Latvia.

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The Council of the Creative Unions of Latvia (CCUL) is a union of eleven professional creative organisations with ~5 thousand individual members. It is a politically independent organisation, founded for defending interests of creative workers and keeping a noteworthy influence upon the development and implementation of national cultural policy.

During the World financial crisis it is a double complicated task.

Financial crisis has hit Latvia harder than other countries. Initiatives of the Government to overcome this grand scrape disaster in some cases might be considered as strange. Concentrating the community’s attention on crisis in the sphere of medicine and education, culture has practically been crossed out of the list of priorities.

Following the demand of EU financial bodies and the World Bank, Latvia has to carry out reconstruction of public sector. Institutions are being closed and joined together in a hurry and without consultations of the interested parties. Existence of the Ministry of Culture itself is put under a big question.

In January 2009 the Minister for Culture resigned, later all the Cabinet of Ministers. In March 2009 was confirmed a new Government (the 15-th one in 18,5 years period of independence) with main task – drastic optimisation of the state budget. Consequently the Culture sector has suffered proportionally more than others.

This is background of activities of CCUL. Some of the more important events:

· January, February – open letters, signed by hundreds of well-known personalities and sent to the Government and Mr. President for protection of the Ministry of Culture and the State Cultural Capital Foundation opened wide public discussion on the subject of culture and it’s future;

· March – the Alliance for development of the Culture policy and it’s protection was founded by CCUL and the Association of NGO of Contemporary Art;

· June 1 – General Meeting of the Creative Unions “Values, Culture and the Future”, organized by CCUL, dedicated to the 21-st anniversary of the historical Assembly of the Creative Unions, where the idea of independence was formulated. We can also recognize this date as the real birthday of CCUL. Reports contained deep analysis of the current situation and future forecast of culture and our community. The meeting was live broadcasted by public TV and radio;

· July - 10% VAT for book sales adopted. (At the end of 2008 the VAT for books was increased from 5% to 21%. This was followed by a dramatic fall in book sales.)

· August – filmmakers protest the proposed closure of the National Film Centre of Latvia (NFC) and the intention to delegate some of its functions to the Ministry of Culture. A film set was created around the building of Ministry of Culture for shooting a short film. Instead of striking – they were working filled with positive energy. The independence of NFC was saved. Latvian filmmakers thank very much for the ECA support letter and help.

· September 30 - October 16 – during the public action “My Vote for Culture”, managed by CCUL, 43000 signatures of people were collected for support of culture. The Minister of Culture is supposed to submit all the signatures to the Government. October 16 was the Open Culture Action day all over the state.

Ministry of Culture partly finances activities of the CCUL and its’ member organizations, for targets of international affairs, membership fees in international organizations, including the ECA membership fee. But in 2009 financing was cut for more than 50%. Future is obscure.

But we have good news as well.

Probably the most useful activity of CCUL for the Latvian artists is promotion of website www.makslinieki.lv, where every individual member of any member union has a web-page.

In spite of crisis the member organisations of the CCUL are working actively to protect and develop their branches.

In good progress is the initiative to create free of charge enterprises for public as much as possible.

The Playwrigt’s Guild is organizing readings of new plays and literature by authors at libraries every Friday.

Latvian films are made available free of charge in 874 public libraries via 4000 computers all around Latvia. By another project - „FilmBus” - animation films for children will be shown free of charge in regional arts and culture centers all over the state.

CCUL has a new member – Latvian Society of Inventors. They decided to join the CCUL after the above mentioned 1-st June General Meeting, estimating its significance.

The President of the CCUL, composer Mr. Ugis Praulins is member of the Council of National Culture, the Council of the Cultural Capital foundation as well as the Board of Latvian National Commission of UNESCO.

Common success of the CCUL is the success of certain cultural branches as well as personalities. Its main aim is to work according progressive programmes, creating network of confederates all over the World. And that’s why we are here – in Malta, ECA’s Annual event.

Our next public action is initiated by a society, not yet member of CCUL. It seems very human. And we invite every country and everybody to join Latvia:

On Friday, the 13-th of November at 9:00 – 9:10 a.m. everybody is asked to go out of doors with a little bell in hands and to concentrate on very positive thoughts about our future to overcome our personal and common problems. Ring the bells to send away all the evil motives. It would be great if this moment could be supported by church bells.

Let’s join our spirits for the Future and Europe!

We are full of optimism and creative energy.

With best regards –

Ieva Romanova,

Chair of the Latvian Filmmaker’s Union,

Vice President of the Council of the Creative Unions of Latvia

ieva_rom@inbox.lv

Latvijas Radošo savienību padomes (LRSP) dalība Eiropas Mākslinieku padomes (ECA) konferencē „Mākslas pieredze” (Expierencing the Arts) un gadskārtējā Ģenerālajā Asamblejā, 30.10. – 02.11.2009., Maltā.

