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Symposium
“The Growing Role for European Art and Artists in
Cultural Diplomacy and the Development
of Trans-Atlantic Cultural Bonds”
Luxembourg, 24 May 2017
Programme, schedule, abstracts and
biographical notes of the Symposium presenters
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Page 2
The ECP Symposium within the framework of the Trans-Atlantic Dialogue, “The Growing Role for European Art and Artists in Cultural Diplomacy and the Development of Trans-Atlantic Cultural Bonds”, will be held at the University of Luxembourg on the 24
th May 2017 from 10:45am to 4:30pm.
At this year’s the 4
th Transatlantic Dialogue conference, participants will explore the growing importance of
cultural diplomacy in international relations and the key role that universities have in this regard. The Trans-Atlantic Dialogue was founded in 2008 by the ECP member François Carbon, Chargé de mission, Culture University of Luxembourg, TAD’17 Chair in association with Miami Ohio University USA. Karl-Erik Norrman, General Secretary of the European Cultural Parliament, will open and chair the ECP Symposium Plenary Session. The Plenary Session will start with a presentation by the key-note speaker Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, a Senator of the ECP, about the Role of European Art and Artists in Cultural diplomacy and will be followed by two Thematic Sessions. The first session, Past and Future of Transatlantic Artistic and Cultural Relationship will discuss the role of European Universities and other cultural institutions; museums, theatres, opera theatres and conservatoires and European literature in transatlantic cultural relations. This session will be facilitated by Professor Massimo Dell’Utri. The session will feature presentations by Joe Friggieri, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Malta, Mary Miller, General and Artistic Director of the Bergen National Opera, Dr Marie-Louise von Plessen, ECP, senator and museologist, Amparo Serrano de Haro, creative writer and Professor of Art History, Dr Chika Robertson, Professor of Violin, Junior RAM London and Levan Khetaguri, Professor and Director of Arts Research Institute of Georgia. The role of individual artists in the Trans-Atlantic cultural relationship will be discussed in the second session, Opportunities and Challenges in the Transatlantic Cultural Relationship and how Artists perceive their Role and will be facilitated by Dr Lyudmila Nurse. The session will feature visual artist Dr Josip Zanki, director of an ifa art gallery Johanna Suo, multi-media artist Jānis Garančs, choreographer Professor Efva Lilja, opera singer Nikola Matišić, and Professor of Philosophy of Language of Multiculturalism of Philosophy of Literature and Art at the University of Sassari, Italy, Massimo Dell’Utri.
Should you require any further information about the conference, please visit our conference website https://transatlanticdialogue2017.uni.lu/ The ECP Symposium at TAD 2017 has been sponsored by the City of Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
Lyudmila Nurse, Coordinator of the ECP Symposium at TAD, Luxembourg 2017 [email protected]
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Wednesday, 24 May
University of Luxembourg / Campus Belval / Maison du Savoir (MSA) +3rd
floor / Room 3.330
ECP events
10:45am - 11:30am Plenary Session - Chair: Karl-Erik Norrman
Welcome addresses from:-
Mayor City Esch-sur-Alzette Vera Spautz
Chair of the Steering Committee of the TAD François Carbon
Key-note speaker: Erna Hennicot-Schoepges- European Art and Artists in Cultural Diplomacy
11:30am - 1:00pm Thematic Session 1: Past and Future of Transatlantic Artistic and Cultural Relationship: Historic perspectives and experience of Transatlantic exchanges Facilitator: Massimo Dell’Utri
1. European universities: fostering critical thinking
2. Cultural differences: upheavals and joy
3. Cultural diplomacy in European museums’ collections
4. European cultural identity: European literature
5. European theatre: serving citizens
6. Music without borders: musical education for the future
Joe Friggieri
Mary Miller
Mary-Louise von Plessen
Amparo Serrano de Haro
Levan Khetaguri
Chika Robertson
1:00pm - 1:45pm Lunch Break
1:45pm - 3:15pm Thematic Session 2: European artists in the Transatlantic cultural relationship: Opportunities and challenges in the Transatlantic cultural relationship and how artists perceive their role. Facilitator: Lyudmila Nurse
1. Creating relations, communication and understanding
through culture 2. European as the “other” through European contemporary art
and auto-ethnography 3. Arts and artistic activities and activism- the need for action 4. Outside the production line 5. From art and communication to open fields 6. The Inter-cultural Dialogue and the role of the Arts
Johanna Suo Josip Zanki Efva Lilja Nikola Matišić Jānis Garančs Massimo Dell’Utri
