THE ARTERIAL NETWORK




JULY 2009 | NEWSLETTER

Dear Olivier

Welcome to the July newsletter from the ARTerial Network, an informal, dynamic network of individuals, organisations, donors, companies and institutions engaged in the African cultural sector. The Network was formed to support the effectiveness and growth of the African arts and culture civil society and to enhance the sustainability of creative industries in Africa.


Table of contents

I. What's new with the ARTterial Network?
Research report on an African Arts Fund
Second Arterial Network conference
Seminar on north/south cultural exchange
World Summit on Arts and Culture

II. Calls for projects/Invitations
Entries Open for FNB Dance Umbrella 2010
Golden Lion Film Festival Call for Entries CALL FOR ENTRIES: Deadline: September 1, 2009
ICACD 2009 Registrations Open

III.Conferences
First Conference on Cultural Organisations in times of Economic Crisis: Managing aesthetics and excellence with shrinking budgets
Second Africa Research Conference in Applied Drama and Theatre, November 12 - 14, on the Wits University campus
African Seminar on Festival Management

IV. Cultural events
The Morija Arts and Cultural Festival, October 2009
Summer Teen Filmmaking Workshop

V. Others
The 2010 Daniel Pearl Awards competition

VI. Contact us


I. What's new with the ARTterial Network?
Research report on an African Arts Fund

The Arterial Network commissioned research into the viability, structure and operational modes of a transnational fund for the arts on the African continent. The final research report - Towards an African Fund for Arts and Culture: the need for an accessible, independent and efficient fund to promote African creativity and its regional and international distribution - has been received from the research team comprising Nicky du Plessis, Khadija El Bennaoui and Lou Mayitoukou. This research was made possible by two of the Arterial Network's funding partners, the Doen Foundation and the Stromme Foundation. The report may be downloaded on www.arterialnetwork.org and www.artsinafrica.com

This is the second major research project initiated by the Arterial Network that has been completed, the first was a collection of all the research conducted into the African creative economy over the last five years, now also available on the www.artsinafrica.com website.


Second Arterial Network conference
The second Arterial Network conference will take place from 20-21 September at the Goethe Institute in Johannesburg, just before the World Summit on Arts and Culture that runs from 22-25 September. Plans are being made for about 100 delegates from approximately 30 African countries - and partners from abroad - to attend the two-day event. The aims of the conference are to reflect on progress made since the launch of the Network in March 2007, to determine priorities for the next few years, to prepare to maximize the benefits of the World Summit being held in Africa for the first time, to formalize the Arterial Network organisationally and to elect a Steering Committee to lead the organization till the next biannual conference in 2011.


Seminar on north/south cultural exchange

The South African chapter of the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) is planning a seminar on power relations in north-south cultural exchange on Tues 22 September to coincide with the Arterial Network conference and the World Summit. This is one of the topics that will be discussed at the Summit i.e. how to manage real partnerships in cultural exchange when often one partner - largely from the north - is the primary financial donor for the project which invariably makes that partner the dominant decision-maker with regard to aesthetics and content. The ideas arising out of this seminar will feed into the Summit roundtable. The Arterial Network will participate in this seminar.


World Summit on Arts and Culture

Much is being made about the legacy that the World Summit on Arts and Culture - a project of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) - should leave for the African creative sector since it is the first time that this "World Cup of the Arts" is being held on the continent. Given its continental reach and the participation of its members in the Summit, the Arterial Network will be a significant partner in the pursuit and implementation of projects that will have a lasting impact in and for Africa.


At the Summit itself, there will be more African participation both as delegates and as speakers than at previous Summits, and it will be a great platform to establish partnerships with colleagues from around the world, to project African issues, perspectives on global arts themes and creative sector players onto an international stage, to learn from good practice models elsewhere, to consolidate networks on the continent itself and to initiate projects that will have catalytic effect.

It will be up to African participants to determine the legacy that we would want the Summit to have and then actively to organize to this end, before, during and after the Summit.

For more information about the World Summit, see www.artsummit.org

II. Calls for Projects/Invitations


Entries Open for FNB Dance Umbrella 2010

The FNB Dance Umbrella 2010 will run at various venues in Johannesburg, from Saturday, February 27 to Saturday March 13, 2010. After offering a free and open platform for new contemporary choreography and dance for 21 years, the infrastructure of the festival has been changed. This is an Artistic decision to develop the Dance Umbrella into "the" dance festival in South Africa and it will be programmed as follows:

- MAIN PROGRAMME: Only commissioned works from South African choreographers and invited international works.
- FRINGE PROGRAMME: during Dance Umbrella 2010, there will be a variety of works programmed as the Fringe. This is open to professional choreographers and dancers who have presented work on a professional stage. The work on the Fringe may not extend beyond 30 minutes. There is no guarantee that all the works will be programmed, so entries should have as much information as possible.
- STEPPING STONES: Only youth, community groups, students from dance training centres and choreographers who do not work regularly will be featured in this programme.
The closing date is August 14, 2009.
For More Information check website: www.artslink.co.za/arts or e-mail: georgina@artslink.co.za/ danceforum@artslink.co.za


Golden Lion Film Festival Call for Entries CALL FOR ENTRIES: Deadline: September 1, 2009

All genres of film and video shorts up to 45 minutes in length are welcome. (Time length exceptions may be negotiated with the festival director.) High-quality work is sought (sometimes, a film's quality is established by a liveliness of story, intensity, or quirkiness of direction that can overcome technical problems), and works of social commitment that illuminate the human condition in all its dramatic, comedic or musical manifestations. Cinematic innovation and works with a strong directorial point of view are encouraged. Fiction and non-fiction stories whose makers clearly show their passion for their subjects are sought.
Works competing for festival awards must be completed after January 1 2006. (Exceptions may be negotiated with festival director.) Non-English language films must be subtitled in English.
For more information visit: http://www.goldlionfest.co.sz/entries.html
ICACD 2009 Registrations Open
Registrations for the 2nd International Conference on African Culture and Development (ICACD 2009) being held in Accra, Ghana November 15th to 18th 2009 are now open.

Please visit www.icacdafrica.org to access information and details about the Conference. Registration can be done online or the registration form can be printed and either faxed or posted to the ICACD Secretariat office.

The ICACD Secretariat is working to provide information in both English and French and is currently seeking support and sponsorship to enable both languages to be the working languages of the Conference.

"It is of great importance that we are able to invite and share ideas and debates with our peers from French speaking Africa. We have through the support of the Arterial Network and the ACP program of the European Commission been able to tell people of our initiative here in Ghana and we have been inundated with interest and response from many of our French speaking colleagues in Mali, Senegal, Algeria, Congo, Burkina Faso, Togo and Cameroon," stated Secretariat Chairman Hon. Kojo Appiah-Kubi.

ICACD 2009 will be held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Homowo Conference Centre in Accra. The themes for the Conference will address the impact of Culture on achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Additionally the Secretariat is negotiating to host focus events on "Women, Culture and Development", "Culture, Governance and Traditional Leadership" and "Art and Culture as tools for conflict resolution".

"We are also very excited to announce the inaugural ICACD Awards to be presented annually. The awards will highlight and acknowledge commitment and innovation in the work that has been done and is being done to ensure that culture is valued and included as an essential component to all human sustainable development process - social, economic and environmental. The ICACD Awards will call for nominations and people and organizations can self nominate or nominate a peer or peer agency for acknowledgement," added Appiah-Kubi.
For more information and to register for ICACD 2009 please visit: www.icacdafrica.org.

III. Meetings and Conferences

First Conference on Cultural Organisations in times of Economic Crisis: Managing aesthetics and excellence with shrinking budgets


University of Cape Town, Department of Accounting 3 - 4 December 2009
The conference discusses and reflects the relationship of culture, arts and management in times of economic crises. The current global financial meltdown has slashed the myth of unrestricted liberalism and forced governments to actively support their former flagships of endless economic growth. These emergency actions have far-reaching consequences.
Admission Fee: 250 Euro / 350 USD / 2800 ZAR. There are Scholarships for participants out of African Countries. Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 Sept 2009