The European Festivals Association (EFA) was one of 35 projects showcased at the conference "Culture in Motion" – the first conference on the EU's flagship funding programme in the area of culture, the Culture Programme 2007 – 2013. The conference taking place on 12 December 2008 in Brussels comprised plenary sessions and an exhibition area where EFA had the opportunity to give visibility to its activities and its members. Furthermore, a first brochure on the Culture Programme was launched. The conference aimed to enable an exchange of experience and good practices between cultural operators and programme beneficiaries and to give "more visibility to culture," as Odile Quintin, Director Gerenal of DG Culture and Education said, stressing the added value of culture. Referring to the high quality of projects, she emphasized: "Your projects breathe life into our culture policy objectives." In plenary sessions ten projects were presented, focusing on the themes Mobility of artists/Circulation of works; Access to culture/Culture and education; Access to cultural heritage; Intercultural dialogue (European Year 2008) and Creativity and innovation (European Year 2009). Focusing major efforts on the above topics, EFA "offers support to festivals in their mission of working together, exchanging ideas, stimulating creativity, extending horizons, and creating new dynamics and synergies. (…) It invites festival promoters to engage in broader reflection on culture and arts in society and plays an advocacy role on behalf of festivals in the international cultural policy debate," reads the chapter on EFA in the brochure. 35 past, ongoing and future projects that received an EU grant were featured in the brochure aiming to raise awareness of what the cultural sector – supported by the EU’s Culture Programme – can achieve. According to the European Commission, the Culture Programme 2007-2013 enables "cooperation between cultural operators within Europe, aiming to enhance the development of cross-border cultural cooperation between creators, cultural players and cultural institutions of the participating countries. A total amount of € 400 million is available for the Culture Programme over the period 2007-2013, and 264 projects were funded through the Programme in 2008." "We are currently witnessing an exciting time, as in May 2007 the Commission proposed its first real strategy for culture at the European level. This was endorsed by the Council and has resulted in the Commission, Member States and stakeholders in the cultural sector agreeing on a common set of objectives to be achieved in partnership. The projects showcased here have been selected with a view to showing how the Culture Programme contributes to this new European Agenda," said Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth. The European Agenda for Culture in a Globalising World is the first-ever EU-wide strategy for culture, and has three objectives: (1) to promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, (2) to foster culture as a catalyst for creativity for growth and jobs, and (3) to enhance culture as a vital element in international relations. Related documents and links: • EFA Report on the Culture Programme Conference • Brochure on the Culture Programme • Projects presented in plenary • Projects featured in Culture Programme Brochure • Conference Programme • Commission press release in English, French and German • Culture in Motion Conference on EU Culture Programme Website • European Agenda for Culture in a Globalising World • European Year for Creativity and Innovation 2009 • European Year for Intercultural Dialogue