3:15pm - 3:30pm Coffee Break
3:30pm - 4:30pm General discussion and concluding session- Chair: Massimo Dell’Utri
Discussion and contribution by the Symposium guests and participants Summary of the ECP Symposium discussion - European art and artists in cultural diplomacy: reflections and perspectives: Lyudmila Nurse Conclusion: Karl-Erik Norrman
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Abstracts
Keynote Speaker: Erna Hennicot-Schoepges (Luxembourg)
European Art and Artists in Cultural Diplomacy Welcome to Luxembourg, more precisely to Belval, the seat of the University of Luxembourg and to this ECP meeting together with the Transatlantic Dialogue. Our session about European Art and Artists in Cultural Diplomacy fits well in the context of the dialogue. European Art is present on so many other continents. Beethoven, German or Austrian, a European has become a world citizen. It is indeed amazing how much European Culture has settled in the US, China, Korea, Japan. Spanish, Portuguese, British and French influence in Canada, Australia, India, South America and Africa is present in music, literature, and architecture. Partly a result of colonization, it is our history and responsibility. Beethoven’s main testimony, the ninth symphony, proclaims: "Alle Menschen werden Brüder", as says the 1785 text of Friedrich Schiller and today we are still working towards this ideal. How might a speech about arts and artists address the problems of this unhappy start of this new century? I am sad to say that Beethoven's proclamation of 1824 still resonates with a tragic actuality. Artists as diplomats have a mission to speak with universal credibility and moral authority. They are not hostage to re-election nor to lobbyists. They should exercise freedom of speech and expression everywhere. Artists taking the floor unexpectedly, have changed situations. For example, Kurt Masur among numerous artists prepared the change in eastern Germany; Picasso, making Guernica known worldwide. What is the role of the artist in Cultural Diplomacy? The conductor Daniel Barenboim has launched in 1999 together with Edward Said the "west-eastern divan orchestra” with Arab and Israeli musicians; together, young people of this area showing that peace is possible between the people. Again, in the Favelas of Venezuela José Antonio Abreu, an economist, founded together with a group of musicians, an orchestra: "For the children … poverty means loneliness, sadness, and anonymity - an orchestra means joy, motivation, teamwork, the aspiration to success". In 1998, Hans Peter Bastian demonstrated how the daily practice of an instrument and performing together, changed pupils’ attitudes. This is cultural diplomacy at a personal level. Robert Schuman argued in 1950 for the reunification of the citizens of Europe. But in Belgium, a linguistic barrier has split the kingdom. Speaking and understanding the language of the other is also knowledge about his culture - it is cultural diplomacy! Arts and Artists score highly in the court of public opinion, higher than that of politicians or journalists. This Transatlantic Dialogue initiated by the Uni.lu together with so many partners and universities in our global and digital world is establishing new ways of communication and is a new forum for cultural diplomacy.
Session 1: Past and Future of the Trans-Atlantic Artistic and Cultural Relations
Facilitator: Professor Massimo Dell’Utri (Italy)
This session will present the role of European cultural institutions: museums, theatres, universities, conservatoires and European literature in trans-Atlantic cultural relations. It will feature talks by Professor Joe Friggieri from Malta on the role of European universities in fostering critical thinking. Mary Miller, General and Artistic Director of the Bergen National Opera will be speaking on the European opera and cultural festivals (TBC).
Dr Marie-Louise von Plessen will highlight the role of museums to educate a larger audience about the actual political assets held in their collections. With the enlargement of the EU, the assignment of significance has become a main topic in dealing with identities and collections. The role of works of art, and the relation to
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each ones individual history has become predominant with regard to the perception of European cohesion. Professor Amparo Serrano de Haro, Arts Historian and creative writer from Spain, will be discussing European literature in its capacity to integrate the past into the future and to advance but also, to hold on to the humanistic principles of this European identity of the arts.
Dr Chika Robertson, Professor of Violin at the Junior Royal Academy of Music in London, a violinist and educator, will be talking about music education as a channel for creating trans-Atlantic cultural relations based on music as universal cultural heritage.
