Mrs Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, will kick off two full days of discussions during which high-level speakers and participants will debate key contemporary themes facing the cultural sector, including:
 

Digitisation – How to fully exploit opportunities?

• The digital shift is bringing about major changes in work, lifestyle and consumption patterns. It is also unlocking creative potentials. Yet, are artists and culture professionals making the most of the available opportunities in order to reach out to new audiences? Are the cultural and creative industries adapting their business models to reap the benefits of digitisation? This panel will look at new audience-building strategies and also examine the replicability of some successful new business models.
   

Which skills for culture in a globalised and digitised world?

• Globalisation and digitisation have already substantively impacted the cultural and creative industries in many respects, from the creative end to access to audiences. At the same time, the cultural sector is facing the consequences of the economic crisis and significant cuts in public budgets. In this context, the strengthening of the sector implies looking more closely at the new mix of skills needed for the sector to adapt and develop. This panel will look both at the skills required and at the different ways in which to strengthen the capacity of culture professionals, from initial education to peer coaching.
   

Culture – A smart investment for European regions?

• The crucial role of cultural and creative industries in economic and social development at regional and local levels is increasingly being recognised. However, the complex links between traditional cultural assets (heritage, dynamic cultural institutions and services) and the development of creative businesses and tourism still have to be better understood. This panel will look at the fundamental investments which, at regional and local levels, can contribute to "creative ecosystems". Panelists will also discuss how regions could be helped to make smart investments in culture.
   

Civil society empowerment in third countries: are culture actors providing powerful voices in support of democratisation processes?

• The Arab Spring has demonstrated how powerful a combination of determined young people and new communication technologies can be. Artists are at the forefront of such movements. As we also saw in the former Communist countries of Eastern Europe, cultural voices, are instrumental in amplifying the calls for democracy coming from civil society at large. But they can only truly flourish in a context of protection of human rights. How can the EU, which makes the promotion of human rights and democracy a strategic objective of its external relations, do more to support the fulfilment of these objectives by integrating cultural actors in its action? This panel will look at the role of cultural actors and their cooperation in transitional and democratic processes and at how the EU can best help such processes, as well as the way cultural cooperation can foster mutual understanding and true inter-cultural exchanges between the EU and third countries.
   

Information Sessions on specific topics will alternate with the four Plenary Session panels.

On 20 October at 19.00, there will be a performance by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE). 
 

Registration

Read more:

culture-forum-2011.ec.europa.eu/invitation.jsp