Cultural Management courses in Egypt

 

The cultural field of Egypt has permanently changed in the last few decades. The nationalization of key industries in the 1960s has also had an impact in the cultural sector. "Culture for all" was the slogan at the time and cultural palaces were opened in all major cities. Sadats policy of economic openness thinned out the cultural sector once again during the 1970s. Under Mubarak the focus was mainly set on prestige objects, mostly with financial support from abroad: the construction in 1988 of the opera house that was in the center of a complex with ten other cultural facilities, or the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which opened in 2003.

 

In the late 1990s the cultural field became increasingly emancipated, independent initiatives and cultural institutions were created that, on the other hand, had to contend with major challenges: problems with bureaucracy and approvals, insufficient funding, and professional qualification requirements for employees. At the same time, new cultural institutions were being founded mainly by non-government agencies. They spread throughout the Arab world since the 1990s, loosely linked through the network of the regional organization Al Mawred Al Thaqafy (Culture Resource, founded in 2004), which is based in Cairo. Al Mawred continues to advocate conferences for the further development of the cultural policy debate in Arab countries and created a study in this context.

In turn, there has been an improved development of the independent sector through the Internet and digitalization. Through digital media filmmakers have been given the opportunity to produce quickly and cost-effectively for the first time. Internet and social media from Egypt - used for local, regional and international communication, for networking, as well as for gathering information and marketing - have become indispensable. New cultural ex-pressions are also enriching the scene: graffiti and street art, graphic novels and comics, Hip Hop and break-dance have emerged in specific local forms.

 

Before the revolution in 2011 the cultural field was marked by conflicts between the hardened state sector, independent institutions and initiatives (often financed with foreign funds) as well as an increased religious-conservative trend. There was hardly any support for the independent sector; censorship by the state, society, and centralization in Egypt restricted its possibilities. The neglect of the cultural sector by the state was highlighted in September 2005, when, in the disaster of Beni Suef, over 50 theater directors, actors and critics were killed after the Cultural Palace burned down during a theater performance due to serious deficiencies in safety measures. This tragedy was exemplary for the relationship between the state and culture.

 

 

Cultural management is therefore facing many challenges here: the state sector is based generally on "representative" cultural events, conventional forms of expression and folk festivals. The non-governmental sector, in turn, is dependent on foreign support, even though it would like to be independent. It cannot expect state support; sponsors or entrance fees are still far from being enough to maintain operations. Through workshops and other offerings of cultural education some institutions generate more revenue. But all in all the resources of the partners are modest. Currently, the work of the cultural institutions in Egypt has become considerably more difficult through stricter regulations for NGOs and the criminalization of accepting foreign funds.

 

The local offerings in vocational qualifications for cultural managers come from the independent sector. The only significant provider of workshops and trainings is Al Mawred Al Thaqafy. He has also proposed to set up a degree in cultural management and cultural policy. Although the demand is great, up to now there is nothing in the entire region apart from a broad-based, systematic and academic qualification program in cultural management. Particularly necessary are continuing education courses in project management, marketing, audience development and fundraising as well as soft skills such as intercultural communication, conflict management, change management in state institutions, or discussions about concepts of culture in the light of the conditions mentioned above.

 

Because of the politically complex situation, location planning is often a challenge. Flexibility, creativity and much patience are required from all sides in order to raise awareness for the need of cultural work in the provinces and to allow the public to have access to culture.

 

 

As part of the German-Arab Transformation Partnership of the German Foreign Office, which is to promote the democratization process, the Goethe-Institut has since 2011 been promoting programs for the cultural and educational sector to advance changes of the MENA region. Trainings in project management, marketing, audience development and fundraising are in special demand. This "cultural academy" is orientated at the actual needs of the cultural sector, taking into account the above-mentioned conditions. They are created in regard to different aspects: regional (Middle East / North Africa) group of countries related (Maghreb), country-based (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia) or division-specific (eg training for curators, filmmakers, theater professionals) and thus reflect different requirementc in Cultural Management.

In the regional training program, which is aimed at young Arab cultural managers, there is the possibility to experience by a traineeship how cultural work in Germany is working on the spot. Good project proposals can obtain a initial funding about the programmes project development fund.

The Culture Management Programme Egypt has evolved from a request of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and has been designed specifically towards its needs. The focus, in addition to the usual topics such as project management and cultural marketing, was on the soft skills of cultural management, including cross-cultural communication and conflict management, change management in state institutions as well as cultural concepts. The program aims at qualifying open-minded young professionals who can effect positive impact on cultural co-operations, to overcome the previous static understanding of culture as prestige promotion towards more dynamic models. A further special focus is to rise awareness for the importance of cultural work in the provinces to garantuee an access to culture also to the population outside the metropolitan areas of Cairo and Alexandria. Within the framework of the EU program "Capacity Building for Cultural Managers in Egypt's Regions" since 2103 audience targeted cultural management workshops with the particular focus on the provinces of Egypt are offered in cooperation with the Robert Bosch Foundation.

In Tunisia there haven't been training opportunities in cultural management. Through the programs of the Goethe Institute in 201214 directors of cultural institutions have been invited to a further cultural management education in Germany. In the following year it was held for a mixed group of freelance Tunisian cultural managers and German cultural institutions staff. Since 2014, these training courses are organized in each country itself to better utilize the existing local potentials and networks of the Tunisian cultural scene. This six-week advanced training program is aimed at committed Tunisians who already have experience in the organization and the acquisition of cultural projects and would like to expand their knowledge. Afterwards, the participants have the possibility to apply for an internship in Germany or to funding for a project developed during the training.

The latest example is an offer for Libyan cultural managers. The training content has a project focused character that takes consideration on the special needs of the Libyan cultural scene that does not lack ideas, but institutions and infrastructure. The aim is that the participants develop own project ideas or the create cultural initiatives that measure up the local needs. The basis for the design of the training was a local research, undertaken together with Libyan partners and based mainly on interviews with cultural managers. The Pilot Training 2014 should provide the foundation to further develop this cooperation and to strengthen the Libyan cultural scene in the long term.

Due to the complex political situation on-site, the planning is often complex and challenging and is thus in itself a special, but typical form of cultural management for the region. Flexibility, creativity and a lot of patience are required on all sides if a project shall be successful in a country in transition.