Trans Cultural Dialogues: Mobility Research

Policy Issue: Crossing Borders

Title: Mobility restrictions and its effects on the slower development of Mediterranean culturalcollaboration, network and artistic exchanges

Keywords: mobility, restrictions, Mediterranean

Introduction

The research has intention on developing a deeper field and theoretical dimension to a mobilityissue, with which the team of the cultural network of the project Trans Cultural Dialogues facedwith during the last year. Having this as a starting point, the analysis will comprise of sharingdifferent experiences between the core team of the project, with restrictions on cultural andeducational mobility and its effects. Furthermore, the research will be using the bigger networkof contributors in the shield of the Cultural Innovators Network (Goethe Institute Programme),with a final target group including NGO’s, institutions, foundations, artists, cultural professionalsin relation to the network. The main analysis will focus on the four different cultural relations onthe Mediterranean and the specifics of each origin and destination restriction (South-North,North-South, South-South, North-North). Finally, the research will develop a summary of bestpractices for overcoming or lessening the mobility restrictions and directions for future steps inrelation to necessary reactions to policy measures that are identified as key issues negativelyeffecting mobility in the Mediterranean.

Cultural Mobility - General Indications

In the first part of the research we will briefly elaborate on the strategies that the EuropeanUnion is using in terms of ensuring mobility, while furthermore examine if this example can beused and adapted to a more local level on the Mediterranean region.

In a study made by the ERICarts Institute, named Mobility Matters: Programmes and Schemesto Support the Mobility of Artists and Cultural Professionals in Europe, the concept of mobility isviewed as a long term process which the artist is using in order to gain intercultural experienceand further develop his professional career. Namely, the recommendations are focusing on thenecessity on involving more funding opportunities for artistic and cultural mobility, as well as itsrepetition among the practitioners, as a continuous practice aiming at professional developmentand intellectual growth.

The ERICarts study recognises mobility not simply as occasional movements across national borders thatmay be useful to gain professional experience required for career advancement, as well as advance artisticendeavour, but more as an integral part of the regular work life of artists and other cultural professionals.The study recommends maintaining the plurality of actors and funding sources for cultural mobility. It alsocalls for the adoption of a developmental approach that recognises mobility not simply as an adhoc activityor as a one-off experience but as a longer term investment in a process leading to specific outcomes (notoutputs) over a period of time, e.g.in the course of a career.1

1 ERICarts Institute; Mobility Matters: Programmes and Schemes to Support the Mobility of Artists and Cultural Professionals inEurope; October 2008

On the other side, regarding the obstacles to mobility, another study made in 2010 from the 4Arts Mobility Pilot Projects, Recommendation on Cultural Mobility, focuses on priorities andrecommendations in relation to specific measures that can be done in order to ensure reducingadministration, borders crossing and evaluation of the currently set rules. One of the importantissues that they are tackling on in the study is that there is an ongoing need to train nationaladministrations and the stuff working directly with issuing visas, residence and working permits,as well as social benefits, to work closely with the cultural sector, which is in fact considered tobe very mobile. The initiatives on which they recommend working is adaptation to the specificcircumstances with which the artists and cultural professionals are facing with. On one side,concerning mobility they are facing with late notices on engagement, workshop, residency; interms of guaranties they are rarely beneficiaries of indefinite work contract, on top of irregularworking engagements which cannot be shown as a permanent financial income; all in all puttingthem in negative starting position when eligibility for a certain visa is concerned. On the otherside, when residence and working permits in a certain country are concerned, the startingconditions such as, status of self-employed or freelancer, short-term contract and one-timeprojects which generally are not generous in terms of income, leave them in the poll of ineligibleto gain a longer term residence. In cases like these, hosting and sending cultural organizationshave these limitations in mind and ensure to limit the time periods to the ones easier toadministrate (ex. less than three months; volunteering agreements and so on). Concretely thepriorities of the action plan that the Arts Mobility Pilot Projects are proposing refers to thefollowing:

- The EU, Member States and their administrations must provide clear, accurate information about allapplicable rules and procedures to mobile culture professionals.

- EU Member States must ensure that applicable regulations are applied uniformly at the national and locallevels.

