Benelux Innovators Group: Public funding cuts by Canan Marasligil

Benelux Innovators Group 21 March 2011 Brussels - REPORT

Public funding cuts: an opportunity to generate new ways of supporting culture? Keynote by Josephine Burns ‘Re-Mixed Economy – how culture can adapt and exploit’ Workshops by Eva Lutzmann, Virginie Civrais and David Sorrentino on European funding, entrepreneurship in the arts and sponsorship

Special thanks to the KVS for hosting the meeting. The Innovators group in Belgium is organised in partnership with the Réseau des Arts à Bruxelles, in the frame of the British Council Cultural Leadership International project.

INTRODUCTION Following up on the inaugural meeting that took place in October 2010 in Brussels 1, focusing on cultural leadership and audience development, the second Benelux Innovators Group meeting in Belgium has focused on responding to public funding cuts in the cultural sector. The Benelux Innovators Group Netherlands chapter has already tackled some of these issues in their earlier meeting 2. Across Europe, public funding cuts have been drastic. These cuts will require creative thinking from the creative sector. Seeking new avenues of funding means new relationships for the arts sector, new aligning of the work, creating new aspects to their role and potential new audiences which can have positive aspects as well as the feared negative ones. Through theoretical (key note in the morning) and practical (workshops in the afternoon) sessions, participants to this Innovators Group meeting had the opportunity to look at innovative ways to generate funding, identify existing funding schemes they may not be aware of, look at the future impact of the cuts on the arts and cultural landscape, the need to adapt/change/react and work within the current political discourse in which arts and cultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place within society is questioned. CONTEXT & RATIONALE FOR THE INNOVATORS GROUP Global Background In May 2009 the British Council began the project Cultural Leadership International (CLI), to engage with partners in countries across the UK, Western Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the United States. The cultural sector has a unique and vital role to play, both in rebuilding the world economy and strengthening international collaboration. By nurturing creativity and innovation, the cultural sector contributes immensely to economic development, but this is seldom recognised. As a cultural relations organisation, the British Council realises the value of investing in cultural activity, and in particular the need to invest in the best and most innovative individuals to lead the sector. The CLI project is about identifying those individuals and developing them into the next generation of international cultural leaders, creating the links that will allow them to share knowledge, and establishing relationships that will encourage cross-border understanding for years to come. Benelux Background Early in the CLI project, the British Council worked with Flagey, the Dutch Ministry for Education, Culture and Science, and the Van Gogh Museum, as authoritative organisations to help identify nominees for the project. The CLI project is being delivered in both Belgium and in the Netherlands, with Mark Baldwin focusing on the Netherlands and Canan Marasligil focusing on Belgium.

A report is available on: http://www.britishcouncil.org/benelux_innovators_group_innaugural_meeting_belgium_report.pdf 2 See report on: http://www.britishcouncil.org/final_report_-_innovators_group_meeting_24-09-10.doc

STRUCTURE Customised to meet the unique and distinct needs of the cultural sectors in Belgium and the Netherlands, the Benelux Innovators Group is organised into two chapters: one in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. The first meeting of the Belgium chapter took place on 22 October 2010 in Brussels and the second meeting on 21 March 2011. A third meeting is planned for autumn 2011. Members of the working group: Canan Marasligil, Lissa Kinnaer, Vincent Van den Bossche, Sophie Hayles, Andrew Manning, Peggy Hugues. EUNIC British Council is working closely on a wide range of projects as part of EUNIC, the European Union National Institutes for Culture. EUNIC in Brussels was well represented at the meeting with EUNIC in Brussels Members from the Alliance Française, the Danish Cultural Institute, Vlaams-Nederlands Huis DeBuren, the Goethe-Institute and the British Council and looks forward to being even more involved in future meetings.

PROGRAMME 21.03.2011 9.30 – 10.00: arrivals and coffee 10 – 12.30: Morning session: Plenary and keynote Moderated by Canan Marasligil - Welcome and introduction by Canan Marasligil - Short welcome by host, Amaryllis Jacobs - Presentation of the day by Canan Marasligil - Introductions - Keynote by Josephine Burns Re-Mixed Economy – how culture can adapt and exploit. 12.30-13.30 NETWORKING LUNCH 13.30 – 16.00 Afternoon session: Workshops Participants split into three smaller groups, each moderated by a professional in the topic discussed and including one raporteur per group. Workshops: - Workshop 1 led by Eva Lutzmann, Business Development Manager | British Council Benelux & EU Office, about European funding. - Workshop 2 led by David Sorrentino, Regional Marketing and Communications Manager British Council Europe, about sponsorship. - Workshop 3 led by Virginie Cirvais, director Fonds d’investissement pour les enterprises créatives (The Investment Fund for Creative Industries), about Inverstment Fund S’Tart and entrepreneurship in the arts. 16.00 – 17.00 Plenary session: each group reports back on their findings, open discussion, led by Canan Marasligil 17.00 – 18.00 Networking drink

