Policy Statement: Recommendation for the Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026

This policy statement was drafted by IETM and endorsed by Circostrada, EDN - European Dancehouse Network, EFA - the European Festivals Association, EAIPA – the European Association of Independent Performing Arts and The European Theatre Convention (ETC).

The Work Plan for Culture is an essential mechanism for steering Member States’ collective strategies in addressing the issues that are relevant for cultural and creative sectors in the European Union. As the implementation of the current Work Plan 2019-2022 is coming to an end this year, it is vital to make sure that the priorities of the forthcoming Work Plan 2023-2026 embrace the important developments the CCSs and our societies at large have been facing in the past few years.

In this regard, we, an alliance of key largest performing arts networks and associations in Europe, call on the Member States to include support to greening the performing arts production and to sustainable and geographically balanced cross-border distribution of the performing arts, aiming to support multilingualism and cultural diversity in the EU,  as one of the priorities of the Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026. This priority is entirely in line with the EU guiding strategies, such as the Green Deal and its Just Transition Mechanism, as well as the European Democracy Action Plan.

We regret that the current Work Plan for Culture did not include any specific topic on performing arts, while it did address other sectors (such as cultural heritage, audiovisual sector and music). The performing arts sector is the largest European cultural sector in terms of employment [1], and it suffered the most from the COVID-19 pandemic, with 90% turnover loss in the first year of the pandemic [2]. Therefore, the performing arts sector undoubtedly deserves a greater focus both at the EU and Member States level in the upcoming years.

Sustainable and geographically balanced distribution of the performing arts should be featured as a priorities of the Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026 for the following reasons:

1. The value of cross-border distribution

Showing European performing arts across borders is valuable both for the development of artistic communities and for shaping open and inclusive societies.  Experiencing performing art works from other countries and cultures helps us to grasp the diversity and complexity of the world we live in. Traveling across borders and hosting productions from abroad inspires new artistic approaches, contributes to renewing working practices and makes artistic careers blossom.

2. Geographic imbalances

However, the current performing arts distribution system in Europe is geographically imbalanced. The research conducted as part of Perform Europe [3] demonstrates that cross-border touring and presentation of the performing arts in Europe mostly happens within the borders of the same macroregions [4] or even within the same countries [5]. As an example, West-European export their art the most, while artists from East-European countriestour predominantly within the borders of their own macroregion. The levels of support to cross-border touring and presentation varies greatly across macroregions (see graph). These imbalances hinder the creation of a European unity and prevent the European cultural diversity from flourishing.

Image

3. Current lack of support to green distribution

In the last decades, environmental concerns have been affecting visions, artistic practices and organisational models in the performing arts sector. There have been many diverse initiatives, from greening practices to performances and works helping us to collectively imagine a different, more sustainable future. However, the pace and extent of this varies greatly from country to country. The possibility of greening production, presentation and mobility practices remains an expensive affair. Besides, it requires knowledge and skills, access to technologies, as well as the readiness to compromise on one’s visibility, international fame, diverse artistic offer, and for those based in the most remote areas - on translational physical connections of all sorts. Needless to stress - ecological concerns in action are to be found in places where there are more resources, better geographical and infrastructural connectivity, longer history of structured cultural policies, and the overall social, political and economic preoccupation with the ecological matters. However, even in those places, according to the Perform Europe research, the level of support for greening the touring and distribution practices is very limited [6].

The COVID-19 reality has created a space for a deeper reflection on how to adopt greener practices; it shed some light on how to reinvent mobility, adopt digital solutions, rethink scale and success. The sector has been experimenting with digital tools, but more artist-led research is needed, in order to realise the artistic and greening potential of digitalisation (taking into account the necessity to measure the digital carbon footprint).

Therefore, we are convinced there is not only a great opportunity but also an acute necessity to support the greening of the performing arts production and to address sustainable and geographically balanced cross-border distribution of the performing arts as part of the Work plan for Culture 2023-2026, through peer-learning activities, OMC process, research and high-level events. The entire European performing arts sector would welcome such a focus, as extremely high needs in this regard have been identified through the entire Perform Europe process.

We remain at your disposal for any further information and assistance in designing the Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026.

[1]https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/642264/EPRS_BRI…

[2] ​​https://www.rebuilding-europe.eu/_files/ugd/4b2ba2_1ca8a0803d8b4ced9d2b…;

[3] Perform Europe is an EU-funded project which aims to rethink cross-border performing arts presentation in a more inclusive, sustainable and balanced way.

[4] In the framework of the Perform Europe research, the following mactoregions were identified: 1. Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia 2. Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia 3. Eastern Partnership: Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, + Tunisia 4. Northern Europe: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden 5. Southern Europe: Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal 6. Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, the Netherlands, UK, Ireland

[5] https://www.ietm.org/system/files/publications/Perform%20Europe%20Insig…;

[6] https://www.ietm.org/system/files/publications/Perform%20Europe%20Insig…;

Endorsed by 

Circostrada

EDN - European Dancehouse Network

EFA - the European Festivals Association

EAIPA – the European Association of Independent Performing Arts

The European Theatre Convention (ETC)