Cultural Management Academy #6

Sustainable infrastructures for a resilient cultural sector – tools, tactics and strategies of work, research, production and dissemination

As cultural workers and activists we need working conditions and tools, taking into account the available resources as well as the existing infrastructure.
Beyond the resource of time, the resource of space (be it virtual) becomes a determining factor for the implementation of our ideas and plans. Thus, if we want to support artists or work with the public we will have to identify appropriately equipped spaces.
The economic crisis in former socialist countries has had a negative impact on cultural spaces. This challenge affects both Romania and the Republic of Moldova, with the latter additionally struggling with an immense lack of computerisation and digitalisation. In the two countries, a renewal of the cultural infrastructure and a fundamental transformation is urgently needed, especially since funding and attention are mostly limited to a few institutions in urban areas, while rural areas are in danger of being completely forgotten or never gaining visibility. In the absence of a proactive local public authority, public spaces have fallen into poor condition. Many have disappeared altogether, being demolished or privatised and turned into commercial spaces. This has been accompanied by a massive exodus of the population, including cultural professionals.

Now, three decades later and in the wake of a multitude of new crises – be it the pandemic or the Russian-led military invasion of Ukraine –, it is not enough just to rebuild what has been lost. The role of the cultural infrastructure and the way it operates needs to be reassessed. This is the key to whether or not the cultural sector will be sustainable in the long term. Beyond its role in supporting our work technically and materially, infrastructure can influence the relationships between different public and private parties. Public cultural infrastructure mirrors the public spaces in our cities and villages. How it is designed, managed and governed will determine the societal model of the future.

In this year's edition of the Academy we aim to explore different types of infrastructures, discuss their social role, the opportunities they offer for the cultural community and new tools to manage them effectively. Special attention will be paid to the experiences encountered in the bordering area of Romania and in the Republic of Moldova and the solutions they have found in response to the challenges they face. Participants will be encouraged to create their own tools, specific to the context they come from and in which they work.
Through lectures, workshops, discussions, and presentations CMA 2022 aims to find  answers to questions such as:

• How to respond to the growing social fragmentation in times of multiple crises? How to form new collaborations and constructive dialogue between both civic and public parties?
• How to operate in rural areas, which lack socio-cultural infrastructure?
• How to integrate new resources into our work? How can we be more resilient in the face of radical changes and ensure sustainable development of the cultural sector? 

CMA 2022 is offering the opportunity to learn from international trainers and develop new skills, to share ideas through transversal networking with the aim of developing cross-sectoral innovation that will contribute to the sustainable development of the cultural sector.   

If you are from/living in Romania or the Republic of Moldova and you:
 

•  are a cultural manager, PR manager, cultural producer, artist, cultural journalist or art critic with min. two years of experience   
• work independently, or in a public or private cultural organization    
• want to build your own and your organization's capacity    
• are curious about changes in the world, solution oriented in the field and want to change your working environment for the better
• are currently in the process of rethinking your activity and want to share your perspective and learn from trainers and peers    
• want to find like-minded people and develop new ideas and solutions together   
•  

…then, the CMA is the right place for you!     

Cultural Management Academy 6th edition
17-22 October, Chișinău - Casa zemstvei

The program offers the opportunity to be part of the Cultural Management Academy – an intensive six-day seminar and project incubator taking place in Chișinău, the Republic of Moldova, as it follows: 
The academy will include lectures, workshops, interactive exercises, collective and individual sessions, on-site visits and other capacity building formats dealing with the topic of the CMA 2022. We want to create a framework in which various creators and operators within the cultural field can attend a professional one week seminar held by international trainers, so that they can deal with the new challenges facing this sector. The seminar is planned to take place onsite, in compliance with all measures issued to prevent the spread of coronavirus, in partner locations in Chișinău, the Republic of Moldova.
  
The seminar‘s programme is curated by Moldovan cultural manager Vladimir Us together with EUNIC Moldova and Romania Clusters and is built upon the specifics and challenges of the regional cultural scene. Here is a list of topics and modules for the CMA 2022:  

• Building sustainable ways of cooperation between public and private sectors  
• Tools for managing infrastructures
• Sustainability of cultural spaces: urban - rural 
• Sustainability Labels for Culture

Trainers and speakers in the seminars will be local and international professionals from the field:   

• Vladimir Us (MD)
• Miki Braniște (RO)
• Iulia Popovici (RO)
• Cristina Bălan (RO)
• Hans Knoll (AT)
• Veaceslav Reabinschii (MD)
• Nora Dorogan (MD)
• Mirela Vlăduți (RO)
• Antoine Burret (FR)
• StudioBASAR (RO)
• Rusanda Curcă (MD)
• Maxim Cîrlan (MD)

…and more to be announced!  

During the seminar, side activities will be organized, such as guided tours for foreign participants and guests; outdoor networking events; indoor bonding events; speed dating sessions and other activities that will be announced after the selection process.  

Project Incubator & the CMA Fund

As part of the six-day seminar, a project incubator will also be organized. All participants in this year's edition of the CMA will gather to network and reflect on the topics of the program. The incubator sessions will encourage sharing, collaboration and exchange and will create a space for developing new project ideas.
 
To support the capacity building process, the program offers funding possibilities for a collaborative project/cross-border initiative, relevant for the regional context, that will provide new and innovative solutions for the cultural sector through CMA funding.  
The aim of the CMA Project Fund is to provide participants with more space to develop new ideas and collaborate with other managers from their and other countries in the region. In this way, the CMA is aiming to establish a capacity building model based on theory, practice, creativity and collaboration. Over 20 projects have so far been funded and implemented in the last 5 CMA editions in the project partner countries.  
 
In 2022, the CMA Project Fund offers the following funding opportunity to participants in the program:   

• Closed call (November): One project developed in the project incubator during the CMA in Chișinău will be granted up to 4.000 Euro.

The working language of the CMA is English. Some sessions can be held in Romanian language if all participants and trainers are Romanian speakers.

The fee for participation*** in the CMA program is 100 Euro. We require your full-time engagement in the project during the Cultural Management Academy. Full participation in the programme is the only way to receive a certification for the CMA, attested by the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Political Science (ECTS), and to have the opportunity to win funding for your project.  
 
The participation fee includes:   

• participation in all CMA activities and access to apply for the CMA Project Fund  
• accommodation and travel costs from your city of residence to Chișinău, for the Cultural Management Academy
• lunch and coffee breaks during all events (no further per diem is provided)  
• materials   
• access to online learning materials   
• mentoring during and after the CMA 

*** We will consider applications for 2 scholarships, based on the motivation (see application form).

Please submit your application until 11th September 2022 here.
Six participants from the Republic of Moldova and six participants from Romania will be selected. 
The selection’s results will be published on 15th September 2022. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at:
tamina.bojoanca@goethe.de