SPEAKERS AND FACILITATORS Josephine Burns jo@bop.co.uk BOP Consulting - www.bop.co.uk Josephine co-founded BOP in 1997; it is the UK’s leading consultancy in culture and the creative economy. Jo is an expert in strategic planning, organisational development and facilitation and provides advice to organisations such as the British Council. She regularly chairs and presents at high-profile conferences and events in the UK and internationally. She was recently awarded an honorary doctorate for her services to arts and culture. Virginie Civrais Virginie.CIVRAIS@start-invest.be ST’ART, www.start-invest.be Virginie Civrais is director of St’art, an investment fund based in Walloonia and open for financing applications since January 2010. Armed with sixteen millions euros, St’art is the result of a common will between the Région Wallonne and the Communauté Francaise to sustain the growth of the creative economy. St'art is aimed at small and medium-sized companies and operates via loans and private equity. The fund can help in the creation of companies or in the support for growth of existing structures. Human capital, talents and the capacity to innovate are key elements in the economic life of our regions. By providing a more favorable environment to creative companies and by listening to their specific needs, St'art aims to become The investment fund of creative industries. Eva Lutzmann eva.lutzmann@britishcouncil.be British Council EU office, Brussels Eva is Business Development Manager for the British Council Brussels. She has been working in the area of EU co-funding for the last nine years advising colleagues from the British Council, Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française, and EUNIC Brussels on co-funding opportunities and supporting the preparation of applications in the field of culture, education, and civil society. Eva delivers training sessions on EU co-funding mainly for British Council staff. She holds a masters in business administration from the University of Konstanz, Germany. Canan Marasligil canan.marasligil@gmail.com Canan has worked as a project and communications manager for the British Council across the Benelux from January 2008 to July 2011. As part of her portfolio, she delivered arts projects in Belgium and in the Netherlands. She has managed the Innovators Group in Belgium. Canan is also a writer and a literary translator, trained to work from English to French; she has chosen to focus on contemporary Turkish literature in the last few years. She is currently preparing an anthology of Turkish contemporary writers for the French e-book publisher Publie.Net. David Sorrentino david.sorrentino@britishcouncil.be British Council Europe Region, Brussels David is a Regional Marketing and Communications Manager for the British Council based in Brussels. This capacity has required him to approach marketing and communications work on British Council projects both from the practical side (seeking partnership directly with businesses and foundations) as well as the theoretical (delivering marcoms training to colleagues in the region). David has previously worked in Washington DC for the National Institutes of Health and holds a Masters in International Politics from the University of Edinburgh.

REPORT This report has been compiled and written by Canan Marasligil, in consultation with the keynote speaker, the workshop facilitators and the Innovators working group members. Like previous innovators meetings, participants were asked to introduce themselves to the group (participants’ biographies are available at the end of this report). They have also been asked to comment about funding cuts from their own perspective; here are a few of them: Klaus Bondam (pictured right), Director of The Danish Cultural Institute in Brussels mentioned the need to generate new ways to work together and to look at Europe and the leadership in countries on cutting culture and how this will impact on them. “We need a common European set of values, to which the Danish haven’t contributed yet much” says Bondam. Culture Action Europe, which we invited to take part in this Innovators meeting, is advocating such a European vision through its we are more campaign 3 Michael Creek, freelancer and previously working for Ecsite, the European Network or Science Centres and Museums, mentioned the successful example of science museums working together on seeking funding for research.

we are more (2010-2013) is a Europe-wide arts advocacy campaign set up by Culture Action Europe. It will use the upcoming EU political and financial negotiations for the period 2014-2020 as a timely opportunity to develop and sharpen the arguments used when advocating for arts and culture. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to contribute to a strengthened recognition of the role of arts and culture in the development of our European societies. For more information visit http://www.wearemore.eu/campaign/

Andrew Manning is also one of the innovators working for a similar network; ECHO, The European Concert Hall Organisation, who acknowledges the need for more collaboration between cultural actors. Ulla-Alexandra Mattl, coordinator of EUNIC Brussels, the European Union National Institutes for Culture, voiced the important role of clusters such as EUNIC: EUNIC in Brussels is the framework through which EU national cultural institutions, with a permanent presence in Belgium, together with their networks throughout Europe co-operate in the development and execution of uniquely multilateral cultural projects and initiatives. EUNIC in Brussels’ activities compliment the national role and the cultural programs of its member institutes (including the British Council, Goethe Institut, Alliance Française, Danish Cultural Institute, de Buren, Polish Cultural Service of the Embassy…). What makes the role of EUNIC key is that it does not represent the interests of any specific cultural sector and its activities include projects in the arts, education, language, civil society. Lissa Kinnaer explained that in Belgium, most cultural organisations are publicly funded. The discourse on philanthropy and involving businesses within the artistic community was therefore only now growing due to the impact of the financial crisis on government spending. Last year, the Flemish government announced a budget cut of 12% in the cultural sector. On French-speaking side, no clear decision has been made or at least communicated. In some cases, we see that the 2% indexing has not been allocated. In Belgium, seeking private funds is more a tool to develop strategic autonomy from the political sphere. Cultural policies in francophone Belgium have apparently been built on socio-democratic ideals of cultural democracy, and subsequently there is less practice of cultural capitalism, especially in smaller organisations. The network ‘Réseau des Arts à Bruxelles’, for which Lissa Kinnaer used to work for, seeks to maintain dialogue with many communities and establish culture not only as a commodity for profit, but a part of living together and the broader social agenda. The introduction moderated by Canan Marasligil (pictured left) gave a good overview of the situation in Belgium but also in the Netherlands, thanks to the participation of Anneke Jansen, and of the various types of organisations represented within the group. The opening discussion was immediately followed by Josephine Burns’s keynote.

