Cultural  policy, arts management and cultural studies are important and constantly growing fields in all corners of the world. If you have a passion for the arts, if you are a cultural professional, researcher, project manager, arts administrator, cultural mediator and you would like to advance your knowledge in a specific field of cultural studies or cultural policy and management, to develop your professionalism, as well as to meet new colleagues and share your project ideas, below are three suggestions for unique programs in 2010 – still open for applications.Have a look!

(Image: "The waiting chairs", by Darina V.)

EUROPEAN DIPLOMA IN CULTURAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The European Diploma in Cultural Project Management is a pan-European training programme arising from the will to foster cultural diversity as well as transregional and transnational cultural exchanges.

Organiser and manager: Fondation Marcel Hicter

Objectives:

• To strengthen the knowledge of cultural managers about European, national and regional
• cultural policies;
• To improve cultural managers skills to run cultural co-operation projects.
• To develop a network of European cultural managers.

Each year, around 25 professionals from 20 countries are taking part in the European Diploma. Since 1989, 500 cultural managers from 41 countries (from Europe mainly and the Middle East, Canada, etc) followed this course. The programme is supported by the Council of Europe.

Who is the training for?

Cultural managers from public and private organizations who are actively involved in the management of cultural and artistic projects in their region, with at least 3 years experience.

The training languages being English and French, applicants must be fluent in one of these two working languages and have a good passive knowledge of the other.

Content and Organization

The European Diploma is organized so that the participants carry on with their professional activities.

The programme lasts one year and is organized in 3 phases: 2 residential sessions, a comparative study and an evaluation + seminar phase.

The residential sessions

Two sessions of a fortnight take place in two different countries each year. The next training session, will be organised in Zagreb (Croatia); ten days in May 2010, and in Italy in October 2010.

The themes, which will be discussed, are: Europe and culture; project management, cultural cooperation, operational management of cultural projects, fund raising etc.

Back to the field

Between the residential sessions and the evaluation phase, the trainees return to their jobs in their countries, and in parallel work on their own project. They also have to do a comparative study visit in another region of Europe.

The evaluation/seminar phase

This one-week phase includes the presentation of the participants projects and the organization of a thematic seminar. It will take place mid 2011.

Financial participation

Most of the expenses for this training programme are covered by the organizer and the partners. Each participant or the organisation he/she works for, will pay a fee of 3.500 €.

Deadline for application: 15 January 2010

The application form 2010/2011 is available on the website: www.fondationhicter.org

CULTURE AS RESOURCE: CULTURAL PRACTICES AND POLICIES AFTER '89

Course Dates: 19 - 30 July, 2010

Location: Central European University (CEU), Budapest, Hungary, Detailed course description: http://www.summer.ceu.hu/culture

Course Director:  Imre Szeman, University of Alberta, Department of English and Film Studies, Canada

Faculty: Nicholas Brown, University of Illinois at Chicago, English and African American Studies, Chicago, USA; Alexandra Kowalski, Central European University, Sociology and Social Anthropology, Budapest, Hungary; Lisa Parks, University of California, Santa Barbara, Film Studies, Santa Barbara, USA; Will Straw, McGill University, Art History and Communications Studies, Montreal, Canada; Maria Whiteman, University of Alberta, Art and Design, Edmonton, Canada

Target group: Applications are invited from faculty members and doctoral students of institutions of higher learning and researchers with academic background in cultural studies, political theory, globalization studies and cultural policy. Undergraduates without a university degree will not be considered.

Language of instruction: English

Tuition fee: EUR 550. Financial aid is available.

Application deadline: February 15, 2010

Online application (from mid November): http://www.sun.ceu.hu/03-application/howto_apply.php

REGIONAL MASTER STUDIES IN CULTURAL POLICY AND MANAGEMENT

(Interculuralism and Mediation in the Balkans)

Program description

This MA program, taught in both English and French, has gained an international reputation. Accredited by University Lyon 2 and supported by other partner universities, professional organizations and guest experts from all over Europe, it attracts not only students from the Balkan region, but also those coming from Europe and worldwide who are drawn to challenges and who seek a new, stimulating and different study environment.

As a heart-centered Balkans university, we benefit from the cultural resources of the capital city and the extended regional art and culture community that meets in Belgrade. This program enables students to be a part of this creative capital and of the multicultural landscape of the Balkans.

For its excellence in promotion of intercultural cooperation and mediating capacities of culture, the MA in Cultural Policy and Management has been named UNESCO Chair in 2004.

MA in Cultural Policy and Management is implemented through lectures, learning through project making, research based learning, problem-solving, small group work, individual and group tutorials, internships in France and Balkan countries, seminars and workshops designed to help the student develop wider contextual understanding, research skills and awareness of professional issues, etc.

The courses are taught in both English and French (consecutively translated in English). Non-French-speaking students are given opportunity to gain fundamental knowledge of French language by attending the French Course pro bono.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a university degree in social sciences, humanities and arts. Relevant professional experience is highly preferred. Fluency in English is required. Fluency in French is favored.

Course directors:

Milena Deagicevic-Sesic, Ph.D. and Jacques Bonniel. Ph.D.

Location: University of Arts, Belgrade, Serbia

Information: www.arts.bg.ac.rs, Program coordinator: coordinator@arts.bg.ac.rs, tel. +381 11 2626 994