On 20 and 21 October, the European Culture Forum will bring to Brussels 800 participants from culture civil society, the EU Member States and EU institutions. This flagship event is a unique opportunity to debate and raise the profile of European cooperation in the field of culture, bringing together both policy-makers and stakeholders from the sector from all over Europe and partner countries. The 2011 Forum will address some of the most topical questions for culture in the current context of economic crisis and globalisation, in particular: • What are the new skills and strategies required from artists and the cultural sector to adapt to the challenges of a globalised and digitised world? • Which new business models can be developed by the cultural sector to reap the opportunities of digitisation? • How can local and regional authorities best invest in their cultural assets and thereby contribute to the smart and inclusive growth which Europe needs? The Forum will also look at culture in the EU's external relations, with a focus on the role of cultural actors in transitional and democratic processes, and a discussion on how the EU can best help such processes. Participants will be invited to take an active part in the Forum's debates, make their views heard, and grab a unique opportunity to put all the questions they've always wanted to ask on European cooperation in the field of culture and culture policies! In addition, participants will be able to enjoy a remarkable concert of Mozart, Ravel and Rossini performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, at the occasion of the Orchestra's 30th anniversary. (Source: European Commission)