Re-Mixed Economy – how culture can adapt and exploit. Keynote by Josephine Burns, BOP consulting (UK) Josephine Burns gave an outstanding key note presentation with details on how culture can adapt and exploit the current economic climate. “The economic slow-down is not the only reason why cultural actors should think differently about culture” says Burns (pictured below), “new ideas about culture and enterprise need to be generated across the sector.” Burns explains how technology and globalisation are changing how we think about culture and that the divides between ‘low’ and ‘high’ art, commercial and ‘cultural’ are disappearing. These changes are offering a challenge to connect with new makers and new audiences. “In these difficult times when politics do not see culture as a priority, making the case for culture is vital!” says Burns. It is not the first time that the UK has faced cuts in the cultural sector, the UK first faced in the early 80s. Severe government cuts changed the cultural landscape and the socio-economic structures which lead cultural organisations and artists to find new ways of making and earning. Many faced casualties, but there was lots of innovation. At that time, business planning started to become the key for all cultural actors. As a result, big institutions, smaller independent sector and emerging artists looked at their way of working by, respectively, adopting new strategies and business models (the focus of this innovators meeting); reinventing itself in new forms for new markets through education, health, training and creating a labour pool with specific skills that is cheaper and more flexible; learning new skills, developing oneself as an artist and becoming their own manager. Each institution needs to look at their assets: “what do you have that you can ‘sell’?” asks Burns. There are many possibilities for cultural institutions to monetize their assets, like renting their buildings or spaces for (corporate sector) events; taking their culture out on the streets and into other locations to generate wider impact; develop their staff’s skills & knowledge through training, education, informal learning packages; using their knowledge and people to develop new products e.g. media programmes. A shift in mentality is also needed, says Burns, explaining that culture can be more “customer focused” and think about new experiences or products for visitors of an exhibition, concert or play that will generate income. Widening the target audiences is also an option: looking at opportunities for children, retired people or

specific interest groups. Burns also gives examples of “new products for your customers and visitors to buy and consume like mementos, catalogues, sleep overs, events (trails), shopping, eating, singles nights etc.” Gathering feedback from the visitors and consumers is very important: “ask what they like, what else they would want to see and experience, was the event you organised successful?” says Burns. Collecting quantitative and qualitative data will support in the organisation of better tailored future events. “Don’t be afraid of ‘bad’ findings” adds Burns, “you need to be a learning organisation.” “When facing difficult times as we are now in the cultural sector, one should not think they are alone!” says Burns, adding that it is important to set up support groups such as volunteers and fundraisers – which should not be seen as a ‘cheap’ solution as it needs a lot of investment and management, “we are dealing with people” says Burns “and they do need our loving!” Audience numbers are also significant as they are politically powerful. Counting on individuals’ support can prove to be more sustainable too. It is getting more and more important to include the corporate sector into the thinking and planning processes, and different approaches towards sponsorship and mecenat are also needed. Burns also emphasises the importance of using new media to attract new audience and to target specific groups. 4 When developing new products for new markets, Burns explains that it is important to look at government agendas and European funding streams, to find what strategy is “appropriate for you and your institution” (for instance look at tourism, place-making, city branding, social and health programmes). “Do not change your strategy to reflect political agendas” says Burns, “but try to find how your programmes could fit certain streams. It is not only about money but also about positioning.” It is a time when institutions are faced with the need for more collaboration, as some innovators mentioned in the introduction. “Collective action is powerful” says Burns “but does need strong leadership.” Burns also adds that selecting the right partners is key, “do not just join because you are asked” she says, “Target and plan carefully to know precisely what you want out of a partnership and what you can offer.” And she adds, “Be open to learn from others.” Burns also explains how important it is to tell stories and share them: “culture is about the construction of stories. Image and branding are part of your story but will not stand alone” says Burns. “Your network, including key influencers and your staff will be key in these stories. Believe in what you do and promote it widely.” “As a leader and innovator in your institution or work, you are responsible but you are not alone” says Burns, emphasising the vital importance of communication internally and externally. “Do not get isolated, see what other institutions and individuals are doing, how they are working, learn from them but also share your own ideas” says Burns, adding that this is also a way of accessing new skills. Because of the weight such leadership endeavour brings, Burns emphasises the need for support and to have a good mentor.

