ENCATC Solidarity Statement on COVID-19
These past weeks the global response to COVID-19 has impacted every way of life, touching every continent and every sector, including culture and education. We stand in solidarity with cultural institutions, universities, training and research centres who are feeling the effects of mass closures impacting their core missions to offer people places to gather peacefully, to learn, and to be inspired.
As a not-for-profit, ENCATC is fundamentally guided by our mission: to stimulate the development of cultural management and cultural policy education in Europe and beyond, engaging and responding to new developments in politics, economics, societies and technology. This is why we remain unwavering in our commitment to continue to support the building of better societies with informed citizenries through rigorous and inclusive social knowledge practices.
The power and resilience of exchanging ideas are by having them shared and tested in a common space, safely connecting differences of perspective, experience, knowledge base, methodology, geographical or cultural origins, and institutional affiliation. In these uncertain times, ENCATC is working so knowledge transfers can flourish even as the mobility of academics, researchers, cultural professionals, artists are heavily restricted. We take seriously the need to maintain and nourish robust connections so that we provide the intellectual interaction and innovation that our sector and its benefits for greater society deserve.
We applaud the swift reaction of the European Commission’s Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) to release a notion on the potential effect of coronavirus on EU funded cultural projects whose implementation are hindered, or temporarily affected by mobility restriction.
We echo the message of many other organisations in our concerns for the well-being of our members, followers, staff and all those involved in our activities and projects. Each day, we are closely following the context of evolving global and local conditions and will share useful information. We encourage our members and followers to share with us any best practices that we can circulate for the benefit of all in the field of cultural management and policy. Please write to g.cogliandro[@]encatc.org to share your examples with us.
Our thoughts remain with everyone globally who has been affected by the current outbreak. ENCATC is convinced that with our shared humanity and strength, we will come out of this stronger, more resilient and with greater mutual understanding and tolerance.
Cultural organisations have already issued statements on the effects of the Corona crisis, you will find a (non-exclusive) list. To have your statement added, please write to trainee@encatc.org.
The Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE)
The Association Européenne des Conservatoires
CIRCOSTRADA - European Network, Circus and Street ArtS
Donors and Foundations Network in Europe & Europe
European Creative Business Network
European League of Institutes of the Arts
European Composer & Songwriter Alliance
The International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA)
The Network of European Museum Organisations