The breakaway session on "Major international partners" at the European Culture Forum on the 30^th September was a great example of the European Commission engaging in a sensible and practical discussion on the sector working externally and internationally.

The moderator, Karel Kovanda, DG External Relations was humorous, humane and smart in his drawing out of opinions and commentary from the guests. They were Catherine Fieschi, Counterpoint, British Council; Delphine Borione, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France and Gijs de Vries, European Cultural Foundation, The Netherlands. Each guest gave their pitch to three different questions.

From a LabforCulture perspective, several interesting points came up, largely from de Vries and Fieschi.  Focusing on one which seemed like a thread throughout the Forum but was never really vocalized in very clear or sensible terms except here: working together, across disciplines and working in a multi-voice generation in our changing digital society.

Fieschi talked about the outdated thinking or retaining roles such as producers and consumers and experts and amateurs (something we have been discussing in the Converging Pathways to new knowledge space). The central message seemed to be to develop voices and relationships, start working in networks, co-produced and a polar way. Maybe some believe the cultural sector is doing this enough but looking at other sectors, more could be done.

See the LabforCulture interview of Catherine Fieschi here.