See Peggy Hugues’s presentation on the previous Innovators meeting report on the use social media in engaging with audiences: http://www.britishcouncil.org/benelux_innovators_group_innaugural_meeting_belgium_report.pdf

Before ending her inspiring keynote, Josephine Burns has offered some golden rules to the innovators, which go as follows: “Be brave and inventive – top hierarchies are the most resistant to change” “Don’t lose sight of your core mission – avoid chasing money for its own sake” “Network but check you’re spending time usefully – don’t get stuck in boring meetings” “If you’re not having a good time then nobody is” “Change is difficult and challenging” And the last golden rule, on which we have built the spirit of this innovators group meeting on funding cuts: “Never complain (openly)...”

Left to right: Koen Van Rompaey, Lissa Kinnaer and Anneke Jansen

WORKSHOPS Workshop 1 led by Eva Lutzmann, EU Funding Participants: Cécile Mabilotte, Jeremy Lambert, Lissa Kinnaer, Michael Creek, Koen Van Rompaey, Anneke Jansen, Klaus Bondam, Nathalie Leysen. Eva Lutzmann has given an introductory session to EU co-funding opportunities, giving the opportunity to participants to reflect on which programmes could suit their work and how they should proceed to get the information they need and how to apply for grants.

Left to right: Nathalie Leysen, Klaus Bondam, Cécile Mabilotte and Michael Creek

Material available for download: Æ Workshop 1 EU funding pack (contains 9 documents) Workshop 2 led by David Sorrentino, sponsorship Participants: Jacqueline Kraus, Rebecca Shelley, Sarah Faict, Ulla-Alexandra Mattl, Stéphanie Masuy, Peggy Hugues, Amaryllis Jacobs, Andrew Manning, Jacqueline Kraus David Sorrentino, who has been working on various activities and strategies to generate income for British Council projects, has shared his experience and offered concrete advice to the participants on how to approach potential sponsors. Among many questions, participants could think and discuss on the following ones: What are the steps for attaining funding? What makes a project attractive to sponsors? What are sponsors looking for? (Types of Commercial Support and Reasons for Funding a Project) etc. Material available for download: Æ Workshop 2 Sponsorship (one power point presentation)

Workshop 3 led by Virginie Cirvais, Investment Fund S’Tart and entrepreneurship in the arts. Participants: Colin Fraser, Kim Leroy, Sophie Hayles, Josephine Burns, Céline Renchon (pictured below)

Virginie Civrais has presented the mission and aims of the Investment Fund S’Tart she is the director of. Working in various areas of the cultural and arts sector such as performing arts, heritage, publishing and distribution, digital arts, video games, music, TV, design, fashion, architecture, ST’art is looking at research and development, production, distribution of cultural and artistic companies based in Brussels and Wallonia. “We don’t fund physical people but companies” explains Civrais, “We support financing the running of the company and are interested in long term sustainability” therefore the need to have a business plan. This is also why ST’art cannot be involved with the financing of single projects but only for long-term structures. Depending on the nature of a project, ST’art can offer loans or shares. Material available for download: Æ Workshop 3 ST'art (one power point presentation)

CLOSING REMARKS Participants had the opportunity to share what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learnt within the various workshops.

Left to right: Kim Leroy, Michael Creek, Sophie Hayles, Andrew Manning, David Sorrentino and Canan Marasligil

One key question that came up was about the definitions of profit and return, and other essential comments and reflections about having a more business minded cultural sector. Ideas that require a mind shift within the sector. For STâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;art, criteria to help financing an artistic company includes: economic viability and value as well as cultural and creative value. Virginie Civrais has also explained that business advisors get introduced to help with queries but that these are experts in ordinary SMEs, which is perhaps not sufficient for the unique nature of the funding for culture and the arts. The question of maximising of profit has again been raised with the possibilities of adding commercial elements such as shops in museums that can make profit and plough it back into museum, as it happens in the UK but seems to be problematic in Belgium as most cultural institutions are not for profit structures. But many non-profit institutions do not receive a subsidy and there starts the vicious circle. An important question that has been raised is the return on investment for the community, which is extremely difficult to measure, as well as creating new products for new markets that includes many factors that influences impact. These key questions will need to be developed again in a future innovators meeting. All participants were invited to submit further comment to the Innovators Group by email. Alternatively, contact could be made directly with the British Council.