European Universities: Fostering Critical thinking Professor Joe Friggieri (Malta) Universities make a uniquely significant contribution to culture in the widest possible sense of the word. Throughout their history, European universities have exerted a strong and lasting influence on the way people think, express themselves and live. By providing the right climate for discovery and research, they have given birth to new ideas in science, politics, economics and the arts. We tend to take universities so much for granted these days that we find it hard to imagine what Europe would be like without them. Our awareness of their importance grows when we see the way in which repressive regimes set out to control what goes on in universities: vetting programmes, interfering with appointments, withdrawing funds, closing down faculties, curtailing free speech and punishing dissent. In my talk I shall focus specifically on the importance of the Humanities and the Arts in the 'ideal' university, and of their role in fostering critical thinking, which is what a democracy needs in order to flourish, and is indispensable to innovative work in any field.
Cultural Differences: upheavals and joy Mary Miller (UK/ Norway)
As Director of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, Connecticut, Home to Yale University, I found myself, initially struggling to assimilate cultural differences in a constructive way. New Haven one the poorest cities in America despite Yale and being at the heart of the US´s richest states, is in some ways a microcosm of the country’s astonishing diversity. A city 62% ethnic with a complex and combative mix of Latino, Caribbean, and Black American people with little wish to cohere. Perhaps that though, was a positive and life-enhancing challenge. The primary hazards to negotiate as a Northern European were the startling differences in personal behaviours from my board of 52, from artists and from new colleagues. In the UK and in Norway now my adopted home, reserve and self-effacement is standard. In Scandinavia, we have a name for it “janteløven”, a sort of mix of “who-do-you-think-you-are” and a stern reminder not to put your head above the parapet. Sentences do not begin with ‘I’, in the US, a sense of self is not to be denied… At Arts& Ideas, we brought many Europeans to collaborate at the festival. Now at Bergen National Opera and in my previous job as Director of Stavanger 2008, European Capital of Culture, many Americans have come to join us in Norway-based productions. Cultural differences abound, causing upheavals but mostly enormous joy. It is great in Luxembourg to have the opportunity to delve into why.
Cultural Diplomacy in European Museum collections Dr Marie-Louise von Plessen (France/ Germany) My talk will focus on actual European issues as presented in national/regional museums such as the Berlin, German Historical Museum; the upcoming Humboldt Forum in the reconstructed Berlin castle opening in 2019, along with the Berlin museum’s presentation ‘World.City.Berlin’; Vienna’s Museum of Fine Arts and examples of museums in Paris as well as the House of Europe History planned in Brussels. I will evoke the conceptual shifts since the fall of the wall in 1989/1990; thereby the role of museums to instruct a larger audience about actual political assets held in their collections. With the enlargement of the EU, the assignment of significance has become a main topic in dealing with identities and collections. The role of art works relating their individual history in the perception of European cohesion has become predominant.
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Some Fine Art museums, such as the Louvre are changing their displays in this regard, mostly by temporary exhibitions.
In general, museums’ programs especially those relating to cultural history react to create bonds through Cultural Diplomacy given by their mere physical heritage. Despite troubles within the process of European integration these artifacts belonging to all and must enable us to share our common past towards a common future.
European Cultural Identity Professor Amparo Serrano de Haro (Spain)
The 21st Century was born bringing more change and paradox than had been foreseen. The change in the communication of the world thanks to new media, the loss of classical patterns of thought and knowledge, the globalization of conflicts. All these factors in isolation, and as a consequence of each other, make the cultural image of Europe today seem blurred and fading.
A new narrative in the Arts has to emerge from this conundrum and it has, even though its form is itself (and not strangely so) shapeless and difficult to grasp, fragmentary, uncertain and restless.
Europe is a utopia, born out of the dream of History that philosophers, musicians and writers of the 19th
century created. In the 20th century it was built through politics and economic agreements as an antidote to the two violent wars that scarred it and in the hope of peace and mutual understanding.
The capacity to integrate the past into the future to advance but to hold on to the humanistic principles of this European identity of the arts. This is the task that awards/awaits this new narrative before due to the velocity of the media and the rush of technology, the dreams of the past are lost in the mirror of banality.
Theatre: Serving citizens Dr Levan Khetaguri (Georgia) During the centuries the role of artists became more and more important. Artists intellectuals for me are the guarantee to the opposition to the governments without political ambitions and served societies and communities for better life and justice. Arts and Culture by its philosophy are devoted to the human development, to open the new vision, share personal or communities’ experiences. Culture itself is diplomacy because it is based on dialogue between author and readers, spectators and listeners: people who belong to different cultures, ethnic, religion and language groups.
Dances, music, “Chaplin” or “Romeo and Juliet” don’t need “special translation”, we all will cry or laugh at it equally.
This is power of arts and culture, move through the boarders. Diplomacy sometimes creates borders but sometimes it is for opening of borders. Borders start inside of us and Arts and Culture should help to liberate us from these borders.
