European Council of Artists´Annual Conference held in the Spanish capital
Eighty actors, dancers, musicians and visual artists from seventeen European countries met in Madrid - Spain, in spite of dire financial conditions, to work out a way of getting back to business.
The European Council of Artists (ECA) representing 26 umbrella organisations safeguarding the interests of artists held its Annual General Assembly and Conference from the 11th to the 13th November 2011 with the theme ‘BACK TO BUSINESS – The need for industrious artists’.
The cultural sector in many European countries has been seriously affected by the current financial crisis. Artists can use their resourcefulness and survival skills to be part of the recovery. Art and culture have a dual role – providing social identity and cohesion, as well as giving content to the creative and cultural industries which, notwithstanding the global economic situation, still have the potential for remarkable growth.
The conference, which was moderated by Lisbeth Kirk, editor of the EU OBSERVER, explored how and under what conditions artists can become agents of recovery. Speakers included Carlos Carnero - Special Ambassador for European Integration, Ara Malikian - violinist, Victor Fernandez Blanco - Professor of Cultural Economics, Ana Cabo – Director of the Madrid Dance Festival, José Luis Sanchís Sinisterra - author and theatre director, Bernadette Sweeney – educator, and Federico Jusid - composer.
The topics which were discussed included: the value of the arts to society and the economy, arts education as a catalyst for change, cultural co-operation in times of financial austerity, arts and social inclusion, artists’ rights, among others.
The conference was organised in co-operation with ECA’s member in Spain, FAEE (Spanish Federation of Artists), with the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Culture and with collaboration of AISGE (Spanish Audiovisual Performers Collecting Society).
During the Annual General Assembly of ECA held on the 11th of November 2011, Icelandic actress and theatre director Kolbrun Halldordottir was elected President, succeeding sculptor Michael Burke from Ireland.