PARTICIPANTS BIOGRAPHIES Klaus Bondam bondam@dkibenelux.org - www.bondam.dk and www.dkibenelux.org Director, The Danish Cultural Institute Since January 2011, Klaus Bondam is director of The Danish Cultural Institute/Benelux. Klaus is 47 years old and originally trained as an actor. Besides acting in different movies (amongst others the Dogme.film 'Festen' in1997), Klaus has been the manager of two big theatres in Copenhagen:Grønnegårds Teatret and Folketeatret. In 2002 he went into politics and was elected to the City Council in Copenhagen. Between 2006 and 2009, he was appointed mayor for the Technical and Environmental administration, and from November 2009 was appointed mayor for the Employment and Integrations administration. Klaus left politics at the end of 2010. Jonathan Brennan jonathan.brennan@britishcouncil.be – twitter: @BCbrussels Communications manager, British Council EU Office, Brussels. Michael Creek creekmail@gmail.com Michael Creek has recently started out as a freelance project manager in the cultural sector, having worked for four years as Projects Coordinator at Ecsite, the European Network of Science Centres and Museums, in Brussels. Ecsite brings together science communication professionals from 400 museums across Europe. He has developed and managed a number of collaborative projects linking museums across Europe, and he has a particular interest in art and science. He studied in Edinburgh, where he was a founding editor of the free festival magazine Fest. Sarah Faict Sarah@deburen.eu Program officer at the Flemish-Dutch House deBuren www.deburen.eu I www.city-books.eu Colin Fraser colin.fraser@gmail.com – twitter @anonpoetry Colin Fraser is a social media consultant who specialises in literature and the arts. He has worked recently with Edinburgh International Book Festival, StAnza: Scotland's International Poetry Festival, UNESCO Edinburgh City of Literature Trust, Scottish Poetry Library and Culture Sparks, as well as advising on the use of social media for various organisations in the UK. Sophie Hayles sophiehayles@whitechapelgallery.org Sophie joined London’s Whitechapel Gallery as External Relations Officer in January 2010. Her role is a mixture of advocacy, fundraising, and building local, national and international relationships for the Gallery. Prior to this Sophie worked in a freelance capacity as Project Consultant to the London Festival of Azerbaijani Arts, and on the British Council’s creativity portfolio in the Near East and North Africa. This included managing the British Council’s Cultural Leadership International programme for the region, having coordinated the global research phase for the programme across Europe and the Middle East. For two years Sophie held the post of Arts Manager in British Council Brussels, and prior to that was Gallery Assistant in a start-up gallery in London: ROLLO Contemporary Art.

Peggy Hughes peggy.hughes@spl.org.uk â&#x20AC;&#x201C; twitter: @ByLeavesWeLive Peggy is from Northern Ireland and studied English Literature at the University of St Andrews. She arrived at the Scottish Poetry Library in December 2007 via StAnza: Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Poetry Festival, the Edinburgh International Book Festival and several second-hand bookshops. She also reviews books, is the programme director of the West Port Book Festival, deputy editor of Anon Poetry Magazine and is currently working on a new project, the Electric Bookshop, due to launch in October. She currently manages events and communication matters within the Scottish Poetry Library, with particular interest in inter-disciplinary collaboration and the role of social media and technology in the book industry. Amaryllis Jacobs amaryllis.jacobs@kvs.be Amaryllis Jacobs studied history and theatre sciences. She started her career at the Centre for Fine Arts (CFA), Brussels, in 1999. She was responsible for the communication of the music department for 4 years. When the CFA became BOZAR, she collaborated in the launch of this new cultural brand, which became a true reference in cultural communication strategies. After the launch of this brand, she founded the BOZAR STUDIOS, the education department of the house. BOZAR STUDIOS brought families, schools, youngsters and socio-cultural groups to the exhibitions, concerts and festivals of BOZAR. In 2006 Amaryllis became studio manager of the Brussels branch of Basedesign, an international graphic design group, specialized in brand identities for cultural projects and institutions. She led the studio during 2 and a half years. Clients were BOZAR, deSingel, La Monnaie, Le Botanique, A'pen Open, Cinematek, ... Early 2009, Amaryllis, decided to return to the cultural sector and coordinated the 3rd edition of the Brussels festival BRXLBRAVO. After this short term project she coordinated De Canvascollectie / La Collection RTBF, a contemporary art contest and TV show, a collaboration between the main art centers and museums in Belgium and 2 TV stations. Today, Amaryllis is external relationships manager at KVS, the Royal Flemish Theatre in the heart of Brussels. Anneke Jansen anneke@tf.nl Programme director, Amsterdam Fringe Festival Anneke Jansen (1976) studied Modern Dutch Literature and Theatre at the University of Utrecht. After working as an editor, she started as programme coordinator for literary festivals and stages (Writers Unlimited, Poetry International, Perdu), cultural events (Boekennacht, Culturele Bazaar, Nederland Schreeuwt om Cultuur Amsterdam), advisor (Castrum Peregrini, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunsten) and dramaturg for theatre (Matzer, Space). In 2006 she co-founded the Amsterdam Fringe Festival which evolved into one of the most important independent platforms for cross-over theatre in the Netherlands. The open application of the Amsterdam Fringe Festival is inspired by the conviction that the Netherlands was in need of an open, artist-driven and uncensored festival that focuses on cultural entrepeneurship, opens up to an international audience and appeals to artists from around the globe. From 2008 on, the Amsterdam Fringe started exchanging productions with other Fringe Festivals: Prague, Dublin, New York, Edinburgh, Grahamstown and from 2012 on Brighton. Giving the winners of the Amsterdam Fringe Award the chance to show their work in an international context and showing Dutch audience the pearls of other Fringe Festivals around the globe.

