EU Culture Forum 2013

Intensive Care Ward for Cultural Civil

Society4th November 2013

Civil Society Organisations’ survivalis at stake.

Don’t let them die.

Cuts & changes to funding regimes for Civil Society Organisations have raised concern. Some organisations are now

in an emergency situation – they might not live beyond Dec. 2013

First medical assessment

Across Europe, funding cuts undermine achievements of the past. The fabric of society is exposed to irreparable damage.

A true epidemic

Map source: “Culture cuts – Where austerity measures are curtailing the arts”. The Guardian August 2012 – In collaboration with Le Monde, La Stampa, Gazeta Wybocza and Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Why PIE felt prompted to actThe Platform for Intercultural Europe promotes interculturaldialogue and action. But unusual situations require unusualmeasures: We experience an emergency which forces us toraise a more profound issue yet: the future of civil societyorganisations. Many face problems of life or death. The EUCulture Forum is an opportunity to draw attention to them.

PIE therefore conducted an emergency survey amongst its membership and beyond. The process is on-going, but we can already share some first findings.

Individual patients’ filesSome of the many cases that soon emerged

Anamnesis #1The Platform for Intercultural Europe

DiagnosisPlatform for Intercultural Europe

Space

Loss of seven years’ work in funding environmental disaster.

Life expectancy:

December 2013

Anamnesis #2Eurozine

DiagnosisEurozine

Financial malnutrition – Onset of starvation.

Anamnesis #3Trans Europe Halles

DiagnosisTrans Europe Halles

Scissures in leg muscles from jumping over large funding gaps.

Anamnesis #4Folkets Hus och Parker

DiagnosisFolkets Hus och Parker

Acute projectification and loss of focus

Anamnesis #5Intima Teatre

DiagnosisIntima Teatre

Second-degree bureaucratic burns suffered in the fire of project applications - Burn-out through multiple budgetitis

Anamnesis #6Institute for Conflict Research

DiagnosisInstitute for Conflict Research

Inadvertent lowering of free service capacity (below point 5 of public expectation scale)

Anamnesis #7A European Cultural Network

(The patient preferred to remain anonymous)

DiagnosisA European Cultural Network

Workaholism and self-exploitation due to acute cash deficiency.

Emergency prescriptionsspace

• Sustained public funding for sustained NGO action

• Disclosure of reasons for the abolition of operating grants

• Assessment of the impact of the abolition of operating grants

• Artistic and democratic freedom instead of control through short-term

project grants

• Efficient multi-annual funding

• An emergency fund for

the 2014 EU funding gap

Other doctors’ opinions are

solicited and similar remedies for

recipients of other types of funding

are still to be prescribed.

We want Cultural Civil Society to live !

Share on Facebook and tweet @PIEdialogue #Save#CivilSociety

PhotosPlatform for Intercultural Europe - Facebook album: SaveCivilSociety

Acknowledgements and contextspace

This Powerpoint was originally projected at the European Culture Forum during PIE’s ‘Flash Session’

“A future for Civil Society?” – Brussels, BOZAR, 4th November 2013.

During the session, PIE staff and Board members staged an interactive “Emergency Care Ward for Civil

Society Organisations”. The audience was invited to “visit the patients” in the emergency care ward and be

photographed with messages of support.

The content of this presentation is largely based on a 4-day on-line survey, which PIE conducted amongst its

members and contacts about their funding situation. The “patient files” presented here are a selection. More

were contained in a handout at the session. Many thanks to all survey respondents!!

Concept and production:

© Platform for Intercultural Europe (PIE) - www.intercultural-europe.org

Published November 2013

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @PIEdialogue #Save#Civil#Society

Photo and audio credits:

PIE, its Board, its members, respondents to the survey, as well as:

Médecins Sans Frontières, Mediadashting on YouTube,

various medical and scientific photo collections and friends.

Many thanks to them all!