I believe that Arts and Culture have the power to change the mentality of societies, change political regimes and liberate people. Arts and Cultures’ heartfelt diplomacy, graciously serving to the citizens.
Music without borders: Musical Education for the Future Dr Chika Robertson (UK)
Incredibly talented young British musicians look forward to their high-octane, musically-packed Saturdays at London’s Royal Academy of Music. As a leading conservatoire, the Junior Academy acts as an ideal conduit to offer a stimulating meeting place for like-minded equals. The highly gifted 7-19 year olds benefit far beyond the world class professionalism of its creatively stimulating teaching programme. Added value comes from the wide range of socially and culturally diverse backgrounds of the students themselves.
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Music, as a ‘universal language’, crosses all borders. Therefore, the strikingly mature level of complex social and musical skills which the young adults are developing is being nurtured within a disciplined, respectful and caring environment, providing a “safe playground” for the talented artists.
Through the Music Mind Spirit Trust’s award-winning educational programme; ‘SongTrees’, Dr Chika Robertson works with Young Artist Musical Ambassadors from the Junior Academy to implement cultural leadership skills through music.
Whilst fostering their peak performance flow through collaborative interplay, onerous tasks are being transformed into tributes by taking sufficient time to tune into their talents, rhythmically, intuitively and natural gestural art forms we can all utilise to resonate with others simply and harmoniously via Musically Attuned Performances (MAP).
Session 2: European Artists in the Trans-Atlantic Cultural Relationship
Facilitator: Dr Lyudmila Nurse (UK) The session is devoted to the role of individual artists in the Trans-Atlantic relationship as individual ambassadors of their art and of their talent. They very often lack any institutional support and rely on their own initiative and enthusiasm in promoting their arts but also enhancing better understanding between individuals, communities and societies across Europe and the Atlantic. The session includes presentations by Johanna Suo - director of the ifa laboratory in Brussels on her projects that enable communities through arts engagement. A Visual artist, Dr Josip Zanki from Croatia will be presenting his experience of European artists in Asian, American and South American contexts. Efva Lilja, Professor of Choreography and an artist working with performances from Denmark will be talking about the artistic activities and activism triggered by the need for action. Her talk will be followed by a presentation by a digital media artist from Latvia- Janis Garančs who will discuss how artists’ collaboration led to the creation of a hub of New Media Culture in Europe. Nikola Matisic an opera singer from Sweden will be talking about his experience as an opera singer. Professor Massimo Dell’Utri from Italy, who teaches Philosophy of Language, of Multiculturalism, Philosophy of Literature and Art, will examine the role of art in fostering genuine intercultural dialogue.
Creating Relations, Communication and Understanding through Culture
Johanna Suo, ifa Laboratory (Belgium)
Cultural Diplomacy has become a fashionable word. What is it? Who is involved in it? It is of course important to define what we talk about but even more important to do cultural diplomacy. This short presentation gives some examples
of initiatives and ideas that all include work based on values and the aim to create relations, communication and understanding. Artistic transatlantic co-creation, artists search for creating peace, a new idea of an artistic transatlantic social cohesion project, a Brussels based community project, a consultancy speaking about cultural relations at a business summit.
EUROPEAN AS the OTHER Dr Josip Zanki (Croatia)
In my presentation, I shall analyse and connect the concept of the “Other based” European Contemporary art examples and auto-ethnography. I will drive Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s thesis of Europe as an Other (Chakravorty Spivak 1999:199) following the application of the Soja model of Thirdspace and Lévi-Strauss’ model of The Savage Mind. I will try to interpret the mobility of cultural meanings and symbols. The central part of my research is the experience of European artists in Asian, American and South American contexts. Using the experience of work in the Tibetan Thangka Painting Studio, Thangde Gatsal in Dharamshala, collaboration with Colombian artists in Bogota and the workshop in the University of Alberta,
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Canada, I will try to present the possibility of artistic Transatlantic, exchange and cultural diplomacy in general. Treating contemporary art as a phenomenon that goes beyond the interpretation of physical space and as a compound of the real and the imaginary world which, turns it into an experience of the Thirdspace, opens the possibility of interpreting Other as the establishment of a ‘comprehensive simultaneity’, Aleph of the Thirdspace. This approach opens up the possibility of questioning the symbolic language which is present in the artworks of different cultures as an expression of ‘unbroken history" of the experience of space.