Lissa Kinnaer lissa.kinnaer@bamart.be From 2003-2004 Lissa was Assistant Art Curator at the International Institute for Contemporary Arts (InIVA) in London. Between 2004 and 2006 she was active in the cultural sector in Brussels, including involvement with Kunstenfestivaldesarts, BOZAR, and the International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts (IETM). From October 2006 to February 2011, Lissa was co-ordinator of the Réseau des Arts à Bruxelles, a Brussels-based cultural network which aims to stimulate collaboration within the cultural field and promote a shared vision for cultural development in Brussels. She is now in charge of International Relations at BAM, the Flemish Institute for Visual, Audiovisual and Media Art (www.bamart.be). In 2009-2010 Lissa was a Cultural Leadership International fellow. Julia Kofler Julia.kofler@britishcouncil.be Manager EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) and External Relations, British Council EU Office, Brussels. Jacqueline Kraus Jacqueline.kraus@bruessel.goethe.org Since April 2007 Jacqueline Kraus is the Co-ordinator and Financial Controller of the Cultural Department of the Goethe-Institute in Brussels. She plans and organises cultural projects and has co-ordinated a number of large-scale, international projects e.g. within the framework of the German Council Presidency 2007. Jeremy Lambert jl@culturepolonaise.eu Cultural Service of the Polish Embassy in Belgium Redactor, Responsible for Academic Relations, project conductor Jeremy Lambert works at the Cultural Service of the Polish Embassy in Belgium since 1,5 year. He has prepared and managed scientific conferences and several other projects. Jeremy is also responsible for the French version of their website. PhD student at the Lille3 University (Villeneuve d’Ascq, France) and Scientific collaborator at the Free University of Brussels, Jeremy was from 2005 to 2010 Polish history teacher at Lille3 University. Kim Leroy expositions@lavenerie.be Kim Leroy (1965, Séoul) works for La Vénerie Expositions, Centre Culturel de Watermael-Boitsfort as Curator (Exhibition of Contemporary Art within a Mediation Outlook) since 2007 and has been Professor of Philosophy of Art since 2004 at the Ecole supérieure des Arts plastiques et visuels and since 2008 at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles. From 2000 to 2003, Kim has also been member of the scientific pool, in charge of the Environmental Art Library and of the lectures and seminars at the Institut supérieur pour l'étude du langage plastique. He received his PhD degree from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in 2006. Kim is currently developing a series of digital art exhibitions for next season (2011-2012), starting with British Artists Thomson & Craighead at La Vénerie and at the Watermael Station. Nathalie Leysen support.directie@smak.be Nathalie graduated as an architect at Sint-Lucas Architectuur, Brussels, in 2005. Thereafter she participated at a design Build Program 'Rural Studio' in Alabama (USA), where she developed and built a prototype for a contractors-built 20.000$

house for low-income families. Back in Belgium, she worked in several architecture firms in Brussels (SUM, Barbara Van der Wee Architects) and Antwerp (OSAR, Stam architecten). Currently she is following a master in Cultural Management at the Unviersity of Antwerp where she researches alternative ways of financing for de Museum for Contemporary Art in Ghent (S.M.A.K.). Cécile Mabilotte cecile.mabilotte@alliancefr.be Chargée de mission, Alliance française de Bruxelles Europe Cécile Mabilotte develops cultural activities for the Alliance française de Bruxelles Europe, working closely with the EUNIC network. Cécilé is also in charge of setting up a watch policy on European funding in the field of culture for the French cultural network. Andrew Manning Andrew.Manning@bozar.be Andrew Manning currently works in Brussels as the Network Coordinator for the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO), based at BOZAR. ECHO exists to support cooperation initiatives and co-productions between 18 of Europe’s major Concert Halls. Prior to that Andrew worked at the BBC in London on the Proms team as well as for the BBC’s Classical Music television department. He also has experience of working in Music Education from having worked for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Andrew is British and studied French at Oxford University. Stéphanie Masuy Stephanie Masuy was deputy director of the Brussels Museum Council. This umbrella organisation uniting more than 90 institutions aims at developing a joint promotional platform for all Brussels museums and tries to stimulate collaborations between them. Within it, Stephanie had coordinated several initiatives: the writing of a museum guide, organisation of events like the Lateevening openings, activities for families, study days… She also was responsible for the coordination of Museum Night Fever, a fun-packed night in Brussels’ museums, tailor-made for young people. Stéphanie will start working with the Musée d’Ixelles in Brussels in April 2011. Ulla-Alexandra Mattl Co-oordinator@eunic-brussels.eu Co-ordinator at EUNIC in Brussels, previously working as a Freelance Research Analyst and Consultant in the cultural sector in London. Since 2005 London Correspondent for Kulturmanagement Network and Artsmanagement Network, Information Platforms for Arts and Culture active in Germany and internationally. Research into European Cultural Cooperation with Asia as well as international Networks and Cultural Diplomacy. Previously to this Project Manager and Researcher at the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation in London, Project Co-ordinator at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Brussels, roles at several European Associations and Translator at European Commission. MA in Finno-Ugric Studies and French as well as an MA in Arts Management from City University London. Céline Renchon celine@transquinquennal.be General Manager TRANSQUINQUENNAL Since 2004, Céline Renchon is general manager of Transquinquennal, a collective based in Brussels. Transquinquennal's work aims at investigating, producing, and sharing with audiences, contemporary and unexplored ways of making theatre, in collaboration with other companies and artists (Dito'Dito, Tristero, Groupe Toc, Olga De Soto, Ivo Provoost & Simona Denicolai, ...).

