Eurozine News ItemEurozine2012-02-02We are more!Almost everywhere in Europe, lip service is paid to art and culture and to the necessity for cultural production and diversity. Indeed, if the speeches of politicians are an indicator of the importance of a topic, then culture would be one of the top priorities in EU policy. Yet the truth is that only 0.05 per cent of the EU budget is reserved for culture. It is therefore crucial that in the next EU budget running from 2014 to 2020 there is a significant increase in available funding for artistic and cultural experimentation around common European concerns and aspirations.
This is why Eurozine is supporting the "We are more" campaign launched by Culture Action Europe to draw politicians' attention to cultural production and cultural life in Europe. The initiators aim to collect 100,000 signatures before the 10 May 2012, when the Culture Ministers of all EU Member States meet in Brussels to discuss future policies. We have signed. You can do so as well on the "We are more" website.If diversity in art and culture is as important as is so often claimed, it needs proper funding. There are two main goals of the "We are more" initiative. First, the claims of art and culture to financial support should be loudly endorsed and highly visible. Work in the cultural field is associated with low or no income, since national and regional funding bodies reduce subsidies to a level where only material costs can be paid. EU projects are often the only possibility to guarantee that cultural workers can make a living out of their profession. EU funding does make a difference and it is important that the financial crisis is not used as a weapon against culture. The second goal of the campaign is to enable cultural organizations to gain better access to the EU Regional Development Fund. These funds are for cohesion and local and regional development: the objectives is to build up human, cultural and social capital and to encourage sustainable development, social inclusion, cultural participation and enhanced citizenship and governance. Many artistic and cultural forms meet these requirements. However, since art and culture are still perceived as leisure activities and not taken seriously as a major input to the standard of living, they are currently not the focus of regional development funding. Art and culture are not only the icing on the European cake! Sign the manifesto on the "We are more" website