Euroart project

The project addresses to the development of exchanges of experiences and co-operation between Romania and European Union in cultural domain, as well as to the promotion of the European dimension in Romanian culture and the effort of making culture to become a new ethical authority in an economical way of living in Europe.

European Council of Artists ECA, an umbrella organisation established in 1995 is partner in the project. ECA represents associations and councils of authors, performers and visual artists in 24 European Union countries as well as Central and Eastern European countries.

During the last years, ECA organised conferences and reunions with the representatives of Europeans artists, intellectuals and politicians which facilitated a visible increased recognition upon the necessity of the responsibility and mutual actions, even political ones for wide public debates and understanding of the European integration process.

In this view and taking as successful model the program "Project Syndicate", the proposal of Mr. Ludwig Laher, Austria, member of the ECA’s Executive Committee was put in a concrete form in a project regarding a debate over the European cultural policies with the participation of important European artists and intellectuals. The 2000 ECA Conference "Where is Europe? Common European Values" held in El Escorial, Spain, aimed to begin the debate over common European values, in the same domain with the mentioned problems.

After Austria, Romania is the first country with an umbrella organisation member of ECA (and the first country outside Europe) engaged in contributing as partner in this pilot project.

The partnership between ANUC and ECA for the project regarding the contribution of the Romanian part represents the premise of the sustainable development of these activities within the framework of a middle term program (5 years) with the contribution of other countries too. This program was on ECA’s agenda and budget for 2001.

Description of the project

The project represents ANUC’s contribution as member of European Council Newspapers, initiated in 2000. For an increased sectorial visibility and in order to stimulate the debate and exchange of opinions between artists and men of culture, the activities of the project combine three media of manifestation: publicistic, electronic (Internet) and direct contact in reunions. The project covers part of Romania’s priorities in the pre-accession process to European Union.

Objectives of the project:

• To inform large Romanian readership / Internet navigators regarding European key issues in cultural field (cultural policies and status of artists) in view of European integration in the cultural area
• To advance the Romanian contribution in the frames of the European Council of Artists ECA’s initiative of creating a database for exchanging experiences and foster co-operation between artists and intellectuals from Europe regarding European key issues in cultural field
• To analyse together with the signatories of the Status of Authors and Performers in Romania (adopted in 1998 by the Ministry of Culture and eight organisations of art creators, a document based on the EU experiences and practices in the field that was adopted as a working document by the ECA) its promotion, degree of fulfilment and perspective of the Action Plan in view of promoting European standards in Romania and within the cultural field

Deliverables:

• ANUC’s Informative Bulletin – 2 consecutive issues
• The development of ECA web site with Debate Forum section
• Renewal and development of ANUC web site including European Debates section (Dezbateri europene); Romanian and English versions
• 10 articles from the ECA web site published in "Romania libera" newspaper, on ANUC web site and other newspaper in ECA member countries
• 10 Romanian articles published in "Romania libera" newspaper and on ANUC and ECA web site
• participation of ANUC’s representative in Annual ECA Conference (Spain, November 2000)
• 2 reunions of the signatories of the Status of authors and performers in Romania 23.10.2000 and 8.02.2001) and dissemination of the conclusions to ECA and regional section "European Ways" (to maintain the continuity of the signatories’ partnership for the execution of the Action Plan)

The project of National Alliance of Creators’ Unions in Romania ANUC European debates in European newspapers – the Romanian contribution is developed in partnership with European Council of Artists and financed by Euroart.