Arts as Cultural Diplomacy - A Forum for Young Leaders

Considering the diverse background of the participants and the exchanges which took place during the week, the programme had already delivered a big part of what the ICD stands for and wants to promote: cultural exchange. The ICD was founded in 1999 by Mark Donfried and is an international not-for profit NGO aiming to promote global peace and stability through strengthening and supporting intercultural relations at all levels. This mainly takes place through a range of different programmes that bring together people with different cultural, academic and professional backgrounds from all over the world.

The ICD runs a wide range of programmes under the categories Adademy, Young Leaders Forums, Individual Conferences/Projects and the Global Community. While some bi-lateral programmes such as Germany meets Turkey or Canada meets Germany are more established, the Forum on Arts as Cultural Diplomacy took place for the very first time. Managing Director Sophie Röhrig tells me that the majority of participants usually comes from a political background while this was the first time that a large part of participants was made up of arts and cultural managers, also including some artists.

I was rather surprised to hear this, considering that the ICD actually stands for cultural exchange, of which artistic expression forms an important part. Cultural exchange is the only way forward for cultural diplomacy in a globalised world in which noone holds absolute controle anymore and where the old terms of hard power and soft power seem increasingly outdated and we have come to realise that not only diplomats but everyone has to help to master todays global challenges. It seems that the ICD, in its programmes, has so far actually seen culture more as a tool for broader political agendas in order to promote peace and stability and cultural expression plays a very small role when looking at some of the upcoming programmes. As it happens, I tend to - along with many others - get suspicious when a group of politicians and aspiring politicians, policy makers and diplomats gather to discuss the role of culture and cultural diplomacy in maintaining good international relations without mingling with those who actually work in the arts and culture. The fact that for the first time an ICD event was aimed at a different target group certainly feels very comforting. The forum was well attended and although no concrete plans have been made, another similar event is likely to take place in the future. Instead of separating politicians and arts managers/artists it would indeed make sense to make them meet in order to experience a real exchange of perspectives and a much needed approchement between those working within the arts/culture and those with a politics/policy background.

It has to be said, however, that even though the participants did most likely not include any aspiring politicians or diplomats this time, the programme offered a varied journey all across the field of cultural diplomacy, including trips to cultural institutions such as the Radialsystem or the Kulturfabrik Moabit as much as a tour through the Bundestag while paying particular attention to the vast international art collection and architectural highlights of the building. The programme further included a visit to the Danish embassy and a presentation by Matthias Peschke, Head of the European Commissions Berlin Representation, by, Werner Wnendt, Director of the Department for Culture and Communication at the German Foreign Office and a range of presentations by artists and cultural actors in Germany.

To discover more about cultural cooperation in Europe and European programmes was probably particularly interesting for participants from outside Europe, who were able to gain insight into a wide range of initiatives including the European Cultural Capital Programme, presented by Prof. Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt, the International Relations Commissioner for the current cultural capital - or region - Ruhr 2010. The programme also allowed for participants, many of whom had recently completed research projects, to present their own ideas and projects and discuss them with the rest of the group. As ever, when like-minded people meet, the discussions and networking alongside the official programme are just as important and will for sure result in future projects and professional connections, especially with a programme that runs over an entire week and where there is plenty of time for exchange.

A hidden agenda of the Forum in Berlin was the possible formation of a Young European Cultural Parliament. Amb. Karl Erik Normann, who heads the European Cultural Parliament (ECP) presented the idea, which was then further discussed during a workshop that same week. The idea is likely to be taken forward by some participants during the next meeting of the ECP in Athens in September. Currently, the ICD is welcoming applications for the following upcoming programmes:

Cultural Bridges in Germany: A Forum for Young Leaders Berlin, 16 - 21 August, 2010

USA Meets Europe: A Forum for Young Leaders Berlin, 22 - 27 August, 2010

The ICD Academy for Cultural Diplomacy Berlin, 07 - 12 September 2010

Europe Meet Latin America: A Forum for Young Leaders Berlin, 12 - 17 September, 2010

For those who wish to do an internship at the ICD, the institute accepts interns upon application. Interns play an essential role in the running of the programmes and come from all over the world.

More information: www.culturaldiplomacy.org

Ulla-Alexandra Mattl, born in Finland, holds a Diploma in Photography and an MA in Finno-Ugric Languages from the Universities of Vienna, Helsinki and the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris. After several years "European experience" in Brussels (working for the European Commission and for the Austrian Cultural Forum in Brussels) she completed an MA in Arts Management at CityUniversity in London. She is now working as a Freelance Arts and Project Manager as well as a Research Analyst. Her main interests lie in international cultural co-operation and comparative cultural policy as well as events- and project management. She joined the network in 2005.

Email: um (at) artsmanagement.net