Spit, Shit, Bleed, Argue, Move and Weep: Arts and artistic activities and activism- the need
for action Professor Efva Lilja (Denmark)
We live in a benevolent welfare state that has fallen on hard times. Un-necessities spread out amongst all the worry and the glitter blinds you (spit). With all the sparkle you become myopic and your existence narrows down to trifles (shit). Europe is in a cultural crisis. A large portion of the European population is on the dole, in a cultural void. Cultural policies are in a state of vacuum, most often with fuzzy leadership whose actions are based on a materialistic view, where art is seen as goods and products and the artist is steered toward usefulness and adaptation to the ”creative economy” (bleed). On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean the journey to the mansion of power provides a host of opportunities for reflection on powerlessness and impotence. If we want a society with creative, innovative, strong citizens who are able to apply and utilize their voices and creativity, we need a belief in our common commitments (argue) (move). The dominating political philosophy puts art into the ”icing-on- the-cake” box (weep). In this talk, I will elaborate on the role of the arts and tendencies in artistic activities and activism triggered by the need for action.
From Art + Communication to Open Fields - overview of 2 decades of networked culture
community projects with RIXC, Riga Jänis Garančs (Latvia)
RIXC was established in 2000 on the basis of E-LAB (Centre for electronic arts and media, est. 1996). It operates in the intersection of art, science and emerging technologies. Activities include; the production of artworks, transdisciplinary projects, curating Art and Communication festivals, thematic exhibitions and conferences and the publishing of journal series. It has grown into an important hub of New Media Culture in Europe through the participation in the number of international collaboration and exchange communities. More recent examples include: “Renewable Futures. Creative Europe cooperation project” and the “NORTH creative network”. In 2015 RIXC started a new cooperation project “Changing weathers” networking responses to geophysical, geopolitical and technological shifts across Europe a cultural program with partners both from the European “core” and its political and economic “periphery”. The newest international collaboration “RISK CHANGE” is a project run together with 9 other partners from 9 EU countries, as well as 26 associated partners (including 7 non-EU members) and is related to contemporary migrations and continuous social and cultural change in 21th Century, the geopolitical focus on EU and neighbouring countries. The presentation will be an overview the above mentioned and of a number of other collaborative projects as well as reflection on the evolution of the socio-political context over 2 decades.
Outside the production line Nikola Matišić (Sweden)
Being an aesthetic artist in the era of reproductive industry and NPM-infected academia challenges and possibilities in new forms of training in the arts. The holy authenticity: What is truth? Developing authentic artistry in the paradigm of skill versus knowledge and the seductive power of spontaneous impulse.
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The Inter-cultural Dialogue and the role of the Arts Professor Massimo Dell’Utri (Italy) One of the main convictions held by the members of the ECP is the possibility of a genuine intercultural dialogue, coupled with the idea that art in its various forms and manifestations, is an unavoidable means in order to foster this dialogue. However, this is not meant to be a superficially optimistic stance and nobody fails to see the enormous difficulties that hinder the progress towards this end. It can be said that the ECP meetings and this same conference, are but attempts to envisage what are the conditions are that one has to fulfil in order to shape a common ground on which to place the dialogue itself. Among these conditions there is the acquisition of that openness of mind, which allows acknowledging on the one hand the plain fact that there are people who may have needs and purposes different from ours and on the other, the possibility of being mistaken. This acknowledgment requires in turn the development of a general sensitivity in the broadest possible sense of the term. It is here that arts invaluable role comes to the fore.
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Biographical profiles of the ECP Symposium, Luxembourg, and 24th May 2017
Ambassador Karl-Erik Norrman (Sweden/Germany), Symposium Chair
Karl-Erik Norrman is founder (2002) and Secretary General of the European
Cultural Parliament (ECP), the only Pan-European, interdisciplinary forum for
cultural personalities of all sectors of Arts. As a Swedish diplomat for more than
30 years he served i.a. in Moscow, Beijing, Geneva and Rome, dealing mainly
with foreign policy, trade negotiations, cultural affairs, development cooperation,
humanitarian affairs and the United Nations. As Ambassador since 1989, he was
posted in Spain and Swedish Commissioner General at EXPO 92 in Seville. In
1994 he became head of the Cultural Department of the Ministry for Foreign
Affairs and Executive Member in the new Council for Sweden Promotion abroad.
Norrman has also been an opera soloist (tenor) and is the author of more than 20 books about Democracy
(“The Crisis of Democracy”, in Swedish 2008), World Population Matters, Germany, China, India, UN, theatre,
opera, design, food, European identities and football. Since 2010 he has been guest professor for cultural
diplomacy at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, ICD, Berlin.
