Giving focus to the Cultural, Scientific and Social Dimension of EU - CELAC relations

WP3 - Cultural Dimension Overview

The main task of the WP on Cultural Relations is to obtain a clear map of the current and the historical expansion of the cultural dimension of EU-CELAC relationship with the objective to propose a wise action plan for its future development.

This WP explores also the general context of international cultural relations, both between the EU and other regions and between individual EU Member States and LAC countries, as well as those developed by different intergovernmental organizations or summits (UNESCO, Ibero-American Summits, Inter-American Development Bank,
Organization of American States, among others).

In relation to the other sectorial work packages, the analysis of cultural relations between EU and LAC countries has not benefitted from enough previous background attention and research. For this reason, the implementation of this WP will be particularly innovative and challenging.

Five specific objectives will be pursued:

1. To analyze the strategies and the most representative programs in the field of culture implemented by the EU and its Member States with LAC countries, as well as by other instances of international cooperation
2. To evaluate the grand strategies of cultural cooperation at international level in terms of their impact and multiplier potential in the context of relations between the EU and CELAC
3. To identify the transformation of the paradigms of cultural policy and its impact from the point of view of cooperation, particularly in the field of cultural democratization, cultural democracy and community empowerment, culture and heritage as a sustainable resource, the role of creativity and innovation applied to human and economic development.
4. To evaluate the cross effects of culture and inter-cultural relations on transversal issues (gender, youth, immigration and professional mobility, sustainability, inclusion and social cohesion ...)
5. To promote dialogue between cultural actors in the EU and LAC

The research will take as framework the analysis of the shared values of both regions, their influence to mutual cultural policies, and the contemporary role of international cultural relations and cultural diplomacy. Then, WP3 will try to find answers to the issues of cultural cooperation, the mobility of cultural actors and the growing integration of cultural markets among both regions.

Research will be structured along transversal questions for analysis:

• the conditions under which cultural relations have flourished and sustain, both in specific cooperation programmes and from an overarching perspective,
• the dynamics of cultural relations including the replacements of paradigms and the emergence of new topics and actors
• the emergence of new models of political cooperation and society empowerment
• Creativity and innovation as driver for cultural policies

For the analysis, WP3 will use existing research outputs and will co-create new knowledge on the basis of up to date investigations with strong involvement of societal and governmental actors.

Comprehensive analysis of cultural relations in a historic and contemporary perspective

This task will analyse the cultural and political policies and actors in promoting cultural exchange and cooperation at the EU-CELAC bi-regional level in a historic and contemporary perspective, including some intergovernmental and bilateral experiences.

Critical examination of existing research and report on international cultural relations

We will critically examine consultation outputs of current and recent projects supported by the EU and CELAC institutions (IDB, CEPAL, EUNIC etc.) and international organisations (UNESCO, WIPO, OEI etc.). A literature depository of assured quality will be provided on the project website. Literature will be analysed according to transversal research questions. Development of research trends and shifts of research paradigms over time (in a broad historical perspective) will be analysed and illustrated in a web-based visualization. Simultaneously, key actors and capacities that can support the project and participate in project events will be identified.

Prioritization of most imminent research topics

On the basis of results of the above, this Subtask will prioritize and validate most relevant current and forward-looking research topics in the field of cultural relations between EU and CELAC. It will also cluster the research topics according to their transformative potential. The validation will be done in the form of surveys directed towards (a) the scientific communities and (b) policy makers in both regions. A comparative analysis will reveal where perceptions converge or diverge and provide a basis for further qualitative analysis and live debate. It will particularly take into account the perspective of the different cultural sectors (audio-visual, performing arts and music, visual arts and craft, literature, material and immaterial heritage) and will try to bring sport into the picture (even if most activities in professional sport fall much more under the heading of “economic exchanges of services” and “highly remunerated salaried work” than under that of “culture”).

Evaluation of Instruments for the promotion of cultural relations

A comparative evaluation of major programmes, initiatives and actions at the biregional and bilateral levels. This will include, in particular, EU bilateral programs with Mexico and Brazil , the EU support to MERCOSUR audiovisual, and the Protocols or chapters on Culture of the EA agreements with CARIFORUM, Colombia, Peru and Central America, and their outcomes to identify bright spots and asymmetries, as well as proposing a set of high impact actions and initiatives to strengthen the cooperation. Emphasis will be on actions that conduct to cultural innovation and value through the involvement of civil society and other end users in the cross cutting issues.

Stock taking of successful instruments

This task aims at identifying instruments (programmes, projects, awards, grass root initiatives, etc.) which have been especially successful in promoting cultural relations between EU and CELAC on the bioregional and bilateral level. The analysis will be divided into two sets of analysis: (1) Most relevant and efficient instruments & (2) Innovative strategies and “hidden treasures”.

Proposal for high impact actions

In this task we make use of results of the above and elaborate proposals for actions and initiatives for the promotion of bi-regional cultural relations with high social impact. The proposed actions will be elaborated in order to create specifically defined (and need driven) impacts in the sphere of the cross cutting issues (gender, youth, mobility, sustainability, inclusion and social cohesion ...). The output of this task will be fed into the scenario and vision building process in WP6.

Bringing into the picture new elements for a renewed cultural dimension in EU–CELAC relations

Within the limits of the available budget, this task wants to combine the results of the previous tasks with bringing into the picture different aspects (addressed by the call) that have never been studied before in the EU–CELAC framework, even if they have, undoubtedly, a strong bi-regional impact. This concerns, for example, sport (and the wide bi-regional implications of professional sport – not only concerning the mobility of professionals but the bi-regional audiences and followers of some professional football teams); the cultural role in Latin America of institutions (all sort of “Casas/Houses”) created by emigrants and the role equivalent institutions may have in Europe); the role of European Publishing houses in making Latin American authors globally known; exchanges of audiovisual programs.

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