The Conference “From Democratization to Cultural Democracy: Rethinking Institutions and Practices” was an hybrid event, organised under the auspices of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, between the 27th and the 28th of April 2021.
It took place in Porto Santo Island, on the Madeira Archipelago, one of the outermost regions of Europe. As an hybrid event, it had a strong online presence, involving 490 participants from 37 countries worldwide, mobilising the collaboration of major European cultural networks and non-governmental organisations.
The objectives of the conference were:
- To promote a cultural vision that values pluralism, knowledge of audiences, inclusion, participation, social cohesion and citizenship, thinking strategically about the role of the intersection of Culture and Education policies;
- To critically debate the possibilities and challenges of the relationship between arts, heritage and digital media;
- To encourage the transformation of cultural institutions into educational territories and of educational institutions into cultural centers;
- To reflect on how cultural institutions and their processes contribute (or not) to a more democratic, equal and free society, how they promote access to cultural fruition and production and influence the health of our democratic communities;
- To develop a conceptual framework and enunciate practical recommendations addressed to the various sectors of action (governments, institutions and civil society) to guide more inclusive and plural cultural practices, valuing cultural diversity and the participation of communities that are often marginalized;
- To address the new social realities – the transformations of the digital world, the transformation of democratic values – through the formative potential of publics achieved by the cross work of Culture & Education;
- To publish the “Porto Santo Charter” that sees cultural institutions and activities as an open space for each citizen to participate and take responsibility for shaping our common cultural environment and outlines democratic practices at the heart of cultural institutions.
The conference was attended by national and European political leaders, from the areas of Culture and Education; two of the most influential philosophers of our time, Jacques Rancière and Chantal Mouffe; the renowned specialist in the relationship between arts and education, Maria Acaso; personalities of reference in the reflection on post-colonialist and inclusive cultural institutions, Wayne Modest and Maria Lind; with speakers recognised for their experience in the relationship between the arts, heritage and digital territories; the presentation and reflection on the “artivist” practice of the cuban artist Tania Bruguera and other artistic projects that help us think about the relationship between art and the community.
This conference was jointly organised by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Regional Government of Madeira and the Portuguese National Plan for the Arts. It is in keeping with the New European Agenda for Culture (2018) and with the action lines guiding the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union towards the creation of a more resilient Europe.
The Programme
The event took place between the 27th and the 28th of April 2021, online and in the island of Porto Santo, in the Atlantic Portuguese archipelago of Madeira, with the following programme.
Tuesday
9:00 – 10:00 GMT
10:00 – 11:00 CETWelcome
Paulo Pires do Vale
National Plan for the Arts CommissionerJosé Idalino Vasconcelos
Mayor of Porto SantoEduardo Jesus
Regional Secretary of Tourism and CultureAdrienn Kiraly
Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Mariya Gabriel – Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and YouthTiago Brandão Rodrigues
Portuguese Minister of EducationGraça Fonseca
Portuguese Minister of Culture10:00 – 10:45 GMT
11:00 – 11:45 CETLesson #1
Aesthetic Democracy
Jacques Rancière
Professor of Philosophy at European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris VIII: Vincennes—Saint-Denis10:45 – 11:00 GMT
11:45 – 12:00 CETPause
11:00 – 11:45 GMT
12:00 – 12:45 CETDialogue #1
Cultural Institutions and Education
Maria Acaso
Art Education Researcher
Head of Education at Museo Reina Sofíawith Sara Brighenti
National Plan for the Arts Deputy-Commissioner11:45 – 12:00 GMT
12:45 – 13:00 CETLearning with artists #1
A selection of videos
12:00 – 13:00 GMT
13:00 – 14:00 CETRoundtable #1
Cultural Democracy and Digital Territories
Veronica Mobilio
Policy Officer at European Commission, DG Education, Sport, Youth and Culture
Responsible for implementation of the Digital Education Action PlanMarcos Garcia
Coordinator of the Citizen Laboratory Network Initiative of the Region of MadridWouter van der Horst
Head of Content & Learning at Smartify
Research Associate in Media Literacy at The Media College Amsterdam
Founder of We Share Culturewith Altheo Valentini
Co-chair Europeana Education Community
Board member ALL DIGITAL – Enhancing digital skills across Europe14:30 – 16:30 GMT
15:30 – 17:30 CETWorkgroups will discuss innovative practices from several European Union member states.