Erna Hennicot-Schoepges (Luxembourg), Key-note Speaker
Erna Hennicot-Schoepges isa Luxembourgish politician for the Christian Social People's Party. She was until 2009 a Member of the European Parliament, sitting as a CSV member of the European People's Party.
Erna Hennicot-Schoepges has an extensive history in cultural affairs. She was educated in musical studies, for which she was awarded the gold medal as a pianist as well as philosophy and literature at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Bruxelles, Ecole Normale in Paris, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and the Centre Universitaire in Luxembourg.
Her political career reflects this deep interest in culture as well as her commitment to civil affairs. The Hennicot-Schoepges was elected Mayor of Walferdange and then moved on to become the first woman President of Luxembourg’s Parliament followed by her appointment as Luxembourg’s Minister of Culture, Higher Education and Research and Public Works. Throughout this time, she was also highly engaged as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and of the European Parliament.
Hennicot-Schoepges has made many political contributions to the cultural field. On the national level, she is responsible for the creation of the University of Luxembourg in 2003 and the Luxembourg Philharmonic Hall Joséphine Charlotte in 2005, among other projects. On a European level, she was the rapporteur to the EP of the “European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, 2008.” She is also a member of the Jury for the European Capitals of Culture and a member of the Council of State in Luxembourg. Additionally, she has written a number of books and articles on subjects ranging from European politics, human rights, religion, and education.
Massimo Dell’Utri- ECP Symposium Facilitator (Italy)
Professor Massimo Dell’Utri teaches Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of
Multiculturality, and Philosophy of Literature and Art at the University of Sassari,
Italy, where he is a member of the Department of Humanities and Social
Sciences. His research has dealt with topics in epistemology, metaphysics and
the Philosophy of Language. He has written three books and many articles
analyzing skepticism, realism and the concept of truth. He has edited (in
collaboration) a volume on the concept of rationality, a volume on metaphysics
and ontology, and an issue of a Journal on the concept of the Other. His current
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research still focuses on epistemological and metaphysical issues, especially the concept of truth.
Lyudmila Nurse- ECP Symposium Coordinator and Moderator (UK)
Dr Lyudmila Nurse a sociologist with a background in history is co-founder and has
been a Director of UK-based think-tank Oxford XXI since 2006. She develops
innovative approaches to studies of culture and identities, cultural policies and
undertakes comparative research of identities and belonging. In her creative
innovative projects she worked in creative partnership with musicians and artists. Dr
Nurse designed and led a study on cultural identities and music and several
biographical studies for European identity projects: “ENRI-EAST: European, national
and regional identities” (EC FP7) and “United States of Europe” (EC Cultural
Programme). Lyudmila is an active member of the European and International
Sociological Associations (ESA) and (ISA) where she regularly organises sessions
and presents papers. She is an Executive board member of the ESA RN 03 “Biographical perspectives on
European societies”. She is an Honorary Research fellow at the faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at
Oxford Brookes University; she is a member of the Cultural, Scientific & Medical Advisory Board of the Music
Mind Spirit Trust, UK. Her academic publications are in studies of identities, cultural memories, cultural
diversity, ethnic minorities and European cultural policies.
Since 2015 Lyudmila is a member of the Steering Committee of the Trans-Atlantic dialogue where she has
been developing a stream on the role of European art and artists in Trans-Atlantic cultural relations.
Mary Miller- (UK/Norway)
Mary Miller began her career as an international concert violinist before
becoming Music Editor for Scotland´s national newspaper, and a prominent
broadcaster. She led new work at the English National Opera before moving
to the USA to direct the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, one of East
Coast America´s most prestigious and comprehensive festivals.
She directed Stavanger2008, European Capital of Culture, Norway´s biggest
ever cultural programme comprising over 1000 events and projects. In 2010,
she became General and Artistic Director of Bergen National Opera, a
dynamic young company which is now firmly established as one of Europe´s
most flexible and innovative performing organisations with a programme which embraces a wide repertoire,
singer and artist development, international collaboration and education.
A member of the European Cultural Parliament, she continues to work internationally as a writer, speaker and
mentor on cultural policy, and to work with various potential European Capitals of Culture.
Joe Friggieri (Malta)
Joe Friggieri is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Malta. He holds
doctorates from Milan and Oxford and is a poet, playwright and theatre director. He is
president of the Philosophy Society and a regular contributor to political, social and
cultural debate. For his contribution to Malta’s cultural life and activities, he was made
a member of the National Order of Merit in 2008.