- The EU and Member States, in close cooperation with the sector, must carefully monitor and evaluatecurrently applicable rules (EU and national) with the goal of further adapting them to the specificities of thecultural sector where necessary. The sector has the responsibility to more efficiently report shortcomings incurrent rules and in their application.

- The EU and Member States must commit to implementing specific targeted measures such as training andcapacity building for national administrations dealing with visas, taxation, customs and social securitycoordination for very mobile sectors, such as the culture sector. National administrations and their staff needto better understand the specific difficulties and needs of the mobile culture sector (complex laboursituations characterized by a diversity of nationalities and employment status, short-term contracts, last-minute artistic changes, etc). This needs to be done in close cooperation with professional organisations inthe culture sector.2

Focus on the Mediterranean

Another point which is important for this study is to focus it on the Mediterranean countries andquestion if the best practices and lessons learned from the EU examples are adaptable to thelocal level in the countries which are considered to be south of the Mediterranean, as well asEuropean but non-EU countries, and bordering the Mediterranean. In this relation an importantstudy is made on the subject of Exploring Mobility around the Mediterranean, as part of theIstikshaf Symposium in 2011. In comparison to the recommendations described beforehand, wecan see a similar path in the ones referring to the region of the Mediterranean too. The fundingof mobility is a major issue, and what is promising is the underlining of an increase of demandfor mobility grants, meaning that the artists and cultural professionals are seeing more and more

2 From the 4 Arts Mobility Pilot Projects; Recommendation on Cultural Mobility; March 2010

the positive effects of mobility. In terms of the Arab countries, what is noted in the study is thatthere are several directions of mobility that need encouragement, not only the South-Northmobility, but the South-South as well, since there are not enough cultural exchanges evenbetween neighboring countries. Another recommendation refers to the level of transparency ofthe grant funds and officers, which is an issue, when it comes to funding from Arab, as well asEuropean-Arab mobility lines. The level of transparency affects the reputation of the grantgivers, and enriches or downgrades the quality and the versatility of the chosen artists. Theopen system of evaluation, as well as well determined criteria for awarding mobility grants isone of the key aspects that ensures a positive outreach of the cultural programme.

- There is a need to radically augment and increase funding of mobility in the light of an increasing demandwhich is met by less than 25%.- As for the Arab world, (Arab- Arab) mobility funds are of special importance as an independent venue fornon-main stream artists to gain further exposure and learning opportunities and to regenerate the growth oflocal culture in the region.- There is a need to standardize the process of “administrating mobility”: that is the selection criteria,committee selection and spelling out the expected long term impact, in order to establish “transparent”systems. 3

Furthermore, concerning the Mediterranean Region, even in a preparatory document promotedby the European Commission in 2009, which aims at creating a Strategy for Culture for theMediterranean Region, there is a strong focus on encouraging mobility, which involves countrieswithin the region as well as neighboring ones. The regional aspect of creating cultural networks,is a strong point, that has intention to further encourage projects which have become successfulbeyond borders and promote them as success stories, creating cultural impact with rewardingoutreach which can be used to disseminate the best practices among neighboring regions still ina lower phase of cultural development.

-Encourage initiatives involving partners from different countries, including Eastern European and Balkancountries and those beyond the Union for the Mediterranean, especially from the Gulf countries and sub-Saharan Africa.-The Mediterranean festival programme: support the inclusion of a special Mediterranean section in theprogrammes of existing festivals in the Mediterranean region.-Identify successful projects and programmes that can have regional relevance and support extending theirreach at the regional level. This could be coined as promoting “Mediterranean Artistic Centres ofExcellence”.4

Beyond the policy documents and the recommendations by the official institutions working oncultural mobility, the reality in the recent years shows a conflicting trajectory of mobilityconstraints effecting especially the movements of African artists towards Europe. On this issue,the author Francois Bouda, in his article The Mobility of African Artists: a politically-orientedissue, even elaborates on certain inhuman and humiliating treatments when African artists applyfor a visa, related to a cultural mobility visit in European countries. Bouda notes that related tothe flows of illegal immigration, artists very often are paying the price with an equal treatment,explaining examples of artists being obliged to play instruments or dance on the actual bordersin order to prove that they are indeed on a cultural mobility visit, and not misusing reasons fortravel with intention of illegal immigration.

Despite the measures noted above, which exemplify a clear political intent to permit goods and people totravel easily, the practices at work, mainly in the artistic and cultural domain, constrict the mobility of African

3 Exploring Mobility around the Mediterranean; Istikshaf Symposium; June 20114 Towards A Strategy for Culture in the Mediterranean Region; EC Preparatory document; November 2009

artists to a tight airlock. With the increase in power of migratory flows on the part of Africans who toy with theidea of making their fortune in the Western El Dorado, African artists are frequently treated as presumedillegal immigrants. This can be seen, for example, in French consulates where people asking for visas arereserved inhuman and humiliating treatments. While visa appointments considerably take time, visarequests are sometimes refused with no motivated reason and the experience has revealed many Africanartists who were forced to play their instruments or to dance before passing the border.5

Finally, he is referring to a grassroots’ attempt of the network Zone Franche, to act upon themistreatment of artists when applying for visa related to cultural mobility, with setting up acommittee with the name Visas Artistes, and with the aim to help artists fulfill their intention ofartistic exchange, through advices in documents preparations, procedures following, but alsothrough direct pushes to the official institutions in order to enforce evaluated decisions.Precisely Bouda notes on the committee actions as: “gives advice to professionals of performingarts as of their visa applications and lays pressure over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in case offreezing”.

The role of mobility promoters across the Mediterranean

Having in mind that in every study regarding cultural mobility, funding is mentioned as a majorissue, in this part of the research we will analyze specifically the travel grants which areavailable for travel across the Mediterranean, aimed at lessening one of the key restrictions formobility.

The price of the tickets can be viewed as one of the central factors which constrains manycultural organizations in creating long term partnerships beyond borders, in providingcontinuous training and intercultural exchange for its members, and in gaining regional orinternational impact of activities. This factor is very concrete, and therefore easily researched.Based on previous experience gained as part of the organization of the team of the projectTrans-Cultural Dialogues, the organization of on-the-field meetings engaging severalinternational members, is a major cost. The price range of tickets for travelling from North of theMediterranean to the South, as well as vice versa, are usually twice the price if the journey isorganized only between European countries. What is interesting in this research is thatsometimes travelling between neighboring or close distance countries in the South, can be moreexpensive than the same if the journey starts in the North. This is, in some cases due to nodirect airplane lines existing between the southern neighboring countries, meaning that anairplane journey from Beirut or Rabat to Algiers, might take you on a transit on anothercontinent, namely cities as Paris or Rome.

Therefore, in order to broader our research into practical measures in lessening culturalmobility, we will compare and research the travel grants aimed at covering the Mediterraneanregion. In this relation we are underlining 5 different travel grants’ lines, coming fromfoundations as: Roberto Cimetta, European Cultural Foundation, Prince Claus Fund, Safar Fundand Mawa3eed. Namely a general characteristic is that all these foundations have all-yearround ticket grants schemes, with a different procedure on revision, quarterly or monthly.Considering disciplines, the mobility grants are aimed at artists and cultural professionals, andregarding age limit, the usual minimum and maximum ranges from 15 to 35 years, but can alsobe extended to the first 10 years in the professional career. Other than these characteristics,which can be generalized for the foundations mentioned, there is an important differenceregarding regional coverage. Namely, the Roberto Cimetta Fund supports artistic mobility in the

5 Bouda, Francois; The Mobility of African Artists: a politically-oriented issue

Euro-Mediterranean zone; the European Cultural Foundation focuses on travel between EU andcountries bordering the EU; the Prince Claus Fund supports travel in between developingcountries, specifically the regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, non-EU Balkansand non-EU Eastern Europe; the Safar Fund aims at providing grants for the Arab countriesonly, as well as the Mawa3eed. The mentioned regional restrictions combined with limitedrepetition of travel support grants, translates to very few options for international teamsoperating in the region of the Mediterranean.

The issue of visa restrictions is identified as the second biggest obstacle to cultural mobilityacross the Mediterranean. Here we will briefly analyze the visa restrictions in terms of fourmobility directions related to the Mediterranean: North North, South North, North South andSouth South, with a special focus on non-recognized countries and therefore official traveldocuments.

The North North direction ensures the most liberal travelling characteristics as a result of theestablishment of the Schengen Area which unites the countries from the European Union(excluding Ireland and the United Kingdom, but including Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, andRomania, Bulgaria and Croatia as candidate states) and gives them right of free movement. Onthe other side, the same Area that gives the countries in the North free movement, restricts thecountries from the South to conduct mobility, with the obligation of Schengen visa. The onlyliberalization in these terms relates to the countries of the Western Balkans (Macedonia,Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina), which since 2010 have the right offree movement for three months in this Area. Considering the North South mobility directionthere are several different trends. Namely, there are countries with a very restrictive visa policy,as Algeria for which nearly all countries are required to apply for a visa. Meanwhile, Lebanon,Egypt and Tunisia, are known to have very liberal visa system regarding Western Europeancountries, either not requiring visas, either issuing them at the borders centers. Finally, theSouth South mobility direction mainly is considered to be liberal regarding visa issues for Arabcountries. Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, again are liberal or don’t require visas, while Algeria doesn’trequire visas only for Moroccan and Tunisian nationals. Here, there are several issues thatneeds to be mentioned. The issue with the Israeli stamp, which in countries as Lebanon, Syria,Algeria, is a legitimate reason for your visa application to be rejected. Another issue, concerningLebanon is also refusal of admission to holders of passports issued by both Israel andPalestine. On the contrary, Lebanon’s liberal visa policy allows application for a specific artisticvisa.6

What needs to be underlined, regarding cultural mobility is the special case of not recognizedcountries, meaning not recognized travel documents, in terms of the Mediterranean speaking,Palestine and Kosovo. Since these countries are not recognized by all countries in the region ofthe Mediterranean they are not eligible of entering certain countries with which they don’t haveestablished diplomatic relations. This can be translated in necessity to apply for a visa in a longand complicated process, or a simple disability to even apply for visa. Namely, last year,Palestine ranked as the 90th least favored country of origin for its passport holders in referral tovisa granting, while Kosovo 87th, based on a research made by The Henley and Partners firm,on Visa Restrictions Index 20137. The ranking means that the holders of these countries’passport are granted visa free or visa on arrival access to only 36/39 countries in the world,respectively.

6 General Directorate of General Security, Lebanese Republic, website as consulted on 28th of February 2014, http://www.general-security.gov.lb/Entry_visa/sube18.aspx7 The Henley and Partners firm, Visa Restrictions Index 2013, website as consulted on 28th of February 2014,https://www.henleyglobal.com/about-the-firm/

Cultural Mobility Research Results

As part of the Trans Cultural Dialogues project our short term aim is making a research on thecurrent state of mobility issues effecting the Mediterranean countries, including SouthMediterranean countries nationals travelling to North Mediterranean, South to South, as well asNorth European nationals travelling to South Mediterranean. The research itself aims inidentifying the most common issues of restricted mobility and creating a strategy on acting uponthem. Long term aim is to indirectly affect the policy makers and in this case, group andindividual decision makers in the respective embassies and consulates on both sides of theMediterranean in taking considerate decisions when granting and refusing artists and culturalprofessionals access in a country, for the reasons of mobility residencies, short termconferences and workshops. A second long term aim is to suggest an introducing ofArtistic/Cultural Passport which provides artists and cultural professionals with beneficialtreatment when applying for temporary visas and residence permits as part of the futurepotential development of the policies of the European Neighborhood and PartnershipInstrument.

