Comunicate de presa proiect

Press release November 2018 - Alternative Culture

November 26, 2018

Operational Programme Administrative Capacity 2014-2020

Priority Axis 1: Effective Public Administration and Judiciary System

Specific Objective 1.1: Developing and Introducing Common Systems and Standards in Public Administration that optimize decision-making processes to become friendly to the citizens and business environment, in Accordance with SCAP (Strategy for the Consolidation of the Public Administration).

ALTERNATIVE CULTURE, Contract no. 84 / 29.03.2018, SIPOCA Code 345, MySMIS Code 110829.

During the months of September and October 2018, Alternative Culture project has proposed to representatives of public institutions in the field of administrative cultural, artists and cultural operators from Romania, a set of regional debates and meetings of working on issues related to the current condition of the artist, looking for problems and solutions for improving the legislative and fiscal framework.

They were held several debates, in various regions, being chosen nine cities representative, Constanța, Iași, Curtea de Argeș, Târgu Jiu, Timișoara, Cluj-Napoca, Brașov and Bucharest. Oana Năsui, the expert in public policy from the project team, proposed themes for discussion and coordinated the dialogue. Were present at the debate, representatives of the Administration, representatives of NGOs, local media and cultural managers. A weak turnout was registered by central public administration.

Artists and representatives of NGOs were also invited to a number of specialised working meetings that took place in the cities of: Timisoara, Targu Mures, Cluj, Iasi, Bucharest and Curtea de Argeș. The meetings have been identified and discussed the problems faced by artists and cultural operators from different cultural areas, in both the public area and in the private sector. The facilitator of social dialogue, Adriana Zaharia has proposed four topics of discussion to participants, in order to identify and debate the most important issues artists are facing. The biggest concern of them has been proved to be the clear definition of socio-professional status. The working groups were heterogeneous, the lowest participation was registred by writers and musicians. The purpose of the meetings for debating was the creation of the framework for better interaction between the factors involved in running various activities from cultural field, but also raising the implication of the relevant actors in the administrative area, by communicating with the administration representants directly involved in the decision-making processes. The most important result of this phase of the project was the identification of those who wish to participate directly, along with the project team, to formulate the public policy alternative, in order to improve the legislative and fiscal part for the Romanian artists.

In November, the Cultural Association Flower Power was invited to the headquarters of the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO, where the event "Gates open at CNR-UNESCO" (October 26-November 29) was held. The Assciation proposed an event addressed to the young graduates of fine arts, under the title: ”Young graduates of arts, between closed doors and open borders. " The debate has discussed the possibilities of young arts graduates after studies, on the Romanian cultural market: employment opportunities, funding opportunities through national and european funds, versus working possibilities and projects from outside Romania's borders. During the debate, it was presented to the young people the project "Alternative culture", and the fact that the improvement of the artist's condition would answer to a problem that has exacerbated in recent years — the low job offer of cultural institutions and the fact that independent artists cannot benefit of pensions in accordance with the qualification, right that is currently reserved for the employed artists. The "Alternative culture" project is made in partnership with CNR-UNESCO.

By the end of the year, the team involved in the activities of the "Alternative culture" project is working on a report of the debates and work meetings held until now, which will include the most important proposals of those who participated in them. On the basis of the report, but also on the basis of the study carried out on the legislative mix which currently regulates cultural activities, the main proposals will be elaborated, in order to write alternative policy on the status of the artist in Romania. The proposals will be discussed and enriched by the participation of a target group of twenty artists and cultural operators who will work alongside the project team, during an intensive workshop, a work camp, at the end of January 2019.

The camp will be dedicated to the training of those invited, in the field of public policy writing, through a session supported by the two cultural trainers recently co-opted in the "Alternative Culture" project team, Aura Corbeanu and Andreea Raluca Grecu. In the coming period, all those who signed up to participate in the intensive workshop, but also other artists or cultural operators interested in intervening with proposals or discussions on the project, are invited to open their accounts in the Virtual Network of the project. This virtual network will facilitate online dialogue both in the country and beyond Romania's borders, being integrated with all major social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), but also with the www.statutulartistului.ro project website. www.statutulartistului.ro

The "Alternative Culture" project was selected for funding under POCA 2014-2020, cofinanced by the European Union from the European Social Fund. "Alternative Culture" is a project sustained by TVR, RFI, Radio Romania Cultural, cultural Observatory, free Romania, Modernism.ro, Docuart.ro and the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO.