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June 2010

Access to Culture

Collection of good practices

throughout Europe

E U R O C I T I E S

EUROCITIES is the network of major European cities. Founded in 1986, the network brings together

the local governments of over 130 large cities in some 34 European countries. EUROCITIES

represents the interests of its members and engages in dialogue with the European institutions

across a wide range of policy areas affecting cities. These include: economic development, the

environment, transport and mobility, social affairs, culture, the information and knowledge

society, and services of general interest.

EUROCITIES website: www.eurocities.eu


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June 2010 Access to Culture - Collection of good practices throughout Europe


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CONTENTS

Introduction ........................................ 4Antwerp ............................................. 5Bergen............................................... 6Bologna.............................................. 7Dublin................................................ 9Dublin............................................... 10Edinburgh .......................................... 11Edinburgh .......................................... 12Gateshead ......................................... 13Genoa............................................... 14Genoa............................................... 15Helsinki............................................. 16Krakow ............................................. 17Leipzig.............................................. 19Malmo .............................................. 21Malmo .............................................. 23Nantes Metroplole ................................ 24Riga ................................................. 26Stockholm.......................................... 27Vilnius .............................................. 28


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INTRODUCTION

Culture can be a powerful instrument inpromoting social inclusion and managingdiversity. Participation in cultural activitiesoffers city residents the opportunity toparticipate in society, with positive effects onwellbeing and self-development. Culture cansupport traditional ways of promoting socialinclusion and social cohesion. Cities canimplement a number of activities to increase

access to cultural activities and to foster socialinclusion through culture.

However, attendance at cultural activities isdifficult for some inhabitants. There are avariety of barriers that prevent disadvantagedgroups from accessing cultural events as muchas other groups. These barriers are mainlysocial, cultural or financial.

Chaired by Riga, the EUROCITIES Access toCulture working group was created in March

2007 with the aim of defining, identifying, andcomparing culture accessibility issues in cities.The working group focuses on sharing viewsand practices aimed at improving theaccessibility of cultural spaces and servicesand the participation of different social groupsin the local cultural life.

The working group takes all aspects ofaccessibility into consideration: social,cultural, intellectual, physical and financial.

This publication highlights concrete policiesand initiatives implemented by cities in orderto foster access to culture, thus ensuring equalopportunities for all groups.

The collection of good examples is based onthe results of a questionnaire that wascirculated among EUROCITIES members inspring 2010 to identify and promoteinformation exchange and the sharing of goodpractices regarding access to culture.


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ANTWERP

2 pass

In Antwerp (480,000 inhabitants), like in othermetropolitan cities, a large part of thepopulation lives in an economicallydisadvantaged situation. This situation canlead to a lack of knowledge of existing culturalservices, due to insufficient information orbeing outside the relevant social networks.

Reduced financial means creates a number ofbarriers that prevent these groups fromaccessing cultural services and from theopportunity to express their own culturalidentity.

The 2 pass was developed by the citysculture department in the framework of theFlemish governments policy to promote theparticipation of disadvantaged people incultural events.

The 2 pass is an individual reduction card forcustomers of the Antwerp Public WelfareCentre and people living on minimum means ofsubsistence.

Launched early 2009, the pass offers sociallyexcluded people the chance to participate inevents organised or coordinated by the culturecentres and cultural meeting centres in allAntwerp districts. Most of the Antwerp culturecentres joined the project with enthusiasm.

This initiative specifically aims to encouragedisadvantaged people to book tickets at only2 for a performance or activity and seems tobe very successful.

After six months 1,670 passes weredistributed. By that time a hard core of 191customers had already ordered 1,343 tickets.The programme offered by deRoma (the mostrecently opened and quite centrally located

theatre and concert hall) was highlyappreciated and represented 50% of all ticketssold. The price threshold to other culture

centres such as Link, Ekeren and Schelde

seemed to remain too high. In the long run,the 2 pass will be replaced by the A-card.

2009

Number of passes distributed: 1,992

Number of individual customers: 267

71% had never previously registered as visitorof an Antwerp culture centre

Number of tickets bought: 2,306

Average number of tickets bought by eachcustomer: 8.6

Contact

Heleen DriesenLeisure coordinatorPublic Welfare Centre AntwerpLocal social policy departmentT +32 3 338 28 [email protected]


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BERGEN

Barnas Hus (The ChildrensHouse)

Barnas Hus is a part of the Department of Artand Culture in the city of Bergen, and is animportant part of the department for culturalpolicy towards children. The task of theinstitution is to increase childrensparticipation in art and culture.

Barnas Hus works in the crossroad betweenart and culture in Bergen and schools andkindergardens. The central aim of thechildrens cultural policy is to make art andculture a part of everyday life for children.

It initiates and produces programmes on artand culture to be used by schools andkindergardens, in their own educational andpedagogical work. It produces programmes incooperation with museums and art institutions,

to ease the childrens way into theinstitutions.

Our visitors

Every week children come together with theirteachers to work in Barnas Hus or on theprogrammes taking place in the museums.

Barnas Hus presents exhibitions, theatreperformances or concerts that are speciallydesigned for children. When presenting theatre

performances and concerts, focus is put on theyoungest participants, since the traditionaltheatre institutions or concert halls veryseldom develop programmes for the smallestchildren. At weekends programmes arepresented for families. Barnas Hus alsocooperates with art and culture institutes, todesign programmes that cater for families as away of introducing and welcoming them to thearts.

Barnas Hus has just started a programme we

call "Come, go with Barnas Hus. The idea isthat the families visiting Barnas Hus feel atease there, and can be invited to exciting

programmes in other cultural institutions. This

will encourage them to meet a new institution,perhaps for the first time.

Developmental work

Barnas Hus experiments with differentmethods and programmes on communicatingart to children. For example The Challenge ofContemporary Art was a programme overthree years in Bergen Kunstforening (BergenArt Hall) that ended in 2000. About 90teachers and 2,200 pupils followed theprogramme during the whole period. BarnasHus learned how to make teachers feelcomfortable when presenting contemporaryart.

Competence

Barnas Hus wants to strengthen knowledge andcompetence of both teachers and peopleworking in museums. The first group needsknowledge on art and mediating art, and the

other needs knowledge on children and theway children exist in the world. Barnas Husoften brings together different professionalpeople in the development of programmes,presents seminars for teachers and workshopsfor children and teachers together, on themesfrom the whole field of aesthetics.

Resource center

Much of Barnas Hus work and programmes donot take place inside Barnas Hus, but indifferent local art institutions, the aim beingthat children have the possibility to meet andenjoy various museums and art institutions.Barnas Hus work is project based. An objectiveof Barnas Hus is that the schools andkindergardens or the cultural institutions willadopt their programmes and methods and"make them their own".

Contact

Turid Fadnes, project [email protected]: +47 55 90 47 20


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BOLOGNA

Teenager workshop at SalaBorsa library

Since 2001 Sala Borsa hosts Bolognasmunicipal multimedia library, offering books,newspapers, magazines, videos, cds and databanks, along with cabled and wi-fi internetconnections. It is Bolognas largest library andwelcomes 4,500 users of all ages every day.Sala Borsa is an historical building spread overdifferent floors and sections inside the Palazzod'Accursio, the ancient seat of Bolognamunicipality: www.bibliotecasalaborsa.it

In the future, Bologna will be the home ofeven more new citizens from other countries,with an increase in the population aged 0-24,and 14-18 in particular.

This age group constitutes a phase of profound

redefinition of the physical, psychological,social, relational and cultural dimension ofpeople. Bologna tried to build up shared-planning networks with different subjectsinvolved in work with teenagers in order tocope with the problems globally and to putinto effect cooperation strategies inexperimenting with activities in favour ofteenagers and of their families.

Attention to teenagers, especially in amulticultural context, is one of the strengthsof the new Sala Borsa project, providing aspecific area intended for teenagers. Itsstructure (services, layout and furnishing) wasdefined through joint-planning laboratories,which have overseen practical cooperationbetween young people, parents, experts andmediators, complemented by studies,researches as well as visits to some importantEuropean libraries.

Various actions were implemented. A fixed

workshop space was installed and furnishedwith books, DVDs and CDs to be used undersupervision. Initital contact was established

with the visiting teenagers. Street animation

activities and creative workshops were held.

The objectives of such actions were:

To develop the librarys function as alaboratory and as a transversal observationpoint to understand the needs and trendsof teenagers, and to provide data totechnicians working in the social,educational and cultural area;

To monitor the behaviour and the dynamicsof groups which use the internal andexternal areas of the library in an improperway;

To exploit different professional abilities(e.g. educators and mediators) to plan andto put into effect integrated actions withthe librarians;

To improve the information andcommunication system about theopportunities that the town makesavailable to young people and to directthem to other services;

To support the individual development ofyoung people; To improve cooperation between the

library, schools and other services in orderto tackle school difficulties and desertion;

To develop services capable of supportingyoung people in learning Italian and doingtheir homework;

To provide for a multicultural approach; To secure a friendly atmosphere and safe

use of the library.

Three groups in the 14-18 age bracket havebeen identified: a group of immigrantteenagers which always meets on the swivelchairs at the entrance to Piazza Coperta (wi-fichairs); a group of female adolescentimmigrants sometimes present in the morningand also during the first half of the afternoon;and a group of boys and girls attending the artsecondary school, who have chosen Sala Borsaas a meeting point and as an open-air space forartistic activities. Most of them are middle-

class teenagers, foreign teenagers or teenagerswith social difficulties assisted by socialworkers.


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Active contacts were made with about 215

teenagers, of whom 100 participated in theactivities.

Other groups are also involved in theactivities, but in an irregular or non-permanent way.

The project is part of Bolognas area plans(law 328 of 2000), which are thematic andtechnically coordinated initiatives that enablethose who are involved to take into accountthe needs related to aspects of teenagers' life,to enhance cooperation between differentinstitutions (families, schools, health boards,magistracy etc.) and with NGOs, and to carryout actions and good practices. The projectinvolved various stakeholders: a person-oriented board for services to minors andfamilies, the educational services, the libraryservices, the local health unit and schools. Thetotal budget of the action is80,000.The most successful outcomes of the actions

are:

Cooperation of different professionalfigures (educators, librarians);

Starting up relationships with teenagers introuble;

Cultural and educational opportunities forteenagers, with a high integration value;

Exchanges between teenagers of differentethnic origin; and

Integration of different sectors andinstitutions of municipality and town.

Other achievements of the project include:decreased sense of insecurity for those whofrequent the Sala Borsa Ragazzi library; a moreserene atmosphere and improved use of thelibrary; reduced school desertion; and creationof a place encouraging inclusive actions amongteenagers with different cultural backgrounds.

Difficulties encountered were:

Approaching teenagers who use the libraryin an improper way or only as a shelter, tomeet friends or to disturb others;

Building up trustful relationships betweenteenagers and the educators responsiblefor the project;

Working on unstable relationships based onfree and non-continuous access.

Advice to cities willing to develop similaractions include:

Use a participative planning method -involve potential users from the outset;

Analyse the territory and know the needsof its young people;

Plan cultural interventions integrated withsocial and educational needs;

Build inviting places to convey the beautyof culture; and

Avail oneself of people with differentprofessional skills (librarians, educators,architects, psychologists, sociologists)

Contact

Sala Borsa Library

Tiziana [email protected]: +39 051 2194429

Simona [email protected]: +39 051/2194429

Anna Lisa [email protected]: +39 051 2194436


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DUBLIN

Launch of Dublins WinterFestival

Dublin is the capital city of the Republic ofIreland. Over 1.5 million people live in thegreater Dublin area; this is more than onequarter of the population of the country.

Launch of Dublins Winter Festival

For many years Dublin City Council has workedvery closely with the Dublin City BusinessAssociation (all of the big stores, transportcompanies, shopping centres and culturalinstitutions) to launch the programme ofevents for Christmas in Dublin. The eventsrange from pantomimes to Handels Messiah tothe Lord Mayors Christmas Carol Service.

The festival begins in November and continuesuntil 6 January. There are three major eventsto start the festival, one in Henry Street (northcity), one in Grafton Street (south city) andthe biggest event on OConnell Street. Thehighlight of these is the switching on of theChristmas lights on OConnell Street and theunveiling of the Christmas tree by the LordMayor. Many thousands of people come to thisfree event, which features music, Christmascarols, as well as a parade of light by membersof the different communities (African, Filipino,Chinese, European) in the city.

Two very important days during the winterfestival are the last Monday in November whichis Senior Citizens Christmas Day and FamilyDay on 8 December. Both of these days havemany free events to encourage people to cometo the city.

During the festival, the Council engages streetperformers to perform on the main shoppingstreets.

The retailers have special events to launch the

festival as well as having Santa Claus for thechildren.

The city is decorated with Christmas lights and

banners, the banners wishing people a happyChristmas in many languages.

Target audience/budget:

The target audience are the people of Dublin,as well as visitors to the city from other partsof Ireland. The budget is divided between thecity and the business community.

Contact

Michael SandsCommunications ManagerDublin City [email protected]


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DUBLIN

Dublin: One City One Book

Dublin: One City, One Book commenced in2006 and has been run every April since byDublin Public Libraries. The aim of the projectis to encourage people to read the same bookduring the month and engage with some of thesupporting events. The chosen book or itsauthor is connected to Dublin in some way.

The project is supported by a wide variety offree events over the month, with items onnational broadcast media (radio and TV), on-line and print media coverage as well as streetbanners all over the city centre.

One key element to this project is that themajority of the events are free. In addition,the book can be borrowed from libraries forfree.

Since 2006 the project has gone from strengthto strength. The number of partners to thisproject has increased and now includes TrinityCollege Dublin, The Irish Times (a nationalnewspaper), The National Library, MarshsLibrary (Irelands first public library, foundedin 1701), St. Annes Church, Bewleys CoffeeHouse, Dublin Tourism, the Irish Film Instituteand of course each of the branch libraries.

Target audience

Dublin: One City, One Book 2010 had in excess

of 10,000 people attend the events; this was inaddition to over 120 readers groups discussingthe book. Many people followed theprogramme online on www.dublinonecityonebook.ie or on Facebook and Twitter.

In addition to Dublins citizens, the event hasattracted people from the USA, the UnitedKingdom and mainland Europe to come toDublin for specific events. The city has beenvery lucky in that the great grandson of BramStoker and the grandson of Oscar Wilde

attended the opening of the programme in2009 and 2010.

Budget and evaluation:

The budget for this project is in the region of100,000, most of which is in kind rather thancash up front. The actual cost to Dublin CityCouncil was 15,000. The project is evaluatedeach year and each year it has been judged asuccess.

Is this project transferable?

Any city with a network of libraries canreproduce this project. Dublin is available toassist with advice if that is required.

The full programme for 2010 is available onthe website www.dublinonecityonebook.ie

Contact:

Michael SandsCommunications ManagerDublin City [email protected]


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EDINBURGH

Access to Sport and CulturePledges

Background

The City of Edinburgh Council (population477,660) led an unparalleled consultationexercise in 2008, engaging directly with over19,000 residents, organisations, partnerships,clubs and groups, to explore ways to increaseaccess to and participation in culture andsport. This study was funded through a ScottishGovernment initiative with assistance fromother partners, to evaluate the barriers whichcontinued to prevent Edinburghs citizens andvisitors, especially minority communities, fromengaging with the arts and physical activitiesin the city.

Description of the action

This consultation naturally resulted in a hugeamount of data being collated, from individualaccounts of difficulties with transport andticket prices, to larger strategic issues such asorganisations gaining access to schools and thelack of one-stop-shop online listings andticketing facilities for upcoming events andoutreach programmes. All of this informationwas distilled into a simple pledge process,which had overwhelming support from thosethat participated in the study essentiallyasking organisations to sign up to improvingtheir work in 7 key areas: developing andpromoting joint working; improving access tofacilities; improving the quality anddissemination of information; promotingparticipation; increasing affordability; creatingsustainable provision; and responding to usersviews and needs.

This simple idea has worked on all levels every week new organisations sign up to

working together in this way, including publiclyfunded organisations, large scale commercialoperations, funding bodies, umbrella

organisations supporting voluntary groups,

individuals and small community groups.

Outcomes from this process have also beensubstantial. The work has informed theEdinburgh Pilot Portal Project (see next page)and is reported in the citys highest levelplanning strategy, the Single OutcomeAgreement. Through hosting annual events tobring all these participants together new andlasting partnerships have been set up, whichhave resulted in surprising new initiatives suchas a local Muslim womens association starting

a jogging group affiliated with a nationalnetwork; new local training facilities for theUK disabled football squad; central universitiespromoting opportunities for young people inoutlying neighbourhoods and some largertheatres creating new programmes to engagemore effectively with local charities.

This programme continues to grow and excitecitizens and participants, demonstrating thewill in the city for all organisations to work

together to increase audiences andparticipants from all communities. The nextstep is to examine how best to engage thecommercial sector and sponsors with localpublicly funded organisations, to ascertaincommon goals and improve resourceopportunities.

Contact

Lynne HalfpennyHead of Culture and [email protected]/internet/leisure/CEC_access_to_culture_and_sport__asc__edinburgh


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EDINBURGH

Edinburgh Pilot Portal Project -clicket.co.uk

Background

Following five years of in-depth scoping, citywide consultation and research, the City ofEdinburgh Council has co-ordinated thedelivery and funding of a new online one-stop-shop ticketing and listings resource forEdinburgh.


This Edinburgh Portal Pilot Project (EPPP) is acollaborative project funded by the Counciland our national funding agency, the ScottishArts Council, managed by Edinburghs audiencedevelopment agency, The Audience Business.The project centres on improving access and

encouraging attendance, increasingengagement with new digital technologies anddeveloping best practice professional skillsacross 35 participating arts and culturalorganisations in the city and beyond.

At the very heart of the project is the flagshipwebsite Clicket.co.uk - an events and ticketingwebsite enabling users to purchase tickets formultiple events across multiple venues in onetransaction, using cutting edge newtechnologies, with no additional hidden fees.This technology has also been rolled out to thejoint Edinburgh Festivals sitewww.edinburghfestivals.co.uk. Althoughsimple in concept, this proposal has never yetbeen successfully carried out in any other cityon this scale with this level of participation.

The site has been developed to facilitate easeof use for all ages, so in addition to theintegrated ticketing, the site boasts amultitude of handy tools to help audiences find

their perfect event. It also has itinerarybuilders, which map out schedules andhighlight any clashes (and suggest events to fill

any gaps) as well as specific channels for

childrens events and the traditional arts. Thecity is committed to maximising the portalsimpact:

on existing attendees encouraging more visitsmore often to more art forms;

on potential attendees using language andtone which commands their attention andinvites their curiosity and interest;

on non-attendees working with partners toprovide a web-based information hub for firsttime visitors with sales promotions, venuefacilities and behind the scenes information,audience feedback from peers, special events,family friendly details, and more.

This project continues to grow and engage newpartners. Artlink, an organisation that supportsdisability arts, is working to develop additionalresources within this website to enablecustomers with disabilities to create bespoke

schedules and build relationships with venuesto tailor their services to improve theexperience.

Clicket is truly a landmark resource, and thefirst of its kind. Edinburgh prides itself on itscultural offerings, and once live, clicket.co.ukis set to become a central part of thatoffering.

Contact

Lynne HalfpennyHead of Culture and [email protected]


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GATESHEAD

The Tyneside Womens HealthReaders' Group

Background

Gateshead Council (population 191,000) has ahistory of very successful readers' groups,including a visually impaired readers' group.These groups have provided many people,including vulnerable people, who do not oftenengage socially with others, with theopportunity to share their love of reading in anon-threatening atmosphere with beneficialoutcomes for their health and well being. Thesuccess of these groups led to the setting up ofTyneside Womens Health Readers Group.


The overall purpose was to get women with

mental health problems to participate incultural activities, by making culture moreaccessible to them, through addressing theirspecific needs.

The women in question suffered from a severelack of confidence and did not participate inculture at all. The short and medium termaims were to encourage the women to read asa way of building their confidence and thenextend their participation in other culturalactivities. Library staff and staff from theTyneside Womens Health Project set up thegroup, which has around 12 members, all ofwhom suffer from different types of mentalillnesses.

At first, none of the women would read; theyfound it too challenging. But they kept comingback each month to talk about reading, and tolisten to readings from books. Gradually theydid start to read, gaining confidence eachmonth until they have now reached the stage

where they have relearned their social skillsand are happy to interact with others to talkabout what they read. The clear benefits of

the initiative are: increased confidence in

visiting the library and other cultural venues,as well as increased attention span, evidencedby the fact that they now are able to finishreading full length novels.

Wider cultural activities, which the women arenow confident in attending, include: walks inthe local park; sharing poetry and visits to keycultural centres. The library service facilitatesthe group and the project workers reach out tonew members. Members come from across thewider Tyneside area. Ages vary from 20 to 70+

and the women meet at the library, in localcoffee shops and in other local culturalvenues.

There is no dedicated budget. All the booksare provided from existing library stock. It hastaken time to establish a real rapport withmembers, and for staff to learn how to dealwith occasional uncomfortable mental healthrelated situations. It was vital not to give upin the early stages and to approach mental

health care professionals for training on how todeal with some of the situations, which mayarise when people are clinically depressed oranxious, for instance. The sensitive nature ofthe group means that it is not possible toundertake a formal evaluation, but rather torely on anecdotal evidence that the women'shealth and well-being has benefited fromparticipating.

Contact

Mary FlemingCultural Services Development [email protected]


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GENOA

From School to City Citizenship backpack

Im living in Genoa my ownCity

Background

The municipality of Genoa promotes activitiesencouraging participation in culturalopportunities by all citizens - includingschoolchildren, elderly and disabled people,youngsters, new citizens and tourists - throughmethods, instruments and approaches designedto improve information and promote awelcoming environment, and also throughurban mobility, entrance fees adjustment, andthe requalification of various degraded areasidentified as being of cultural interest.

In recent years the number of foreign studentsattending Genoese secondary schools hasincreased, and for this reason, specificprogrammes have been established to supportthe integration of both the students and theirfamilies. This initiative features in theframework of the political guidelines of themunicipality of Genoa, concerning access toculture. The main bodies involved in theproject are the municipality of GenoasCulture and Innovation Department, theFondazione per la Scuola della Compagnia diSan Paolo- Genova, and the Palazzo Ducale Fondazione per la Cultura.

This intercultural educational project wasdeveloped specifically through collaborationbetween the Genoese Museums and PalazzoDucale Fondazione per la Cultura. It wasaimed at Genoese secondary schools with ahigh number of immigrants, the intentionbeing to promote better integration betweenItalian and foreign students, and to introducenew instruments and methods to improve the

quality of teaching and learning in our city.

With a budget of 50,000, the project, named

Mi trovo a Genova La mia Citt (Im living in

Genoa my own City), started in January 2009.Aimed at secondary school teachers andstudents, it was designed to offer activitiesand events for Italian and foreign students toencourage integration, through widening theirknowledge of the cultural and artistic heritageof the city.

Through courses conceived ad hoc by the civicmuseums, the students and teachers fromtechnical and vocational schools met andlearnt from each other through informal

exchanges of experiences. All participantswere given a kit of benefits, including booksabout the City of Genoa, a musical CD and acard for free admission to the museums.

Over 20% of the 789 students participating inthe project were from foreign countries. Fortyclasses from eight schools were involved. Theactivities took place in six civic museums. Thenew courses established by the museums willcontinue in the form of a didactic proposaladdressed to schools.

Mi trovo a Genova La mia Citt ended inNovember 2009, culminating in a special eventto share the results of the project with allconcerned, and which also involved thestudents families.

Although there is no dedicated website for theproject, there is a link in YouTube featuringthe final event (24/11/2009):

http://www.youtube.com/user/GenoaMunicipality#p/a/u/1/5qCIA5-L60U

Contact

Municipality of GenoaOffice for access, intercultural strategies andcreativityGianna SerraT: [email protected]


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GENOA

CULTURA3 - culturalopportunities for the thirdage

A statistical survey of the municipality ofGenoa (2004) highlighted that approximately60% of Genoese citizens do not usually engagein the civic cultural offer, and that it is more

difficult for vulnerable and elderly people toaccess cultural opportunities.

Cultura3 is a response to the strategicobjective of the municipality: To promote theinclusion and participation of the citizens andof the territory, in the cultural civic life.

During 2006 the Culture and InnovationDepartment established a course forparticipative planning together with culturalinstitutions (museums, libraries, theatres) and

also with associations for elderly people(Auser, Anteas, Ada, Unitre), in order to definea shared working plan, agree pilot actions,facilities and instruments and in doing soimprove access to culture.

Around 157,000 people over the age of 65 livewithin the Genoese municipal territory(Statistics Office). Approximately 80,000elderly people are members of culturalinstitutions, and another 30,000 are members

of the associations involved in the CULTURA3project.

The shared working plan for CULTURA3involved the following stages:

Agreement was reached between themunicipality of Genoa, the cultural institutionsand the associations for the elderly people;

A working group was established, consisting ofrepresentatives from the municipality, thecultural institutions and the associations.

The Cultura3 Project was implemented to

oversee the application of a joint package ofcultural initiatives, designed to meet thetastes and needs expressed by theassociations, including widespread informationin the town centre and suburbs, the lowestadmittance fees and a joint and free transportservice. Agreement was reached with theassociation on the particular approach to betaken.

Agreement was also reached between themunicipality and the Province of Genoa

regarding the involvement of neighbouringmunicipalities.

The budget for the project was 10,000 fromthe municipality and 8,500 from sponsors.Altogether around 4,500 people from the citycentre and five of the nine districtsparticipated in the project between October2009 and May 2010.

Contact

Municipality of GenoaOffice for access, intercultural strategies andcreativityPaola BarisioneT: +39 0105573973paolabarisione@comune.genovawww.culturaecittadini.comune.genova.it


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HELSINKI

Cinematic experiences for all

Cinema remains one of the dominant forms ofpopular culture. However, opportunities toexperience other than current mainstreamfilms in cinemas can be limited. This is thesituation in Helsinki where in the past 10 yearsseveral smaller and art house film theatreshave closed down, narrowing the repertoire of

films shown in the city. One of the ways theCity of Helsinki Cultural Office promotesaccessibility is by working to enrich the citysfilm culture and providing citizensopportunities to see and experience variedforms of cinema.

Apart from supporting film festivals and eventsby granting funds, the Cultural Office showsfilms in its own venues and has acomprehensive program of film education.

Children and young people are a specialpriority. Work is done on a long-term basis:different age groups from toddlers to highschoolers have their own film series. Throughthese series they gain access to films whichthey most likely wouldnt otherwise see:smaller films from the Nordic countries andbeyond, older classics, short films. All theshows are free and held in easy to reachvenues. Thus the series provides equalopportunities for children and young peoplefrom different social and economic

backgrounds to see films on a big screen,together with others as a shared experience.An important goal is to increase theirknowledge and skills about the world ofcinema. This is done with workshops, lecturesand complementary articles. Schools arenaturally important partners and there is alsofrequent co-operation with the NationalAudiovisual Archive, film festivals andorganisations promoting media literacy.

The series Naperokino (Kids Cinema) andElokuvaklassikot sarja lukiolaisille (ClassicFilms a series for high schoolers) are other

examples of the Cultural Offices film

education program.

Naperokino, held once a week in centralHelsinki at Annantalo arts centre for childrenand young people, is a very popular series for0-3 year olds and their parents or nannies. Theprogram features Finnish and foreign childrensshort films. The atmosphere is relaxed andsafe, one can come and see a few films or staylonger. The goals of the series are, firstly, toshow quality films to children and, secondly,to provide an opportunity to prepare them for

watching longer films in a theatre.

At the other end of the Cultural Offices filmeducation arch is Elokuvaklassikot sarjalukiolaisille. This series, organised togetherwith the National Audiovisual Archive and HIFF Helsinki International Film Festival - offershigh school youths opportunities to see classicfilms from different countries. The program isbuilt on themes stemming from todays youngpeoples own lives and current societal issues.

The theme for autumn 2010 is stardom whilespring season 2011 will feature films aboutmedia and power. There are five films in eachseason, shown weekly in March and October atone of the oldest cinemas in downtownHelsinki, Bio Rex. The goal of the series is todeepen young peoples understanding of filmby introducing them to film history, works andfilmmakers that continue to influence popularculture. The series also aims to encouragethem to seek out and experience films outsidethe mainstream. Each season of films is

accompanied by a lecture as well as a bookfeaturing specialist articles on the films.Teachers are welcomed to incorporate thefilms in to their curriculum.

Contact

Anna MttlProject CoordinatorCity of Helsinki Cultural [email protected]

T: +358 40-1923828


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KRAKOW

KRAKOW NIGHTS

According to statistics, the most popular formsof cultural participation are watching TV(99.2%) or DVDs (57.5%) and reading books(37.2%). For years the city of Krakow has triedto activate the community with a year-roundcatalogue of artistic and cultural events to

attract crowds of Krakow inhabitants andtourists from all over the world.

The Krakow Nights project is a specialinitiative aimed at increasing activeparticipation in culture.

Apart from the Museum Night (May), generallyknown and hugely popular in Europe, Krakowhas initiated three other events:Theatre Night(June), Jazz Night (July), and Cracovia SacraNight (August). Together, they add new qualitybrands to the Krakow Nights series.

Night-time concerts and sightseeing primarilyoffer the exploration of venues that are notavailable every day: to the recesses ofKrakows theatre stages and museums andsacred buildings, such as the libraries andtreasuries in monasteries and churches. Theseries enables free participation in the citystheatrical life; performances and shows arefrequently prepared for this very night both intraditional spaces and in the open air. It alsoincludes magical jazz concerts in public spaces

and clubs located in historical cellars.The nights are organised during tourist season,which promotes Krakow and its creativepotential.

In 2009 the Krakow Nights series were grantedco-financing from the European Funds underthe Maopolska Regional OperationalProgramme for the years 2007-2013. Theproject was evaluated as a strong brandproduct promoting the Maopolska Region, andreceived the requested co-financing of 50% of

total task costs, that is PLN 981,200.

One element which is vital to greater public

participation in these events is the five-hour

online transmission every night, atwww.krakowskienoce.pl. In addition, coverageof each night is prepared in DVD form in fourlanguages: Polish, English, German andRussian.

The project was distinguished in the Greatexploration of Maopolska booklet of GazetaKrakowska and the Polish Tourist Organisation.Furthermore, as a result of Polish marketresearch conducted in 2009 by the Institute ofIndustrial Design, the Museum Night qualified

for the Dobry Wzr (Good Design) 2010Competition for the best designed productsand services on the Polish market.

Museum Night

Modelled on the Lange Nacht der Museen inBerlin, the event was first organised in Krakowin 2004. The idea behind it is to make museumpremises available one night during the monthof May. The organisers prepare specialattractions for this night, such as visits to

usually unavailable areas, concerts,workshops, knights tournaments, etc. Thenumber of institutions and visitorsparticipating in subsequent editions has grownover the years (12 institutions in 2004, and 27cultural institutions in 2009). In 2004, approx.60,000 people participated in Museum Night,while in 2009 the figures exceeded 136,000visitors.

So far, the entrance ticket to all museums has

been a specialty minted commemorative coinfor the symbolic price of PLN 1 that grantsunlimited access to all museums participatingin the project. In 2009 admission to museumswas free (entrance cards for sightseeing weredistributed at the entrance to museums), andvisitors could buy the coin as a souvenir forPLN 1 in the museums.

Theatre night

This venture has been organised since 2007.

The programme envisages presentation of themost interesting theatrical performances ofthe season, dance theatres and street


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performances, as well as theatrical workshops.

It also includes meetings with actors,multimedia presentations about the historyand operation of institutions. It brings togethertheatrical circles, public institutions, non-governmental organisations and entrepreneurswho produce theatrical performances.

The performances are held on all the stages ofinstitutional and non-institutional theatres(stages, halls, cellars, gardens) and in the openair. Most open-air projects are non-verbal ormusical shows for the benefit of foreign

tourists. In 2009 the third edition of TheatreNight involved 11 institutional theatres and 25non-institutional theatrical groups. Altogether70 performances, viewed by approx. 200,000people (that is approx. 5,000 people more thanin 2008), took place. In 2010 (on the night ofthe 18 June) the project will include 41theatres and theatrical groups.

Jazz night

Inaugurated on the 750th

anniversary of theCity of Krakow, in 2007, this unique nightgathers the most distinguished representativesof young jazz and traditional jazz. For the 3rdedition of the Jazz Night in 2009, about 70artists from Poland, Germany, Austria, USA,Brazil, Sweden, Cyprus and England gaveperformances, attracting an audience of nearly10,000 people. The 4th edition of the JazzNight in 2010 will be dominated by the musicof Chopin.

Cracovia Sacra Night

The 1st edition of the Sacrum Night took placein 2008 on Assumption Day (15 August). On thisnight the most beautiful churches andmonasteries in Krakow and its vicinityadmitted visitors to see their monuments,learn about monastic life and admire monastictreasuries that are normally off-limits to thepublic. The programme also routinely includesexhibitions and numerous sacral music

concerts. The concerts attracted about 16,030people, while about 34,960 people visited theexhibitions.

The 3rd edition of the Cracovia Sacra Night

project - aimed at showcasing the citysreligious phenomena - will take place on the14-15 August 2010. This years project is topresent distinguished figures of Krakows saintsand those blessed or honoured by special cults,and whose earthly remains rest in Krakowchurches, forming the saints trail. Apartfrom numerous concerts and verbal and musicshows performed by distinguished Krakowianand foreign artists, the programme involvesvisits to the most beautiful churches in Krakowand its vicinity.

Contact

Joanna Szulborska-ukaszewiczCultural OfficerDepartment of Culture and National [email protected]


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LEIPZIG

Close Encounters - a day inLeipzig for the able anddisabled

Close Encounters is an event aimed at peoplewith and without disabilities and has becomean important tradition in Leipzig.

Leipzig Society for the Disabled(Behindertenverband Leipzig e.V.) organisedthe event for the first time in 1992. LeipzigCity Council has been in charge since 1995,with the society playing a major role inorganising the cultural aspects of theprogramme.

The event is an opportunity for the society topresent their projects in public and to offeradvice and support to those affected bydisability, as well as to their families. The

event also gives other cultural institutionsfrom around the city the chance to introducethemselves and present their own projects andcourses. The guest list includes people andorganisations whose work focuses on disability.

The office for youth, social welfare, healthand education has the task of setting up theevent, under the direction of the socialservices department. There is also anorganisation team, which includes members

from a range of institutions: the culturalaffairs office, the social services department,the press, media and public relationsdepartment, Leipzig Society for the Disabled,as well as the head of one of Leipzigs specialschools.

An agency is contracted to carry outadministration and technical work, and isresponsible for tasks such as setting uppresentation stands for the various associationsand societies, constructing the stage,

cooperating with catering companies,obtaining any permits required etc. Theagency also sets up meetings for participants,

where they can discuss and organise the work

they need to do.

Different working groups are set up to dealwith planning the actual programme, workingout the exact content and planning overallcoordination for the day

Society/Association/Institution WorkingGroup;

Public Relations Working Group; and Cultural Affairs Working Group.

Close Encounters is financed by the City ofLeipzig and the Federal State of Saxony. Theannually budget is about 20,500.

The Society for the Disabled receives fundsfrom the cultural affairs office to cover thecosts of professionals and expenses incurred byother groups taking part. Unfortunately, it isnot usually possible to find sponsors for thiskind of event.

Close Encounters always has a slogan, forexample, Disability and Family, CooperationStarts with Children, Sport Breaks DownBarriers, Culture Courage and Joy of Life,or Overcome All Hurdles.

The number of people and organisationswishing to take part in this special day hasalways been great and this is still true now.Participants take advantage of the opportunityto exchange experience and ideas freely.

Presentations and events also addressmembers of the public who are not necessarilythat well-informed on the issue of disability.The idea behind this is to make people lessafraid of contact with the disabled, teachthem more about the issue of disability andpromote communication and dialogue.

Societies and associations taking part get theopportunity to present their work and culturalefforts to a larger audience on stage. There is

music, dancing, singing and theatre. And thereis certainly no lack of participants for many,this is the only opportunity they get to show


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the public just what they can do. The focus is

not on professionalism, but rather oncelebrating the joy and success of eachindividual. The show is hosted by well-knownpresenters who take the opportunity topresent various organisations and their work.

The motto for the 13th Close Encountersevent in 2005 was Discover the City Hall WithAll Your Senses and the venue was LeipzigsNew City Hall. The aim of the City Hall Rallywas to get children and teenagers interested inthe work city authorities actually do. The rally

was a treasure hunt and the answers werehidden in different parts of the building. Therewere small prizes for successful treasurehunters and the generally curious.

The Lord Mayor and Mayor were also there toanswer questions from the public. Theencounter was rounded off by a range ofworkshops in various City Hall offices,discussions with city council employees,including city planners, on topics such as

disabled friendly construction, and a smallexhibition by disabled artists.

The venue for the 14th Close Encountersevent in 2007 was a place of particularimportance. The slogan was, The MuseumExperience and the venue was the GrassiMuseum, which had been recently refurbished.The museum actually houses three separatemuseums: the Museum of Applied Arts, theMuseum of Ethnography and the Museum ofMusical Instruments. Enthusiastic museum

employees showed numerous visitors aroundthe building and gave them an insight into theinstitutions extensive collections.

About 550 people were actively involved in theprogramme and the Market of Opportunities.390 schoolchildren helped out with a range ofinteractive activities. The number of visitorswas not recorded. The decision to hold CloseEncounters at such a significant venue metwith considerable approval. The advantage for

a cultural institution in hosting an event likethis is that many people who wouldnt reallythink about going to such a place actually do

make it there. Unfortunately, many disabled

people dont regard a visit to culturalinstitutions in the city as something they cando just like that.

The last Close Encounters took place in Zoo-Park in September 2009. It was a great successwith about 3.000 participants, among themprivate people, 40 schools and 70 associations.

Contact

City of LeipzigSocial ServicesDivision for Social [email protected]


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MALMO

Access, Diversity and InclusionPlan

In the spring of 2007, the Culture Committeeadopted anAccess, Diversity and Inclusion Planfor Malmos cultural activities. Starting fromthe primary objective of encouraging morepeople of various backgrounds to experienceand practise cultural activities, the plan statesthat in its activities, the Department ofCulture shall take advantage of the diversitythat exists in the city. The starting point wascreating opportunities for more people,regardless of their social, cultural andeconomic situations or physical or otherdisabilities, to participate in cultural life. Theaim is to reach larger groups and to reachgroups other than those who are currentlyparticipating in the cultural scene in Malmo.

The plan, which ran from 2007 to 2009, statedthat the Department of Culture focuses on twomain areas: audience development and skillsdevelopment/capacity building. A firstprerequisite for the work is that diversity willbe regarded as a strength to be recognised andencouraged, and not as a threat to entrenchedpower structures, so that we can make contactwith users through an intercultural dialogueand on equal terms. For this to become areality, it is important that the Department ofCulture strives for diversity in all aspects of its

activities.

In 2006, Year of Cultural Diversity in Sweden,the Department of Culture implemented astudy on how the public cultural institutionsand the independent cultural bodies work withdiversity, in order to identify areas forimprovement. The work resulted in a reportentitled Diversity in Malmos cultural life.Among other things, the report reveals thatthe majority of cultural users (audience) in

Malm are Swedish-born, highly educatedindividuals with Swedish-born parents and thatmost of them reside in the city centre or in

areas of single-family homes. The study had

four parts:

A survey of the public culturalinstitutions and the independentcultural bodies to see who their userswere;

Interviews with managers and otherstaff about their opinions on workingwith diversity from perspectives likeethnicity, gender, class and age. Thegreatest weight was given to ethnicity;

A qualitative study of a test groupsexperiences of and questions aboutcultural visits (kinds of culturalprogrammes offered, language andaccessibility); and

Training and skills enhancement.From 2007 to 2009 the Department of Culturedeveloped, implemented and testedoperational methods to increase theopportunities for more people to participate incultural activities both as users and

practitioners. The work was implemented intwo focus areas: audience development andcapacity building to increase knowledge andthereby change attitudes, approaches, andbehaviour patterns. Within these two areasthere were a number of action points:

1. In-depth action plan activities weredeveloped between 2007 to 2009 both at thedepartmental level and at each institution.

2. Self-assessment and policy documents foraccess, diversity and inclusion the developersstudied lessons learned from similar projects incountries such as the UK and the USA aboutexclusive and inclusive processes and workmethods.


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3. Action plan for Access, Diversity and

Inclusion at the institutions it is importantthat in all areas of activities, the user andtheir needs are placed at the centre ofattention. In order to do this in the bestpossible way an action plan for eachinstitution, designed to suit each activitysspecific conditions and linked to theDepartments objectives was developed, sothat they form an integrated part of theprevailing operational plan. The work includeddiscussions about the definition of commonconcepts.

4. Strategic plan for diversity communication -communication and marketing are importantdevelopment areas from an accessibilityperspective. Surveys of audience habits are amethod within the field of diversitycommunication.

5. Skills development and capacity building -the objectives were that both managers andother staff would be given the opportunity for

skills development in order to establish theconditions necessary for working with issuessuch as accessibility, equality and representa-tion. This was done through seminars andtraining days for managers and staff.

6. Involve target groups in the Departmentsactivities - the key to working with access,diversity and inclusion is a user-orientedperspective: to methodically get to know theorganisation and activities through the usersand to adapt the activities to their needs so

that what is offer is relevant and attractive tothem. There are many sources of goodexamples for encouraging involvement: theCity Librarys youth guides and PrejudiceLibrary, Malmo Museers activities withCommunity guides, etc.

7. Strategic alliances, networking andinternational perspectives - the Departmenthas many contacts with the world at large.This opens the door for a development that

will increasingly involve external partners anda dialogue with the community.

8. Evaluation - an evaluation of the work

process and objectives fulfilment is beingcarried out in 2010.

Resource requirements and budget

For the years 2008 to 2010, most of the costsfor achieving the objectives of the action plancame from the institutions operating budgets.However, special funds were allocated to thework for access, diversity and inclusion inMalmos cultural life, for skills training,audience surveys, method development, etc.There was also one part-time coordinatingfunction position for the three years. Some ofthis budget can come from stimulus funding,for which the institutions can apply to supportthe testing of new and untraditional methods.

Contact:

Eva KlammusCulture DepartmentCity of Malmo

[email protected] + 46 40 34 48 56


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MALMO

Strategic commissioning of aseries of pilot projects

Malmo City Councils Culture Department hasbeen working strategically to widenparticipation in arts and culture since 2007.This has involved a change in perspective ofaudiences, from passive receptors to activeparticipants. Malmos arts and culturalorganisations are working hard towardsbecoming insight guided decision makers which means making decisions about howcultural offer is packaged, interpreted andmarketed, based on real insights about theaudiences rather than assumptions orpreconceptions.

One of the most effective strategies toimplement this new approach to development,is strategic commissioning. Strategic

commissioning involves the commissioning of aseries of pilot projects based around a set ofstrategic objectives. The purpose of pilotprojects is to understand, primarily, theprocess of working in a new way, rather thanthe product of working in a new way. InMalmo, it has been important to understandmore about how to engage and reach newaudiences. It then follows that the strategiccommissioning programme has sought toencourage project managers from the arts andcultural institutions to apply for grants to fund

pilot projects that actively seek to involveunderrepresented, or audience groups with noprior experience of the citys cultural offer,through the development of educationalprogrammes, events and marketing strategiesthat are aimed at them.

To this end, over 20 new models ofengagement have been trialled over two years.Each project has had a comprehensiveevaluation plan attached to it that has sought

to capture outcomes for everyone involved (foraudiences, project managers as well as theorganisations themselves), strengths and

weaknesses of the models, as well as barriers

and facilitators to engagement found amongstthese different audience groups.

Amongst the 20 or so projects, we find a rangeof good practice models, such as:

Engaging young people with specialeducational needs with objecthandling, sensory learning and drama atMalmo Museums;

Conducting a qualitative baselineresearch project with audiences atSommarscen Malmo (free open-airperforming arts offer delivered duringthe summer months) to find out moreabout who they are, their motivationsfor visiting, their visit plans, what theygot out of visiting, previous experiencesof visiting arts and cultural events,incentives for future visits and howthey prefer to find out about futureevents; and

Inviting a group of 5-year olds to workwith arts education officers and afreelance architect to develop a hand-and-minds-on play and exploration areaat Malmos Children and Young PeoplesCentre for Culture.

Children of many different cultural andlinguistic backgrounds work with their locallibrary and a consultancy for interactivedesign, to develop a playful tool for engagingwith the librarys collections.

Contact:

Eva KlammusCulture DepartmentCity of [email protected] + 46 40 34 48 56


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NANTES METROPLOLE

Collective artistic creation

Nantes is the main city of Nantes Metropole,with 750,000 inhabitants. Culture is thereconsidered as the way to raise societyswealth, in the social and economic fields aswell. Culture is clearly a means to promoteinclusion and community cohesion, and valuesof tolerance, democracy and solidarity.

A new programme: sharing art

In 2009 the Culture department decided toenhance cultural proximity by implementing anew programme called lart en partage(sharing art) and, more specifically, a newdevice called creation partage (collectiveartistic creation). Organisers believe that thebest way to stimulate the interest of peoplewho have no cultural practice or background is

to involve them in a real artistic project withartists: they become actors of an artisticcreation, instead of being a spectator.

Inhabitants of a defined area are invited toparticipate to a common artistic project ortake part in a creation process by working withartists and performers. The artists aresubsidised by the Culture Department for one,two or three years according to the length oftheir stay in residence. The artists create awork of art during their stay and they have to

get inhabitants of different origins and agesinvolved in the process of creation. The artisticand involvement process is the most importantelement of the action, even if thecollaboration results in a quality, signed pieceof artwork. The process is long: meeting withinhabitants, explaining the project, gettingpeople involved, creating collectively

Collaboration of several partners

This action is directed by the City CultureDepartment. A dedicated project manageroversees the cultural and educative actions.These collective creation projects are inspiredor commissioned by companies and artists tothe city. They can choose the areas of Nantes(necessarily deprived areas) where thecreation will take place. The target groups areyoung people or adults, underprivileged orisolated people.

All projects are discussed by all departmentsof the city invested in this action: Territories(suburbs), Education, Youth, Social Affairs...Members of the Cultural Council validate theprojects selected.

About ten projects are subsidised each year.The budget of this action is 190,000 annually.

This action is part of a new programme (2009),and will be assessed in 2011.

Some difficulties have been so farexperienced:

Length of stay of the artists: Artistsstay in residence from 1 to 3 years. Theartists need to spend time in the areato meet people, associations andcultural actors before starting the artwork. But its part of the process.

Field of competence: sometimes someproject professionals (social orsociocultural actors, artists) deviatefrom their role and want to investigatea different position from their usualone, in which they are not a specialist.


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Two examples of collective creation started in

2009 and 2010:

Breil Comedy Project 2010

The contemporary Dance company Ecartproposed that the area inhabitants create ashow: projection of a musical film on the frontof a building in a deprived area. At the sametime, professional dancers and inhabitants ofthe area danced in front of the screen.

The biggest fashion show of Petite Couture2009 2010

The street theatre company Cirkatomik invitedthe inhabitants of the Nantes North district tocreate funny and spectacular clothes withwaste, recycling materials and everydayobjects. Then they organised a fashion show todisplay their artwork. Cirkatomik helpedpeople involved to collect the right materials,to get ideas of costumes and to create them(eg: the forkdress).

Contact

www.nantes.fr/l-art-en-partage

Dominique [email protected]

Vronique [email protected]


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RIGA

Library Goes to Reader

Riga Central Library (RCL) is the biggestmunicipal public library in Latvia. It is animportant centre of culture, information andeducation in the context of other culturalinstitutions of Riga. RCL was founded by RigaCity Council and is working under thesupervision of Culture Department of Riga City

Council.

RCL serves various reader groups. In 2009 ithad 67,433 registered users. However, as alibrary, RCL carries out its services by reachingout to readers and serving them in Lendingpoints.