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Marie-Louise Von Plessen (France)
Dr Marie-Louise von Plessen is a German cultural historian, writer and
museologist . She is also the author and editor of numerous specialist books as
well as a director of documentaries and short films. Today she is a member of
the scientific advisory board of the Musée de l'Europe in Brussels, the
European Cultural Institute Pierre Werner in Luxembourg and the Jean Monnet
pour l'Europe foundation in Lausanne. Countess von Plessen is also a senator
of the European Cultural Parliament and adviser of the Cultural Council of
the Council of Europe in Luxembourg ("Institut Européen des itinéraires
culturels").
Levan Khetaguri (Georgia)
Dr Levan Khetaguri, Director and Professor of Arts Research Institute of Georgia, Ex-Chair of adviser’s board of Eastern European Partnership culture program. He is member of different international institutions, adviser and scientific boards, invited professor of several universities. He is International expert in Theatre Studies, Higher Arts Education (QA), Cultural Policy, and Cultural Research. Author of various curriculums, educational frames and supervisor for BA, MA and PhD levels. Since 1981 author of several books /editor, translator/ and over 100 publications (in Georgian, Russian, English, Polish, German, Azerbaijani, Slovak etc.). In 2000 was awarded by Swedish Writers Guild. Since 1990 he runs hundreds of local and international projects as initiator, manager, producer in Arts and Culture. Levan Khetaguri is a president of Stitching Caucasus Foundation /NL/. Since 1997 Secretary General of ITI Georgian National Centre and Director of the European Theatre Research Institute in Georgia. Member of FIRT. 1997 Member of Gulliver /European Intellectuals Network/. Since 2008 a member of strategic group of Soul for Europe movement.
Chika Robertson (UK)
Dr Chika Robertson is a CEO of Music Mind Spirit Trust. With her
background as a multiple prize-winner solo violinist, Chika Robertson was
awarded fellowships to work with distinguished conductors including Ozawa
and Bernstein for prestigious music festivals including Aspen, Tanglewood
and the Mozarteum. In 2004 Dr Chika Robertson developed the SongTrees
project in the UK as a Music Mind Spirit trust project. The main objectives of
the initial SongTrees project were, through sharing musical memories with
their parents, grandparents and friends, children gain insight into their
cultural identity and create a valuable archive for musical/medical research.
Chika is passionate about education and the involvement of music
throughout the curriculum, working with pupils of all ages and standards to develop and explore creative
approaches to teaching and performing. She is a Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music, Junior
Academy; and is a Diploma Examiner for the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music). She
was granted her PhD in contemporary violin pedagogy and performing practice in 1999.
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Amparo(Ara) Serrano de Haro (Spain)
Amparo (Ara) Serrano de Haro Phd is a University Professor in Art History and a novelist. She works mostly on Twentieth century art, and especially on gender issues: women and art in Spain, US, and in French and Belgian Surrealism. She has also written about 16
th and
17th century artists: Sofonisba Anguissola and Artemisia Gentileschi
(about which she also published a novel).
She received a Fulbright early on and has received several grants from the Spanish Education Ministry.lud.In 2013 she was awarded the Marguerite Yourcenar Prize for European writers. She has published around 14 books.
Johanna Suo (Belgium)
Johanna Suo is the managing director of ifa laboratory in Brussels and
likewise a “hands on” creative entrepreneur passionate about structural
development in culture, making art available for a wider audience and
bridging civil society and politics through culture. Active in the
institutional and associative sectors of the art world for over 15 years,
she has been involved in, for example, the Think Tank European Cultural
Parliament and their Youth Network, she worked for the Goethe-Institut,
and for CUMEDIAE. Specialised in cultural strategic relations she is an
advocate for the insertion of art and culture in other sectors of society. In
2015 she was awarded the Marshall Memorial Fellowship (of the
German Marshall Fund of the United States) aiming to reinforce
transatlantic relations. Her individual focus was to look at the value of art
and culture, art in international relations and cultural diplomacy.
Josip Zanki (Croatia)
Josip Zanki, PhD was born in Zadar on 14th March 1969. He graduated from the
Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb in 1994. He completed his Postgraduate Studies
from the Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology in the Faculty of Humanities and
Social Studies in Zagreb in 2016, and presented his doctoral thesis entitled
“Anthropological Conceptualisation of the Space in Thangka Painting and
Contemporary Art Practices“. Since 1986 he has been working on installations,
performances, experimental films and videos, research into graphic media and
cultural anthropology. He taught at the University of Zadar from 2009 to 2016 and
Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas in 2016. Since December 2007 he has been
president of the Croatian Artist Association. He lives and works in Zagreb.
