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From June 26-29, Culture Solutions attended the EUNIC Siena Cultural Relations Forum. As the last part of the “CreW Cultural Relations at Work project”, intending to foster discussion and reflection on cultural diplomacy between policy-makers, practitioners and academics. See the blog by SJohanna Suo and Virgine Wyart.
culture Solutions was invited to moderate the round table “International cultural policies: How do institutions create frameworks conducive to developing cultural projects?” at the international theatre festival Avignon OFF. Sandra Coumans reports about it in her blog.
Our Composing Trust 2019/2020 research report aims to become a reference knowledge resource on EU international cultural relations for the new 2019 European Parliament and Commission as well as for all those who engage with institutions on this agenda.
The main findings of our cS Composing Trust 2019/2020 report identifying future research, policy and engagement agendas.
This study gives an overview of EUNIC’s (network of European Union National Institutes for Culture) involvement and positioning in EU international cultural relations.
Discover how national governments make their international cultural case in Brussels
Where civil society often meets.
Culture & regions represented in Brussels.
Christian LefflerDeputy Secretary General
Email address: christian.leffler@eeas.europa.eu
Phone: +32 2 584 55 02
Something special about him:
Christian Leffler is in charge of transversal issues and among them you find culture in diplomacy. He has an oversight responsibility that the cultural dimension is properly integrated in different strands of external action and ensuring coherence with action taken by commission services like DEVCO and EAC.
Mr Leffler believes that diplomacy needs to become more culture sensitive. The ideas of culture that he tries to pursue internally are the ones of more non-static and non-representative culture; thus more culture as a means in diplomatic work.
How for example can culture play a role in reconciliation, prevention, and creating dialogue in order to overcome conflict and help build societies that can come to terms with themselves.
Cultural Policy Coordinator
Email address: diego.marani@eeas.europa.eu
Phone: +32 2 5849910
Something special about him:
Diego Marani is an interpreter by training and graduated at the University of Trieste in 1983. He is an EU official since 1985. First working at the Council of Ministers, in 2006 he joined the Directorate General for Culture of the European Commission where he was in charge of the policy of multilingualism. In this position he dealt with issues such as literary translation, early language learning and the New Narrative for Europe initiative with President Barroso. In 2014 he was appointed advisor to the Italian Culture Minister and dealt with European affairs under the Italian Presidency of the E.U.
In 2015 Diego Marani joined the European External Action Service where he is Cultural policy coordinator. In this position Diego Marani co-drafted the Communication "Towards an EU strategy in international cultural relations" and conceived the EU-Western Balkans Cultural Heritage Route, implemented by EU Delegations in the region.
Diego Marani is also a columnist and a writer, author of many novels, among which the prize-winning "New Finnish Grammar", translated in 15 languages. He is the inventor of the mock-language Europanto in which he has published the collection of short stories "Las adventuras des Inspector Cabillot" and articles in several European newspapers. He writes columns on cultural matters for several Italian newspapers and keeps a blog in the European website eunews.it
Pietro de MatteisAdvisor on public diplomacy
Email address: Pietro.DE-MATTEIS@eeas.europa.eu
Phone: +32 2 584 3296
Something special about him:
Pietro is responsible for developing a more joined-up approach to European Public Diplomacy and has been involved since early stage in the drafting of the Joint Communication "Towards an EU Strategy for International Cultural Relations"
He is also at the origin of flagship Public and Cultural Diplomacy initiatives under the Partnership Instrument, such as the Cultural Diplomacy Platform, the EU Film Repository for Film Festivals, the EU Alumni Engagement Initiative and EU Policy and Outreach Partnership (EUPOP) contracts worldwide. Currently he is working to frame Public Diplomacy under the upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027).