Inhabitants of Riga can avail of library servicesat RCL, at its 30 branch libraries and also atthree Lending Points - at the childrenshospital, the Day Centre for homeless and poorinhabitants of Riga and at Brasa prison. One ofthe main tasks is to provide high quality andquick services for users without age, sex andsocial restrictions. Special attention is given tochildren, youth and people with special needsand other unprotected social groups.

The first Lending Point of RCL is in thechildrens hospital. Since 2006 the lendingpoint has been catering to the needs ofchildren and their parents. Users can avail ofnewspapers and magazines, books, musiclistening facilities both in the ward and library,

computer services and Internet access.Interesting activities have also been arrangedsuch as meetings with popular musicians,actors, singers and cooks, drawingcompetitions, exhibitions, ingenuitycompetitions and even a dog exhibition.

The RCL Lending Point at the Day Centre forHomeless and Poor Inhabitants of Riga wasopened in May 2009. These are people whohave lost their jobs and homes due to variousreasons, as well as people from the

countryside who have come to Riga to look fora job.

The Lending Point is open from Mondays to

Saturdays.The library also comes to people who cannotgo to the library themselves. A RCL LendingPoint was opened at Brasas Severe RegimePrison in Riga in 2009. Material was developedin line with the recommendations of theGuidelines for Prison Libraries. Around 2,000books and 20 periodicals in Latvian and Russianare available to the prison inmates. TheLending Point even provides access to moderntechnologies.

To provide people with special needs, branchlibraries have special Apple Shelves withpublications which can improve the quality oftheir life (informative materials on social helpand rehabilitation, books in easy languageetc.). Magnifying glasses are available at allbranch libraries for people with eyesightproblems. They can also receive informationon the services offered by the Latvian Libraryof the Blinds. People with movement problemscan receive individual support from severalbranches, including the possibility of thelibrary coming to them in their own homes.

Visitors can read books from the RCLRepository, newspapers and magazines. Peoplecan borrow books to read at home. It is alsopossible to watch TV. Computers can be usedfree of charge as well. Visitors use the Internetto look for a job and other information.Librarians organise training courses and canprovide individual users with information aboute-mail and search of information in databases.

Librarians organise various information sessionssuch as book reviews, meetings with differentspecialists, as well as entertainment includingconcerts, national and traditional holidaycelebrations. These are financed throughvarious social funds.

Contact:

Doloresa [email protected]


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STOCKHOLM

Secure in Husby film makingas a tool to create a change

The project Secure in Husbywas developed in2009-2010 by the Culture administration ofStockholm, the Prevention Centre of the Socialand Labour administration of Stockholm, thecity district administration of Kista/Rinkebyand two local youth houses in Husby.

This is an initiative from the Media andDemocracy centre Speaking Youth at theKulturskolan/Stockholm School of the Arts. Themission of Speaking Youth is to enhance youngpeople's creativity and get them to tell theirstories by using everyday technology. Theaction is part of a Culture administrationinitiative to reach young people in deprivedareas. One of these areas is Husby in the citydistrict Kista/Rinkeby, with a majority of

immigrant citizens and high unemployment.

The starting point was a security assessmentcarried out by the Prevention Centre. Theresults showed that adults in the area of Husbyfelt insecure in their everyday life andespecially in their encounters with youngpeople.

Fifteen participants from multi-ethnicbackgrounds, aged between 16-19 year oldswere invited to a two-day creative filmworkshop. All of the participants had an activeinterest in their neighbourhood.

The purposes were to bring people of differentgenerations together through film, to get ayouth perspective of the assessments resultsand to empower the participants with mediaskills.

The result of the workshop was several shortfilms with messages as Dont expect the worst

expect the unexpected and Old or young show respect!.

After the workshop the participants used their

films in meetings with the city districtadministration. They discussed development intheir neighbourhood, with other young peoplein the area to highlight the importance of localengagement. They also took part in aninternational conference together with youngurban citizens from different parts of Europe.

Following the first workshop the participantsplanned and acted as co-media coachestogether with Speaking Youth in two differentfilm workshops with fifty young people from

Husby.

All the actions have been carried out withinthe existing budgets of the different partners.

The project has been a big success and severalparts of the city are planning to use filmmaking in different actions. A key part of thesuccess of the project was to use the tools andmethods familiar to young people and toinvolve young people in the process.

Contact

Simon StrmbergHead of media and democracy developmentSpeaking Youth/Kulturskolan StockholmCulture Administration of Stockholmsimon.stromberg@kultur.stockholm.sewww.kultur.stockholm.se


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VILNIUS

The Republic of Uupis

Background

Vilnius is one of the capital cities of Europeand is unique with its own architectural styleand city spirit. It is a harbour for multiculturalheritage. It features the largest old town inEastern Europe, which is a UNESCO heritage

site with one of the oldest universities inEurope. One of the old town districts calledthe Republic of Uupis is a unique social andcultural phenomenon, a state inside a state.


Uupis is distinctive because of its uniquecharacter, where art and business, luxury andpoverty mix. It occupies the area of a fewsquare miles and has about 7,000 inhabitants.

People living here are from very differentsocial and economic status (from the CityMayor, Parliament members to people withlower incomes). Yet everybody cooperates inone creative community development. Theaxis of the Republic of Uupis multiculturalism together with culturalinfrastructures - helps tackle poverty andsocial exclusion in the area. And through 13years of such cooperation, the district ofUupis has gone from being the most unwantedto one of the most desirable residential areas

in Vilnius.

When the action started more than 13 yearsago Uupis was a neighbourhood with a highcrime rate and a low quality of life. Houseshad no heating and often, flats had no water.Creative people started to move into thisdistrict.

The Uupis district is separated from the innercity by rivers. The new inhabitants of the area

created a unique cultural model with apowerful implementation strategy and called itThe Republic of Uupis. On 1 April 1997 they

clearly identified their values and morality

code and made this creatively known to thecity by proclaiming an independent state - theRepublic of Uupis. Now the world-famousUupis is the artists 'republic', with its ownconstitution, flags, hymn, calendar festivalsand cosmology. It has a president, primeminister, 232 ambassadors in many parts of theworld and patron - the bronze angel in themain square, who meets all the guests, andsymbolizes the rebirth of this area in the city.

Gradually Uupis changed from the most

dismal district into the most popular andfavorable space of artists and creative peopleto live, work and create. It has become themost popular resort of tourists and guests ofthe city. Uupis is now a magnet for ideas,personalities, innovations (business,technological, social), wealth, prosperity andwellbeing. Uupis is not only a physical placein the old town of Vilnius but it is a way ofthinking open, positive, active and creative.

The community of Uupis regularly arrangesevents that unite members of the communityand support their creativity andcommercialisation of the activities. Thecultural life of Uupis is regulated by symbolicauthorisations and agreements. It has aconsiderable impact on the social, cultural andeven business development in the city.Naturally the cluster of creative industriescontinues to congregate and develop there.

More information on: www.uzupiozinios.lt/en

Contact:

Veronika JarueviitChief OfficerCulture, Sports and Tourism DepartmentCity of [email protected]

Uupis art incubatorGiedrius Bagdonas

[email protected]

access to culturestudyfinal09 06-smul

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