The Access to Culture Platform (ACP) has been set up on 5 June 2008 in the framework of the European agenda For Culture. Together with the Culture and Creative Industries Platform and the Platform for Intercultural Europe, it had a clear mandate to bring in the voice of civil society to provide recommendations for policies that can foster the access of all to cultural life in its different dimensions. The work of the 3 platforms is the direct consequence of the implementation of the European Agenda for Culture.

The ACP Policy Guidelines document (endorsed on the 9th June 2009) positions Access to Culture in a human/ cultural rights perspective, places Access to Culture upstream in cultural policy-making (with a strong call to also mainstream culture in other policy fields) and formulates clear priority areas for action to develop the conditions of creation, education and participation across Europe.
In order to cover and deepen concrete aspects, the Access to Culture Platform has chosen three areas of work that have been examined in respective working groups. The working groups have developed their work building on the work developed in 2009 and further in 2010 for the creation of the position papers and Policy Guidelines document.

The working group on audience participation developed its work starting from the conviction that access to culture fosters active participation in cultural life which, in turn, fosters civic participation and citizenship. Therefore 2010 was dedicated to research aiming at defining the Cultural Component of Citizenship and showing through the artistic practice why access to culture is crucial for EU’s 2020 strategy.

The working group on creativity & creation developed its work going deeper into two topics – motivations and strategies of artists engaged in projects in business, science and technology workplaces and obstacles to artists’ creativity. In the first case a short investigation was produced into the benefits – creativity and other rewards – experienced by artists working in non-arts environments. The aim was to identify and articulate motivations, strategies and issues central to artists who work in these types of environments, notably in relation to creativity and creation. In the second case a pre-study into obstacles to artists’ creativity aimed at being the basis for a larger study on those circumstances that best encourage and support artists’ creativity, including the theoretical context surrounding the encouragement of creativity, good practice used by artists to develop their own creativity, existing policies directed at developing artists’ creativity, optimal conditions developed by mobility schemes and residencies, amongst others, ultimately aiming at outlining, feasible, short, medium and long term solutions to overcoming these obstacles at both EU and MS level.

The working group on education & learning explored the benefits of the interaction and synergy between education, learning and culture and the role that cultural participation plays in different educational settings and developed the analysis of the best practices collected in 2009 aiming at clarifying the impact of these best practices and showing, through very clear examples, that the potential of culture in learning is as often as unique as it is overlooked.

More information about ACP : www.access-to-culture.eu

* 17/11/2012 - ACP | ACP @ the Brussels Conversations 2012 on a Cultural Coaltion for a Citizens’ Europe
* 04/11/2012 - ACP | ACP @ Festival Forum | Festival Internacional de Teatro Classico de Merida | June 2012
* 27/06/2012 - ACP | ACP WG on Audience Participation Call for Contributions | 27 June 2012
* 13/04/2012 - ACP | ACP at EFA Diamond Jubilee in Bergen | 24 May 2012
* 11/04/2012 - ACP | ACP Spokesperson invited to present ACP at Fresh Circus #2 | 12 & 13 April 2012
* 11/04/2012 - ACP | ACP Spokesperson invited to present ACP at the International Arts Professional Summer School | 5 July 2012

Chair of the working group:

Members:

	ETM - international network for contemporary performing arts
	FEP- Federation of European Publishers
	CEATL - European Council of Literary Translators’ Associations
	Pearle* - Performing Arts Employers Associations League Europe
	ETC - European Theatre Convention
	CAE - Culture Action Europe
	FIM - International Federation of Musicians
	FIA - International Federation of Actors
	EFA - European Festivals Association
	FERA - Federation of the European Film Directors
	ELIA - European League of Institutes of the Arts
	ACCR - Réseau européen des Centres culturels de rencontre
	AEC - European Association of Conservatoires

Information available for free download:

• Brochure
• Policy Guidelines
• Supporting Legal Framework
• Group Position Papers:
  • Audience Participation
  • Creativity & Creation
  • Education and Learning
• Best Practices
• List of participating Organisations
• Studies:
  • A desire for a conversation, motivations and strategies of artists engaged in projects in business, science and technology workplaces by Judith Staines, May 2010 | a paper commissioned by the C&C WG
  • We are more! The overlooked potential of learning through cultural engagement | Henrik Zipsane | E&L WG, 2010
  • The Cultural Component of Citizenship | Laura Herrero | European House for Culture, 2010
  • Obstacles to artists’ creativity in the EU and realistic solutions: A pre-study by Chrissie Tiller | a paper commissioned by the C&C WG
  • Education and access to digital culture: The current situation and future directions for European culture I Anne Krebs, 2012 I a paper commissioned by the Education & Learning Working
  • Cultural participation in education and lifelong learning: a catalyst for personal advancement, community development, social change and economic growth I Dr. Lidia Varbanova, 2011 I a paper commissioned by the Education & Learning Working Group
  • Untraditional Creative Partnerships - Seven Wonders of Arts and Culture in Education I Henrik Zipsane, 2010 I a paper commissioned by Education & Learning Working Group
  • "Access to Culture in the digital era: A Citizen’s Right" Draft compendium of best practice examples I Access to Culture Platform Workshop 15 Dec 2011 I Organised by the Audience Participation Working Group
• Presentations:
  • PPP Presentation ACP
  • Structured Dialogue Briefing

 For more information: www.access-to-culture.eu