1. INTERNATIONAL THEATRE PRACTICE
Cultural Policy and Cultural Diplomacy
Sergi Torres,
European Commission,
EuropeAid, Culture Unit.
8 December 2011
1

2. if you think cultural exchange
is expensive, try ignorance.
2

3. In the next 30 minutes…
1. Cultural exchange, why bother?
2. Finding your partners
3. Funding: knocking on the right door(s)
1. Q&A

4. 1.
Cultural exchange,
why bother?

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfhNYU5wxA0
5

6. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)
6

7. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN For example:
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
Belarus Free Theatre
• Protection of freedom of expression
• Empower civil society
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION • Free movement of people
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)
Palastine’s Freedom Theatre at YSD?
7

8. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
For example: Anna Lindh Foundation
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
7M€ project, 5 years
Purpose “bring people together from
3. POSITIVE BRANDING across the Mediterranean to improve
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE) mutual respect between cultures and
to support civil society working for a
common future of the Region.
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
“Arts For Social Change”
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)
8

9. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)
9

10. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions For example: “Art for Livelihood” in India
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING Capacity building project in West Bengal,
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE) one of the poorest rural areas in India.
1.3M€, 7 years
ACTIONS:
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
• Capacity building for artists
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)
• Microcredit
• Festivals and exchange

11. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
OUTCOMES AND RESULTS
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC • Average monthly income from 4€ to 40€
VALUES • Sanitation/electricity: from 4% to 87%
• Identity: From unskilled labor to artists
• Leading artist touring to UK, France,
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Tunisia, China, Japan…
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)

12. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)
12

13. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
For example:
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)
13

14. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
For example:
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING The Case of the Catalan speaking regions:
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE) • Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Andorra …
• Limited political leverage
• But strong regions in culture
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION & innovation
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$) • Cultural diplomacy becomes
an excellent instrument
14

15. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
For example:
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
Catalonia and Balears “guests of honor”
3. POSITIVE BRANDING at the Iberoamerican Theatre Festival
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE) of Bogotá
• One of the major international
Performing Arts Festival
• Institut Ramon Llull brought both
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION acclaimed and emerging artists
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$) • Goal: To position the performing arts
of the region at an international level
15

16. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)

17. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
For example:
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)

18. Benefits for international organizations,
states and regions
For example:
1. PROTECTION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC
VALUES
2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
POVERTY REDUCTION + JOB
CREATION
3. POSITIVE BRANDING
OF A REGION / STATE (IMAGE)
4. INTERNATIONALIZATION
OF CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ($$$)

19. 2.
Finding your partner

20. International theatre festivals
Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh Festival Fringe (UK)
Festival D’Avignon (France)
Performing
Arts Market
of Seoul (Korea)
Festival
Iberoamericano
de Teatro de
Bogota (Colombia)
FiraTarrega
Street Theatre Festival (Spain)
20

21. International theatre festivals
100s of festivals,
Different positioning
and content
Choose the ones most helpful
for your organization
21

22. Resources in the US
• TCG and other national service org
Guidance, funding, festivals, visas, ITI…
• Theatre without borders
www.theatrewithoutborders.com
• Peers and colleagues already working in cultural exchange
Under the Radar The Foundry Theatre
www.undertheradarfestival.com www.thefoundrytheatre.org
Mark Russell &Meiyin Wang Melanie Joseph
ArtesAmericas, Texas Performing Arts Dell'Arte International
http://texasperformingarts.org www.dellarte.com
Joe Randall Michael Fields & Joan Schirle
22

23. 3.
Funding:
knocking on the right door(s)

24. Some resources as examples
• CATALONIA
Institut Ramon Llull in NYC
www.llull.cat/new_york
JadrankaVrsalovic-Carevic
24

25. Some resources as examples
SPAIN
• Spanish Consulate in NYC
www.maec.es/subwebs/Consulados/NuevaYork
Cultural Counselor, IñigoRamírez De Haro
• Instituto Cervantes in NYC
http://nyork.cervantes.es
• Embassy of Spain in Washington
www.maec.es/subwebs/Embajadas/Washington
Cultural Counselor, Guillermo Corral
• Contact info for all the US
www.spainculture.us/about-us
25

26. Some resources as examples
EUROPEAN UNION
• EU Delegation to the US
www.eurunion.org/eu
• EUNIC US – New York
EU National Institutes for Culture
www.eunic-online.eu/new%20york
• EUNIC US – Washington
www.eunic-online.eu/node/341
26

27. 4.
Q&A
27

28. What can technology do
for cultural exchange?
28

29. Thank you.