"Maybe it is the support, companionship, stimulation and fun to be gained from working within a peer group of people who share a passion, that can enable groups to generate achievements greater than the sum of their parts"
Heather Maitland and Anne Roberts in "Greater than the sum of its parts" (2006)

Cultural Networks at Work

June 7-8,
2007
Brussels
Belgium

•CNaW continues

'Cultural Networks at Work' in Brussels – 7 & 8 June 2007 EFA / ISPA Conference concluded with remarkable Brussels Declaration
The international Conference on ‘Cultural Networks at Work’ organised by EFA (European Festivals Association) and ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts), in cooperation with the Flemish Radio Orchestra, the Flanders Festivals and the Festival de Wallonie in Brussels on 8 June 2007 concluded with a remarkable success.

Held in the premises of the Flagey, an international multicultural arts centre, the gathering brought together 345 arts professionals including 40 cultural networks from altogether 50 countries.

Intense discussions on various aspects of a ‘network’s work’, together with the diversity of individuals involved in the working sessions and the variety of backgrounds among the participants enabled encouraging encounters and a melting of ideas and projects; it allowed exchanges of points of views and experiences and triggered new collaborative initiatives. In-depth debates among the participants in the various working groups were facilitated by inspiring presentations prepared by researchers.

The overall conclusion of the day, next to delegates' affirmation that it offered invaluable networking opportunities, is the clear confirmation that cultural networks, in order to weigh upon decision making processes, need to intensify collaborative measures and activities. The 'ISPA and EFA Brussels Declaration on the European House for Culture’ in Brussels, which you may download from this webpage is but the most striking result presented to the concluding plenary. The House for Culture is ideated to become reality at the beginning of 2008. Furthermore an EFA/ISPA publication dedicated to the proceedings of the working day is in preparation.

The conference was embedded in an exceptional cultural programme: the reception and concert of Anna Vinnitskaya, the laureate of the Queen Elisabeth Competition 2007, at the Royal Palace at the invitation of their Majesties the King and the Queen of Belgium was without any doubt a true highlight; the closing concert of the Flemish Radio Orchestra at the Flagey was another wonderful opportunity to follow on the discussions with fellow colleagues in a pleasant framework.

EFA, ISPA and their partners would like to thank all the participants for their contribution to this marvelous conference, their engagement and inputs towards the improvement of the cultural networking process and would like to invite everybody to share reflections, second thoughts and any kind of material (publications, bibliographies, studies related to cultural networks or the networking process) with us by writing to or calling to +32 9 241 8080.

A press release, reports on the working groups and a selection of pictures of the working day are available here

We are looking forward to future joint ventures!

Hugo De Greef
EFA Secretary General