Efva Lilja (Denmark)
Efva Lilja is an Artist working with performances, visual art, film and writing. From
1985 to 2005 she was Artistic Director of the E.L.D. Company based in Stockholm,
producing work in more than 35 countries around the world. Author of eleven
books, lecturer and a forerunner within artistic research. She has been decorated
and received a number of prizes and awards. In 2003, she was appointed
Professor of Choreography, 2006-2013 the Vice-Chancellor at the University of
Dance and Circus in Stockholm and in 2014 the Expert Advisor on Artistic
ECP Symposium at TAD, Luxembourg, 2017
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Research at the Ministry of Education and Research in Sweden. From 2016 she has been the Artistic Director
of Dansehallerne in Copenhagen. www.efvalilja.se
Jānis Garančs (Latvia)
Artist, born in Latvia in 1973, working in areas of interactive multimedia
installations and immersive audio-visual performance. Since finishing art studies
(painting, video and computer art) in Riga, Stockholm, Hamburg and Cologne, he
has special interest in moving stereoscopic imagery and 3D/surround sound,
presented in formats ranging from gallery exhibitions to live on-stage concerts. His
work has been presented in Europe, Canada, USA and Turkey at international
events such as Ars Electronica Festival, ISEA, Transmediale, DEAF and others.
As a researcher and project consultant, he pursues fostering ‘cross-disciplinary
platforms’ for art/culture, science, education and industry. He has contributed to over 60 international culture
events and conferences.
Nikola Matišić (Sweden)
Nikola Matisic, Swedish opera singer and artistic director of Operalabb, a movement
for public education and elite training of classical singing and opera. Nikola is an
associate of the Royal Academy of Music, a Samling scholar and published writer of
articles on the arts, music and the voice in Swedish news media and specialist
magazines.
François Carbon - TAD’17 Chair (Luxembourg)
François Carbon, is a pedagogue and a cultural actor at the University of
Luxembourg who seeks to add a creative dimension to the main tasks of the
University, namely learning and research. With this in mind, he runs and
coordinates cultural, intercultural events and contributes to life on campus so
as to promote and improve the quality of life at the UL, broaden horizons
amongst UL community members (students, doctorates, administration, professors, researchers, …), boost
cross-cultural dialogue, and contribute to an exchange of ideas aimed at developing culture in Europe and
since the initiation of the TAD in 2008 the concept of a Global citizenship. Besides, François is a board
member of the University Network of the European Capitals of Culture and a core team member of the
University Network of the Capitals of Europe WG ‘University, Culture and the City’.
ECP Symposium at TAD, Luxembourg, 2017
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Guest List for the ECP Symposium Luxembourg, 24 May 2017
Contact 1. Ainhoa Achetegui, Director Neumünster
Abbey
2. Guy Arendt, Secretary of State for Culture [email protected], [email protected]
3. Bernard Baumgarten, Artistic Director TROIS C-L - Centre Création Chorégraphique Luxembourgeois
4. Tania Brugnoni, Project Director 1535° Creative hub Differdange
5. Françoise Poos, Chair of the Board of the national public socio-cultural radio station: Radio 100Komma7 & Chairman Edward Steichen Award Luxembourg Board
6. Paul Lesch, Director, Centre national de l’audiovisuel
7. Marc Meyers, Director Music Conservatory Luxembourg-City
8. Alex Reding, Director Luxembourg ARTweek
9. Vera Spautz, Mayor Esch-sur-Alzette [email protected], Deputy Mayor for Culture Esch-sur-Alzette [email protected]
10. Olivier Toth, General Manager / CEO
Rockhal [email protected]
11. Andreas Wagner [email protected] and / or Janina Strötgen [email protected] Management Esch ECoC ‘22
12. Ralph Waltmanns, Cultural Coordinator Esch-sur-Alzette
13. James Ketterer, Dean of International Studies & Director, Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program, Bard College New York
14. Erica Mott, choreographer, installation and performance maker, and cultural organizer, Chicago
15. Venu Dhupa, ECP member, Visiting Professor at Nottingham Trent University, UK
16. Rodolfo Maslias, ECP member, Head of Unit, European Parliament, Directorate-General for Translation, Terminology Coordination Unit
17. Karen Humle, violinist and consultant, Copenhagen, Denmark
[email protected]; www.karenhumle.dk
