This activity took place on:
Wednesday 30 Jun ’10
Conference The Next Step: Community Arts in a Broader Perspective
On Wednesday 30 June, 10 arts and cultural organisations joined forces on the beautiful campus of the University College Utrecht for the conference The Next Step: Community Arts in a Broader Perspective. Moderated by Ruben Maes, 200 (inter)national professionals gathered to discuss the influence of community arts on arts and cultural policy, research, vocational art education and art critics. Topics of this conference were amongst others the measurement of the effects of community arts, the education of new generations of artists and the role of independent art criticism in validating this type of art.
The day was started by a few inspiring keynote speakers, among them Prof Dr Jan Cohen-Cruz, director of Imagining America and fellow at Syracuse University NY, and An De Bisschop and Jana Kerremans, respectively director and staff member of Demos VZW, Knowledge Centre for Participation and Democracy and a key player for social artistic practice in Flanders. Following this, artists from the world of theatre, expressive art, music and museums presented their ideal scenario for community arts , all in the context of the four main themes of the seminars that followed the plenary programme. These four themes were science and applied research, education and the promotion of expertise, art criticism and media strategies and lastly, establishment in the local context. In the afternoon, seven seminars were held in which the themes were further explored.
After the conference, participants received the 82nd edition of the journal Boekman about community art, and could discuss the inspiring day during drinks while enjoying a biological ice cream (cooled by solar energy). The Next Step was a joint initiative of the Boekman Foundation, Community Arts Lab Utrecht, Domein voor Kunstkritiek (Domain for Art Criticism), Kunstenaars&CO (a foundation supporting artists), Kunstfactor (the national organisation for the development of amateur arts), Landelijk Platform Cultuuraanjagers (the national platform for the promotion of culture), Cultuurfonds BNG (Cultural Fund), Fonds Podiumkunsten (the Performing Arts Fund), Theater Instituut Nederland (the Theatre Institute), Muziek Centrum Nederland (Music Centre the Netherlands) and De Vrede van Utrecht (cultural promoters of the city Utrecht).