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Nordic Cultural Assembly
16-19 May 2007
Visby Gotland Sweden
Cultural Co-operation around the Baltic Sea - Opportunities and obstacles.
Rikke Helms, Director
The Danish Cultural Institute promotes cultural exchanges and informs about Denmark and supports projects that aim at long-term cooperation between foreign and Danish cultural institutions, artists and other professionals. The activities are coordinated through our head office in Copenhagen and branch offices in Benelux, China, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and the United Kingdom - and our global network.
Having held the position of director of the Danish Cultural Institute in the Baltic countries from 1990 to 2003, from the last year of the Soviet Union to the entrance of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the European Union, I have had the privilege to follow this dramatic development from the inside.
For the last four years I have been situated in the cultural capital of Russia, St. Petersburg and have also from this point been one of the actors in the cultural co- operations in the area.
Possibilities.
Since the regained independence of the three Baltic States and the break down of the Soviet Union in 1991 the cultural co-operation between the countries around the Baltic Sea has been constantly developing.
The countries in the Baltic Sea area present a diversity of rich cultural and national traditions with which we can - and do - enrich each other.
In spite of the very different political historic background of the Nordic and the Baltic countries including Russia, art is universal and is mostly understood without words (except literature, theatre and films, which need translation).
The dramatic changes of the European map, - with 10 new countries in the EU and with Russia as a democratic partner, - have during the last 17 years to a certain degree reduced the biggest differences in world perception within the younger generations, whereas the elderly people in our countries still have very differing perceptions of politics, moral and ethics in many aspects. (An actual example is the escalating and quite frightening conflict between Estonia and Russia, due to different views upon the ending of the Second World War).
The need of cultural exchanges and co-operation are therefore numerous and utterly important.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union the big cities and universities in all the former soviet countries are racing into the IT-world with exceeded speed and in this field seem to be at the least at level with the Western countries, if not already getting ahead. However this goes for the specialized experts in the big cities only, but not – at least in Russia – for the equipment of schools and libraries or cultural institutions outside the big cities, which are long back in this sphere. New national programs are actually solving these and many other social problems in the Russian provinces.
Children’s culture.
It is a fact that the post communist countries still put a stronger focus on for instance academic drawing at the art academies and traditional folkloristic and ethnographic education in music and applied arts than we do in the Nordic countries.
The pre-professional education in music, applied and visual art starts already in the schools from 4th form, partly in special music- and art-schools, partly in after school courses, where children are being taught the first professional skills from a much younger age that in the Nordic educational system.
Student’s exchanges.
The strongly developed system of competitions and awards from a very young age is also far from the Nordic models, where skills in cultural subjects such as music and arts are more aimed at developing active amateurs than preparing coming professionals.
Nevertheless – or maybe due to this fact - we have had very fruitful exchanges in the fields of music and art schools.
Student’s exchanges between educational institutions also draw attention because of the many festivals and competitions, where the young students have a chance to show their abilities in other countries. As an example I could mention that film schools in St. Petersburg over the last three years have had Danish film school student’s participation and in some cases awarded these with prizes in their International Student film festivals.
Young student composers and musicians participate in festivals as well as we have seen fruitful design school exchanges between our countries.
(ex. Film festivals: The Beginning, The Mirror, Viborg Medieskoler and St. Petersburg University of film and TV), music festivals (From Avantgarde to our Days, International Conservatory week, Jazz Parnas, Design schools St. Petersburg University and Kolding Design school.)
Bigger events.
Bigger events as professional art and design exhibitions, national days including concerts, film- and theatre festivals are possible and necessary, but more expensive.
(ex. HCAndersen jubilee, 2005, Reburial of Empress Dagmar 2006)
They allow our audiences to get acquainted with other life stiles, cultural trends and views, social structures and to debate actual ethic problems that unite our societies.
Opportunities: Obstacles:
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St. Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia and one of the most beautiful cities of Europe |
Still Russia is too little known as a travel target outside of specifically interested circles. |
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Russia is fascinating, magic and to a certain point mysterious and enigmatic to Europeans. The Russian people are generous, hospitable and with big sense of humor |
Language barrier, Cyrillic alphabet, still most Russians do not speak English. Without a common language you will not get to know the rich and warm “Russian soul”. |
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Daily flights to all the European, Nordic and Baltic countries |
Quite expensive flights, no big competition within airline companies |
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Hotels in many categories |
Visa, registration takes time and money, if you are not in a hotel |
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Competent and devoted partners in all cultural spheres. Famous, rich cultural heritage and traditions, Low salaries and fees to Russian cultural workers, compared to Nordic standards. |
Language barriers put limits to direct communication and limits to the choice of participants to events abroad. Bureaucracy in many spheres may delay spontaneous ideas. |
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Interest from the Russian partners to exchange cultural events with Europe |
Uneven financing, low co-financing from the Russian cultural institutions. High rents for concert and exhibition halls etc. |
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The human factor: Good local partners and connections can solve all problems in the last minute. |
Without good local connections problems can be very difficult to solve. |
As we see from the many, many successful cultural projects and exchanges, most of the obstacles can be dealt with and can be solved. But this demands from both sides a real and curious interest, good understanding and willingness to listen to the counterpart and planning in good time.
The more exchanges we can make between artists, professionals as amateurs, between professional groups like politicians, historians, librarians, museum-workers, teachers, students etc. – the better. The more we can help making the cultures of our countries meet in creative sharing of experiences and values – the better.
The more peoples of different countries and cultures meet and do projects together, share and debate their different backgrounds and skills, learn how social and cultural problems are solved elsewhere – the better.
Culture is and remains being one of the most important bridges over troubled waters.