Céline studied History at ULB and Universita di Roma III, and Cultural Management at Universiteit Antwerp, and started working in the cultural field in 2001 as an assistant to the artistic director of Les Halles de Schaerbeek, then developing projects and tour management with Fatou Traoré, Dominique Roodthooft/Le Corridor en Het Muziek Lod. Since its founding in 2004, she has been active in the Réseau des Arts à Bruxelles (RAB), as a member of the coordination board. Rebecca Shelley r.h.shelley@gmail.com Tightrope asbl (Brussels)Rebecca is an educational drama practitioner based in Brussels. In 2005 she collaborated in the launch “Tightrope”: a small theatre & drama in education company focussed on language learning, communication and citizenship. Alongside her role as one of the company’s coordinators, Rebecca writes, directs, performs and teaches in the company’s projects. She works as assistant director of the lifelong learning and extra curricular programme at the International School of Brussels and has just joined the managing committee of a new Brussels-based arts initiative “ReCircle”: part of the Remida Creative Reuse Centres network. Koen Van Rompaey Koen.VANROMPAEY@warande.be – twitter @StripTurnhout Koen Van Rompaey is currently the business manager of the (non-profit) organisation Strip Turnhout, which promotes the comics medium in all its forms. In association with different levels of the government, he works on a wide range of projects and activities about comics. These include: a comics festival (the largest and oldest comics festival of Belgium), a comics information magazine, several publications about comics (including books), a website, a documentation centre, various yearly exhibitions, exchange of collections, lectures, and a study meeting for librarians, … Before his current activities, Koen worked for numerous media and organisations as a journalist and an expert on comics. Excused Mesut Arslan mesut@0090.be Artistic Director Festival 0090 – www.0090.be Mark Baldwin mark.baldwin@britishcouncil.nl Project manager Benelux Region, British Council Netherlands. Manager of the CLI project and Benelux Innovators Group in the Netherlands. Roel Daenen Roel.Daenen@faronet.be Roel Daenen is working for FARO, the Flemish interface for cultural heritage. He’s the coordinator of Erfgoeddag, which literally means ‘Heritage Day’, a mass event that takes place, every year after the Easter Holiday. Its approach, public reach, innovative role, and – especially – the commitment of those involved, have made Heritage Day one of the most important heritage events in Flanders and Brussels. Heritage Day places cultural heritage in the spotlight for the sector itself, the public, the media, and policy makers in Flanders. Roel Daenen has studied history in Ghent and Lisbon and has published many articles about (the history of) comics and a book about the arts of puppeteering.

Geneviève Damas albertineasbl@gmail.com After receiving her degree in law from the University of Louvain, Geneviève follows training in acting at the IAD-Théâtre and at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. From then on, she works in different areas of theatre, including acting, directing and writing. She’s worked with people like Valérie Cordy, Christian Crahay, Pascale Tison, Frédéric Haëtty, Laure Delcampe, JeanClaude Berutti, Philippe Sireuil, Pietro Pizzuti et Jacques Delcuvellerie. She was artist in residence at the Théâtre de L’L in Brussels from May 2000 to June 2003. Since 1999, she’s been organising the literary events Portées-Portraits, now hosted at Passa Porta. Among the plays she has written are Molly à vélo for which she was awarded the Prix du Théâtre 2004 for best playwright and was also the “coup de cœur des Lycéens de Loire-Atlantique” in 2006. Her other plays, L’épouvantable petite princesse and Molly au château, are published by Lansman publishers. In 2008, she was commissioned to write a play for young people, entitled Voleurs d’eau. Geneviève also organises workshops for young people in schools. Her latest play, STIB has just been awarded the Prix littéraire du Parlement de la Communauté française. Mieke Deceuninck mieke@brusselsmuseums.be Project Manager NOCTURNES at the Brusselse Museumraad - Conseil Bruxellois des Musées - www.museesdebruxelles.be Gerald de Hemptinne gdehemptinne@hotmail.com Journalist, editor, translator and moderator. Member of Canal Ordinaire, associated journalists. Sylvie de Weeze Sylvie.DeWeze@opbrussel.be Marketing and communications manager Onthaal en Promotie Brussel - www.uitinbrussel.be Martin Hope martin.hope@britishcouncil.be Director British Council EU & Benelux offices Alok b. Nandi nandi@fluxtopia.net - www.aloknandi.net – twitter @aloknandi Born in Congo. Raised in Zaïre. Based in Brussels. Design and technology, arts and sciences, media art. In parallel to strategic design consulting, Alok b. Nandi is active in media art and design, with a focus on interactive mise-en-scene and narrative architecture. His background combines engineering, management and film studies. He has conceived the homage book "Satyajit Ray at 70" (with exhibitions in Cannes, Paris, London, etc) and directed the performing arts evenings "Les voies de Tagore" with vocalist Sharmila Roy. He was a Japan Foundation fellow in 1996, and worked on Japanese cinema and urban life in Tokyo. He was awarded for the web-mise-en-scene of urbicande.be in 1997, selected for Imagina 2000 and 2002 with Transfiction, mixed realities platform. He exhibited in Cannes Film Festival, London, Paris, "utHOPEia" in Salzburg and Vienna, Panopticon in Ecole du Louvre, MAAD in Lille. Interventions in festivals include Porto 2001 and lille3000. Other works include: weekly radio chronicle from nov. 2006 to june 2008 on "Books & India" broadcasted on Paris-based RadioBFM in the IndeHebdo program - see mahanet.com, writings in Beaux-Arts Magazine, Cahiers du Cinema, Inside Internet, Publish. Invited professor and regular speaker in international