16:45 GMT
17:45 CETA Canção da Terra
“On that piece of land lost in the middle of the sea…”
In 1938, Jorge Brum do Canto debuted his first feature film shot on the island of Porto Santo: The Song of the Land. It won over the critics with its exemplary editing, the telluric strength of its images, and earning a special place in the history of Portuguese cinema for the modernity and rigour of its direction. The film deals with the very difficult daily life of the inhabitants of Porto Santo, the long droughts and the difficulties of farming. Some of the island’s inhabitants were even extras. A Canção da Terra premiered at the São Luís and Condes cinemas on March 29th 1938, and at the Arriaga Theatre in Funchal (today the Baltazar Dias Municipal Theatre).
Film screening. Subtitles in English. Text excerpt from the Brum do Canto Museological Space, Madeira Culture Board, Porto Santo Island.
Wednesday
9:00 – 9:45 GMT
10:00 – 10:45 CETRoundtable #2
Europe and Cultural Citizenship: Diversity and Empowerment
Matjaž Gruden
Director General of Democracy at the Council of EuropeSabine Verheyen
Member of the European Parliament
Chair Committee on Culture and Educationwith Ângela Ferreira
Portuguese Deputy Minister of Culture and Secretary of State for Cultural HeritagePortu
9:45 – 10:00 GMT
10:45 – 11:00 CETLearning with artists #2
A selection of videos
10:00 – 11:00 GMT
11:00 – 12:00 CETRoundtable #3
Democracy and Cultural Practices
Maria Lind
Curator, writer and educator
Councilor of culture at the Swedish Embassy in MoscowWayne Modest
Director of Content National Museum of WorldCultures, Wereldmuseum
Head of the Research Center of Material Culture
Professor of Material Culture and Critical Heritage Studies at the Vrije Universiteitwith Maria de Assis
Scientific Council Chair of the National Plan for the Arts11:00 – 11:15 GMT
12:00 – 12:15 CETPause
11:15 – 12:00 GMT
12:15 – 13:00 CETArtivism: an imaginary dialogue with Tania Bruguera
with Paulo Pires do Vale
National Plan for the Arts Commissioner12:00 – 12:45 GMT
13:00 – 13:45 CETLesson #2
Agonistic Democracy and Cultural Practices
Chantal Mouffe
Political theorist, Professor at the University of Westminster
Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy12:45 – 14:00 GMT
13:45 – 15:00 CETLunch
14:00 – 15:00 GMT
15:00 – 16:00 CETPorto Santo Charter: Presentation
Paulo Pires do Vale
National Plan for the Arts CommissionerErnesto Ottone Ramírez
UNESCO Assistant Director-General for CultureMargaritis Schinas
Vice-President European CommissionGraça Fonseca
Portuguese Minister of Culture15:00 – 17:00 GMT
16:00 – 18:00 CETPorto Santo Charter: Next steps
Workgroups
The Workgroups
The afternoon of 27th April will be dedicated to four parallel thematic sessions and workgroups. Participants will be randomly positioned in one of the four workgroups, taking full advantage of interesting and innovative cases. On the 28th April, a discussion group will try to answer to two questions inspired by the Porto Santo Charter and share some ideas for the future.