The respective Action Plan is determined as follows:

1st phase: gathering stories, experiences, interviews from the core team of Trans CulturalDialogues

2nd phase: gathering stories, experiences, interviews from the members of the CulturalInnovators Network

3rd phase: contacting extensive network of artists (friends, colleagues), NGO’s, organizationsfor gaining additional data, ex. GI in different countries, Amnesty International

4th phase: analysis of the research and including theoretical comparison with other researches;differences between a conference/business visa and a cultural visa; best practices forovercoming obstacles

At the moment of publishing this article, the action plan considering the Cultural MobilityResearch is in between phase 2 and 3, aiming in an additional physical distribution of thequestionnaire on meetings taking place in the forthcoming months. The public receiving thequestionnaire, within this timeline, is identified among the Trans-Cultural Dialogues core team,as well as the broader network of the members of the Cultural Innovators Network. Themethodology used is an open online questionnaire, distributed to the two specific groups ofanalysis, comprising of anonymous answers analyzed in the form of case studies. Thedistributed questionnaire is available for review as Annex 1.

Some of the results received refer to the following conclusions:

- Algeria can be referred to as a country with very strict and complex procedure regardinggranting visas to participants coming from European countries. One intervieweeexplains: “From my experience, it was just Algeria as an example of problematicprocedures when it comes to Mediterranean, concerning trips organized within my workand by network of civil/NGO initiatives I'm cooperating with. The several interviews withthe police proved that the NGO/civil mobility is hard and insecure, as well as very underobservation in Algeria. My coming to Algiers was late for 4 days due to visa delay,regardless of submitted plan of travel.” Another interviewee faced similar issues: “AsEuropean I have a privileged status for cultural mobility and stay. Travelling in Europe Inever faced obstacles. The only countries that I visited outside the European Community

are Tunisia and Lebanon, where I did not face any problem neither concerningdocuments. The only difficulty I found was when I was supposed to go to Algeria. TheAlgerian embassy requires a lot of documents from different institutes/offices and theyare also very expensive. I also needed to show a bank account check with at least 4thousands euros.” From the organizational part of the conference, a local confirms:“Actually, pretty all occidental citizens are required to have a visa to enter Algeria, andthe process is pretty difficult, and even ends up with a refuse.”

- Palestinian nationals face problems even when travelling to Arab countries. Namely onerespondent describes: “Well it's known that going to EU countries is quite difficult, but Ifaced a problem going to Tunisia. All my papers were right, and I applied for the visa 35days before the event, and I had to wait more until the cultural event started. My visawas not refused but they asked for more details about the visit and the event, so thisthing postponed the issue of the visa for more 10 days.”

- Concerning support provided for administration issues in the cultural sector, the view isthat it is seriously missing. As a participant in the research explains: “In my opinion,there's a lack of engagement by the representatives of each country when culturalactivities are developed in a country. Not from an economical point of view, but inhelping in administrative duties, as visa or other issues.”

- Regarding the developments in concern with cultural mobility in previous years ofprofessional career compared to now a survey participant notes: “Thinking in my firstprojects in the Euro-Mediterranean space, in 2005-2006, these issues were presentsince the beginning. Thinking in the Shengen zone, they are always strict with the southcitizens, and more and more there are countries in the south applying the reciprocity toEuropean citizens when traveling to the south.”

- On the ways cultural professionals are dealing with the strict conditions for residencepermits, another interviewee explains: “These restrictions are not affecting that much ouractivities, as long as we are shaping our activities to the situation. For example, theperiod of a Residency (BCN>TNS) won't be longer than three months, in order to avoidadministrative processes.”

Different other issues are mentioned in the survey as negatively effecting cultural mobility in theMediterranean:

- There is a regional focus on promoting cultural mobility in the EU, rather than theMediterranean

- The restricted mobility is viewed by artists as causing negative energy and depression,while decreasing motivation for work

- Even with all documents presented, including hosting organization invitation letter, visafor Switzerland can be refused three times (without a feasible reason)

- There are additional costs and efforts made for travel to the capital for applying for visain the respective Embassy/Consulate

- Schengen visa is granted with limitation to only the dates of the conference, withoutgiving opportunity to explore the respective city

- Not understanding by managers on the work position of the importance of culturalmobility for professional development and growth

Important Lessons learned for best practices to be used in the future include:- visa procedure should start at least 2 months in advance, or more- having institutions (sponsored by the state) for invitation letters- prepare everything in advance- be annoying - make the embassy people do their job, if they haven't posted the procedureonline

- research about the procedure online and in-person- be prepared for the process to take time

These important findings will be further used to structure the research and develop it during theimplementation of the next two phases.

