLG, Barcelona, 23-24 October 2006 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Participating cities, local governments and organisations: Aide aux Musiques Innovatrices (Int), Aubagne (Fr), – AMI (Fr), International Association of Educating Cities - AICE Ajuntament de Barcelona (Es), Diputació de Barcelona (Es), Bilbao (Es), Bogotá (Co), Buenos Aires (Ar), UCLG – World Secretariat (Int), CGLU – Commission on Social Inclusion (Int), Consejo Nacional de la Cultura y las Artes (Chile), Córdoba (Es), Council of Europe (Int), Creative City Network of Canada (Ca), Cultural Development Network - Victoria(Au), EFAH - European Forum for the Arts and the Heritage (Int), European Cultural Foundation (Int), FEMP Federación Española de Municipios y Provincias (Es), Genova (It), Lille (Fr), London (Uk), Lyon (Fr), Metropolis (Int), Ministério da Cultura – Funarte - Brazil (Br), Ministerio de Cultura España (Es), Montréal (Ca), Porto Alegre (Br), Reading (Uk), les Rencontres (Int), Rete Italiana Agenda 21 Locali (It), Provincia di Roma (It), Sevilla (Es), Stockholm (Sw), Territoires et Cinema (Fr), UNESCO - Social and Human Sciences Sector (Int), Zaragoza (Es) /Interlocal network (Int).

France

Territoires et Cinéma

France

Ville de Lille

France

Ville de Nantes

France

Ville de Strasbourg

Italy

Citta Unite (CICU)

Italy

Comune di Roma

Italy

Comune di Torino

Italy

Comune di Venezia

Portugal

Camara Municipal de Silves

Portugal

Camara Municipal de Gaviao

Slovakia

Cités Unies Slovaquie

Spain

Ajuntament de Barcelona

Spain

Diputació de Barcelona

Spain

Bilboko Udala - Ayuntamiento de Bilbao

Spain

Ayuntamiento de Córdoba

Spain

Ayuntamiento de Sevilla

Spain

Fondo Andaluz de Municipios para la Solidaridad Internacional (FAMSI)

Sweden

City of Stockholm

United Kingdom

Greater London Authority

LATIN AMERICA Argentina

Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires

Brazil

Prefeitura Municipal de Rio de Janeiro

Brazil

Prefeitura Municipal de Porto Alegre

Chile

Municipalidad de Puerto Montt

Chile

Asociación Chilena de Municipalidades

Colombia

Federación Colombiana de Municipios

Costa Rica

Municipalidad de Escazú

Ecuador

Municipio de Cuenca

Ecuador

Municipio de Quito

El Salvador

Corporación de Municipalidades de la República de El Salvador-COMURES

MIDDLE EAST-WEST ASIA Jordan

Greater Amman Municipality

Lebanon

UCLG Office Lebanon, Syria, Jordania

Turkey

UCLG-MEWA

NORTH AMERICA Canada

City of Toronto

United States of America

Corpus Christi

OBSERVERS* Australia

Cultural Development Network – Victoria

Brazil

Ministério da Cultura

Canada

Creative City Network of Canada

Canada

Ville de Montréal

Chile

Consejo Nacional de la Cultura y las Artes

Colombia

Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá

France

Aide aux Musiques Innovatrices – AMI

France

Mairie d’Aubagne

How to adopt Agenda 21 for culture in your municipality

Around 180 cities, local governments and organisations from all over the world are linked to Agenda 21 for culture. A complete list is periodically updated on the websites.

The formal adoption of Agenda 21 for culture by a local government has a vast importance: it expresses the undertaking with the citizens so as to ensure that culture takes a key role in urban policies, and it shows a sign of solidarity and cooperation with the cities and local governments of the world.

www.agenda21cultura.net

Agenda 21 for culture provides an opportunity for every city to create a long term vision of culture as a basic pillar in its development. General concepts and considerations: • - Local cultural strategy • - Charter of cultural rights and responsibilities • - Culture council • - Cultural impact assessment

Culture and human rights

-Culture and human development. Cultural diversity as “a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence.” - Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights. “No one may invoke cultural diversity to infringe upon the human rights guaranteed by international law, nor to limit their scope. Mechanisms, instruments and resources for guaranteeing freedom of speech

- Invitation to artists to commit themselves with the city, improving coexistence and quality of life, increasing the creative and critical capacity of all citizens

Culture and governance

- New central role of culture in society. Legitimacy of cultural policies - Quality of local development depends on the interweaving of cultural policies and other public policies - Local governance: a joint responsibility of citizens, civil society and governments

Improvement of assessment mechanisms in culture. System of cultural indicators Importance of networks and international cooperation

Culture, sustainability and community

- Cultural diversity, as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature - Diversity of cultural expressions brings wealth. Importance of a wide cultural ecosystem, with diversity of origins, actors and content - Dialogue, coexistence and interculturality as basic principles for the dynamics of citizen relationships - Public spaces as cultural spaces

Where to from here?

Where to from here?

Agenda 21 for culture: United Cities and Local Governments

• Agenda 21 for culture adopted as a reference document for programs on culture. Working Group on Culture, constituted in Beijing in 2005, is the meeting point for cities, local governments and networks that place culture at the heart of their development processes.

• Cities and local governments the world over adhere to the Agenda 21 for culture in their local councils. The process has raised the interest of international organisations, national governments and civil society.