conferences incl. Interactive Frictions in Los Angeles, DAC in Georgia Tech and in Bergen Norway, CODE 2001 in Cambridge UK, ArtSci 2002 in New York, ARCO03 in Madrid, transmediale06 in Berlin, Media in Transition at MIT Cambridge USA, Doors of Perception 2005 (Infra) and 2007 (Juice) in New Delhi, ISEA 2008 in Singapore. Jury member in film and media festivals. Invited expert by EU, Canada and Belgium a.o. and commission member (VAF Experimentale Media Kunst 2006-2007, CFWB Commission des Arts Numériques 2006-2008). Founder and organiser of {creativity * conversation} events which include Pecha Kucha Night Brussels, as well as interventions on food design and typography. Quinten Peelen quintenpeelen@hotmail.com – twitter: @QuintenPeelen Since 1999, Quinten has been Director of the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The Liszt Competition is held every three years and attracts top piano talents from all over the globe. As director he has developed the reach of the festival which now includes a round of International Selections (in Utrecht, New York, Shanghai and Moscow) and a series of piano master classes across Asia and the US. In 2009, he was also elected vicepresident of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. Quinten is a 2009 British Council CLI fellow. Lara Rogiers lara.rogiers@vfl.be Vlaams Fonds voor de Letteren – Flemish Literature Fund http://www.fondsvoordeletteren.be/ Duncan Speakman hello@duncanspeakman.net - twitter: @_dspk Duncan is an artist based in Bristol, UK. Currently in residence at the Pervasive Media Studio, also associate artist at the Arnolfini and part-time senior lecturer in media practice at University of West of England. His work explores how we use sound to navigate geographical, personal and political environments, creating experiences that physically and emotionally engage audiences in public spaces. He often employs walking as both a process and/or an outcome of his work, partly because it is ‘within the speed culture of our time, a kind of resistance’ (Alys). Many of his pieces, such as the soundwalks and live performances, are experienced on headphones while walking through public spaces. Sometimes they are pre-recorded, at other times they may use satellite positioning, live performers and realtime sound processing. Other works include large-scale video projections, micro-documentaries and books. Recently, Duncan has been continuing his research into sound and social spaces by developing street based games and subtlemobs. Throughout his practice, Duncan has been trying to adopt Grierson’s definition of documentary as ‘the creative treatment’. Leen De Spiegelaere Leen@brusselskunstenoverleg.be Coordinator of the Brussels Kunstenoverleg http://www.brusselskunstenoverleg.be/nl Bjorn Stenvers marketing@ahm.nl Björn has worked as a marketeer in the Netherlands' cultural sector for a number of years, and also has marketing experience in the fields of publishing and retail. He is currently Head of Marketing at the Amsterdam Historical Museum. He is Chairman of the Marketing Advice Group to the Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board, and a Board member of the Association of Cultural Marketing

and Communication in the Netherlands, as well as holding other senior positions in Dutch cultural life. Björn won the national Library Innovation Prize in 2006, for his work at the Amsterdam public library. Sitting on the boards and commissions of various other institutes in the Netherlands, Björn provides marketing advice and strategic planning to their operation. He is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, and Board Chairman at the ‘Volksuniversiteit’ in Amsterdam. Vincent Van den Bossche vincent@fabuleus.be Since May 2010 Vincent has been Tour Manager & Communications Manager for fABULEUS, which is based in Leuven, Belgium. fABULEUS works with youngsters and emerging artists in the field of theatre and dance. Before this Vincent worked for five years in the arts centre nOna as Communication Manager. He is a 2010 British Council CLI fellow: as such he works closely with the French-speaking field of theatre and dance in Belgium. The working space Théâtre de L'L, based in Brussels, supports him. Owen Wainhouse owen.wainhouse@britishcouncil.be EU Affairs and External Relations Manager, British Council Brussels.