Landscape Sketch of the Arts: relationship between the (upper)local level and the arts
Give your opinion and contribute to the Landscape Sketch of the Arts!
The Landscape Sketch of the Arts is a comprehensive analysis of Flanders' professional arts landscape that Flanders Arts Institute puts together at the start of each new political term. To make sure nothing is overlooked, we organise several sessions throughout 2024 to gather input from the sector, each time focusing on a different part of the arts field.
-> Read more about the Landscape Sketch of the Arts here.
Relationship between (upper)local government and the arts
In this session of the Landscape Sketch of the Arts, we focus on the role of (upper) local government for the arts, and vice versa.
Local governments have historically played an important role for the professional arts. That policy context has now changed radically: cities and municipalities have more autonomy in their policies for culture and recreation, provinces no longer officially conduct cultural policy and the role of the Flemish government is also limited to a few initiatives with a direct impact on the local.
While greater responsibilities and rising inflation are forcing local governments to economise and prioritise, they are entering into inspiring collaborations with artists and arts organisations. At the same time, a lot of artists and arts organisations are also looking for local anchoring.
How do (upper)local policies now look at the arts? And how does the professional arts sector now look at the local government? In this session, we discuss these questions from both directions. Together, we will explore strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities that arise from them.
To address this in the broadest possible way, we are looking for diverse profiles: policy makers, local arts and culture players, individuals and institutions from other domains (education, tourism, urbanisation, ...) who work together with them, professional artists and arts organisations that are committed to the local, consultation platforms, support centres, ....
When and where
27 May 2024, from 10:00 to 13:00
UTOPIA library Aalst (Utopia 1, 9300 Aalst) – a 2-minute walk from the station, via Albert Liénartstraat.
Programme
09:30 – reception
10:00 – introduction by Flanders Arts Institute
10:45 – three working groups set to work on issues
12:30 – plenary compilation of insights from the three working groups
13:00 – lunch and ending
The session will be held in Dutch and moderated by Flanders Arts Institute. Together, we extract useful knowledge from the conversation.
Registration
Feel like participating? Then register via the button at the top right.
To register, we ask you to create an account on our website and choose a password (at the ‘Sign up’ button). With your own account, you can always update your details and/or unsubscribe from the event. If you want to register for another event, you obviously do not need to create it again. Having problems creating an acccount? Then send an e-mail to sofia@kunsten.be.
We expect no preparation from participants. Only the desire to share.
Issues
The conversations hang on a number of issues. These deal with pertinent issues regarding the relationship between the professional arts sector and the (upper)local level. Flanders Arts Institute elaborates on these issues in more detail:
- what is professional and what is art;
- infrastructure;
- fragmentation and alignment;
- collaboration;
- friction in value frameworks
- audiences: broadening and deepening?
Remuneration and barriers
Flanders Arts Institute wants creators' voices to be heard more. We encourage financially strong organisations to bring (an) artist(s) alongside their own colleagues – either artistically or more behind the scenes – and provide a fee for this.
For freelance artists (who are not on the payroll of an arts organisation and for whom participation is therefore unpaid) Flanders Arts Institute provides a fee. You can indicate this in the practical confirmation e-mail.
Furthermore, we want to help overcome any thresholds for participants, e.g. through hybrid participation for people who have difficulty getting physically on site, food preferences or childcare. Please let us know how we can accommodate you via the same confirmation email.