Workgroup
#1
Cultural Democracy, Cultural Citizenship
and Digital Challenges
workgroup co-chairs
Corinne Szteinsznaider
Coordinator of Michael Culture
Cristina Da Milano
President of ECCOM
Altheo Valentini
Co-chair Europeana Education Community
Board member ALL DIGITAL – Enhancing digital skills across Europe
Case study
Embracing culture: networking for democracy and citizenship
Nada Požar Matijašič
Coordinator for art and cultural education at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, SLOVENIA
Uršula Menih Dokl
Director of the Media Directorate at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of SLOVENIA
Nataša Bucik
Coordinator for art and cultural education at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of SLOVENIA
Case study
Democracy, equality and digital tools in transforming world
Iina Berden
Special Government Advisor at the Ministry of Education and Culture, FINLAND
Kimmo Aulake
Special Government Advisor and Deputy Head of Cultural Exports and Exchange Unit at the Ministry of Education and Culture, FINLAND
Case study
Modernization of the cultural education system
Ugne Rinkeviciute
Coordinator of Cultural Education Interventions, LITHUANIA
Vida Graziene
Culture, Audiovisual and Copyright Attaché at Permanent Representation of LITHUANIA to the EU
Workgroup
#2
Cultural Democracy, Cultural Citizenship
and Change
workgroup co-chairs
Tere Badia
Secretary-General of Culture Action Europe
Mercedes Giovinazzo
Director of Interarts
Joaquim Jorge
Special Advisor to Portuguese Deputy Minister of Culture and Secretary of State for Cultural Heritage
Case study
Democracy, technology and cultural education in the Czech Republic
Mgr. Martin Fatura, Ph.D.
Director, Department of EU Affairs, CZECH REPUBLIC
Case study
Democratic participation in cultural education, the Austrian case
Anna Steiner
European and International Cultural Policy, Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport, AUSTRIA
Reflection
New circumstances – New challenges for Cultural Institutions.
Recommendations for more open and inclusive cultural organizations
George Kalamantis
Director of International Relations and EU, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, GREECE
Workgroup
#3
Cultural Democracy, Cultural Citizenship,
Communities & New Ways of Participation
workgroup co-chairs
Piotr Michałowski
Secretary & Board Member, European Network of Cultural Centres – ENCC
Burak Sayin
Community Manager, Trans Europe Halles
Dea Vidović
Director of Kultura Nova Foundation and Co-Chair of Arts & Culture Thematic Network of EFC – European Foundation Centre
Case study
Riksteatern – The National Touring Theatre of Sweden
Dritëro Kasapi
Managing & Artistic Director Theatre Department, Riksteatern, SWEDEN
Case study
Backpack full of culture
Mia Vranješević
Programme associate – A Backpack (full) of Culture, Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of CROATIA
Case study
Cultural heritage to build citizenship
Ioana Dan
Researcher in education at CNPEE – National Center for Politics and Evaluation in Education and non-formal activities coordinator are Liceul Teoretic National (Theoretic National High School), ROMANIA
Case study
Making Culture Together
Stimulating cultural participation via co-productions of cultural and health & well-being professionals
Marlies Tal
Head of Cultural Participation and Policy at LKCA – National Centre of expertise on cultural education and participation in the NETHERLANDS
Wim Burggraaff
Cultural policy officer at Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in the NETHERLANDS
Workgroup
#4
Cultural Democracy, Cultural Citizenship,
Creativity and Education
workgroup co-chairs
Glen Coutts
Professor of Applied Arts Education, University of Lapland, Finland, and President of the International Society for Education through Art – InSEA
Joan Parr
Director of Arts and Engagement at Creative Scotland and Chair of the International Teaching Artists Collaborative – ITAC
Lígia Ferro
Professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto, Board member of the European Network of Observatories in the Field of Arts and Cultural Education – ENO
Case study
PECA – Parcours d’Éducation Culturelle et Artistique
Catherine Stilmant
Project Leader PECA – Parcours for Education through Culture and Arts, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, BELGIUM
Jean François Fueg
Directeur général adjoint, Administration générale de la Culture, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, BELGIUM
Case study
Kulturtanken, the cultural schoolbag and children as co-creators
June Mariann Breivik
Head of Department, Kulturtanken – Arts for Young Audiences, NORWAY
Case study
The element of creativity for cultural citizenship
Zhivka Haskiya
Senior expert, Ministry of Culture of Republic of BULGARIA
Case study
The National Plan for the Arts
Paulo Pires do Vale
Commissioner for the National Plan for the Arts, PORTUGAL
Sara Brighenti
Deputy-Commissioner for the National Plan for the Arts, PORTUGAL