Conclusion

Referring to the problematic we are researching: Whether the mobility restrictions are affectingthe slower development of Mediterranean cultural collaboration, network and artistic exchanges,we can use the research study conducted as a confirmation of the stated. Namely, trans-culturalcollaborations and creating long term partnerships in the region are limited to virtualcooperation, and meetings’ conducting with risk of several participants not participating due tovisa issues. The funding opportunities are few, considering that Mediterranean region iscomprised of more than 466 million in population, having opportunities to apply for culturalmobility grants in only five very active funding lines.

The general recommendations towards the future development, insisted on by policy makers aswell as cultural practitioners relate to close engagement of the respective institutions, towardsthe concrete decision makers, granting or refusing applications with accountable reasons.Furthermore, what is very important is to translate the encouraging policy on to the actualborders and to enforce restrictions on humiliating treatment towards artists requesting a basicright, as cultural mobility to another country, for the purposes of learning and personaldevelopment.

References

1. ERICarts Institute; Mobility Matters: Programmes and Schemes to Support the Mobilityof Artists and Cultural Professionals in Europe; October 2008

2. From the 4 Arts Mobility Pilot Projects; Recommendation on Cultural Mobility; March2010

3. Exploring Mobility around the Mediterranean; Istikshaf Symposium; June 20114. Towards A Strategy for Culture in the Mediterranean Region; EC Preparatory document;

November 20095. Bouda, Francois; The Mobility of African Artists: a politically-oriented issue6. General Directorate of General Security, Lebanese Republic, website as consulted on

28th of February 2014, http://www.general-security.gov.lb/Entry_visa/sube18.aspx7. The Henley and Partners firm, Visa Restrictions Index 2013, website as consulted on

28th of February 2014, https://www.henleyglobal.com/about-the-firm/

Annex 1

Questionnaire: Cultural Mobility Research

Intro: The following questionnaire is distributed for the purposes of conducting a research aimed todisclose reoccurring obstacles related to cultural and artistic mobility in the Mediterranean region.

PLEASE NOTE: The results of the study will be used for publishing a research and presented onconferences and academic symposiums. However, private details and contact information, will not beshared or mentioned publicly.

Statistical information

1. Country of origin (if dual, as on Passport used for travel):2. Age:3. Gender:4. Profession: Cultural professional/artist/researcher/student

Qualitative questions (Please provide details, and explanatory story beside the short answer)

1. Having the Mediterranean in mind please indicate your direction of travel in which you faced withthe biggest or most reoccurring obstacles?South-NorthNorth-SouthSouth-SouthNorth-North

2. In your career as a cultural professional, can you provide us with details on a relation (country)that has the most difficult process of acquiring travel documents for the purpose of cultural stay?

3. Please provide us with details regarding visa issues (of the specific country):- Does the country require entry visa?- How many days prior your travel did you apply for visa?- What type of visa were you applying for (tourist, cultural / short term, long term / one entry,

multiple entries)- Did you have an invitation letter, travel and accommodation settled when applying?- Did the Consular section ask you for a financial guaranty? And if so, what was the amount (in

Euros). In relation to the duration of your stay, is the amount required according?- How many days after applying for visa did you receive an answer?- If negative, did the Embassy/Consulate provide you with information on the refusal to grant

you visa?4. Have you ever been denied entry on the actual borders of the country you are travelling to?

(Specifically, countries issuing visa upon arrival on the passport control) If so, were you explainedthe reasons. Please briefly explain the concrete situation.

5. Please provide us with a brief personal story of the most difficult mobility experience you havehad that prevented you to attend a workshop, conference, residency, etc.

General questions

6. Can you briefly share with us, best practices, do’s and don’ts you developed during your career inorder to prevent mobility obstacles?

7. In your opinion, during your professional career, are the mobility restrictions lessened comparedto previous years, or have become stricter? Please indicate the period.

8. Besides the abovementioned administrative and borders obstacles, which other factors do yousee as obstacles to your cultural mobility?

9. When you experience restrictions in your mobility, how does that translate to your work?