Eiropas Mākslinieku padome (the European Council of Artists) ir dibināta 1995. gada maijā Ebeltoftā, Dānijā. Tā ir interdisciplināra starptautiska organizācija, kuras biedri ir 26 Eiropas valstu radošo profesionālo organizāciju apvienības. LRSP ir ECA biedrs kopš 1995.gada.

ECA rūpējas par sakaru uzturēšanu un informācijas apmaiņu starp Eiropas radošajām profesionālajām organizācijām, radošiem procesiem un mākslinieku starpvalstu sakariem labvēlīgu nosacījumu veidošanu Eiropā, Eiropas kultūrpolitikas veidošanu, iesaistās kultūrprocesu un likumdošanas harmonizēšanas iniciatīvās. Rīko radošas konferences. ECA darbojas ar Eiropas Parlamenta un Eiropas Padomes (neregulāru) atbalstu. ECA birojs atrodas Dānijā, e-pasta adrese: eca@eca.dk, mājas lapa: www.eca.dk. Piedalīšanās ECA gadskārtējā asamblejā ir katras dalīborganizācijas pienākums.

ECA 2009.gada pasākums notika Maltas pilsētā Floriānā, sadarbībā ar Maltas Mākslinieku padomi. Konferences galvenā tēma – mākslinieku devums radošās domas veicināšanā un Eiropas inovācijās. Eiropas vēlamais brends – ĪSTĀ vieta, kur radīt. (Brand Europe as THE place to create). Tika spriests par radošās domāšanas nozīmi un aktualitātēm Eiropas kultūras procesos, Eiropas ekonomiskās un sabiedrības morālās krīzes kopējām iezīmēm kā arī ceļi abu pārvarēšanai (radoša pieeja). Tendence – Eiropas valstu kultūras sacensības vietā – sadarbība. Doktors Edward de Bono asprātīgi analizēja pašu radošās domāšanas procesu. Tika prezentēti pozitīvi projekti un piemēri sabiedrības harmonizēšanai ar tās iesaistīšanu kultūras procesos un aktivitātēs. Tika analizēta mākslas mācību priekšmetu programmu nozīme pamata un mūža izglītībā radoši domājošas sabiedrības un personas veidošanai. (Maria Badia pētījums). Tika apskatītas nepilnības autoru tiesību aizsardzības jomā, īpaši interneta vidē. Konferencē piedalījās un uzstājās vairāki ES parlamenta locekļi, izrādot lielu izpratni par kultūras procesu un solot visādu atbalstu (savu iespēju robežās). Viņi aicināja lobismu apvienot ar kādām mākslinieciskām aktivitātēm un priekšnesumiem EP, lai pievērsu uzmanību un pēc pasākuma būtu vieglāk iesaistīt deputātus sarunās.

ECA Ģenerālajā asambleja notika 2.novembrī. Tika nolasīti vadības ziņjumi par ECA darbu un finansēm atskaites periodā, uzklausīti ECA dalīborganizāciju ziņojumi un apspriesta ECA nākotnes darbības stratēģija, pārrunātas lobisma iespējas. Ir jauns pavērsiena punkts ECA darbībā. Tā uzsākusi dalību Eiropas kultūras programmu konkursos un tādā veidā cer atrisināt savas finansiālās problēmas.

Notika ECA Prezidenta un jaunu valdes locekļu vēlēšanas.

Ieva Romanova sagatavoja, iesniedza un prezentēja ziņojumu par LRSP darbību aizvadītajā gadā. Prezentēja vēlēšanām ECA Valdes locekļa kandidātu, LRSP priekšsēdētāju Uģi Prauliņu. Uģis Prauliņš tika ievēlēts par ECA Valdes locekli. Ieva Romanova atkārtoti ievēlēta par ECA vēlēšanu komitejas locekli.

Par ECA prezidentu atkārtoti tika ievēlēts Īrijas tēlnieks Michael Burke. Valdē, kurā puse locekļu katru gadu atjaunojas, vēl tika ievēlēti Silvije Petranovic, filmu režisors no Horvātijas, Michael Piscopo, datorgrafiķis, scenogrāfs no Maltas, uz otru termiņu Annette Hollywood, videomāksliniece no Vācijas.

Tika pieņemts lēmums Eiropas līmenī harmonizēt autortiesību terminu saturu un izpratni (autortiesības – copyrights, autora tiesības – the authors’ rights).

Tika novērtēta ECA atbalsta nozīme valstu kultūras iekšējo problēmu gadījumos. Sagatavots atbalsts Igaunijai, kas cīnās par 1% likuma pieņemšanu (1% no būvniecības investīcijām – mākslai).

Nākošā gada konference un GA varētu notikt Horvātijā, 2010.gada oktobrī. Ideja – katram nākošajā gadā ņemt līdzi vismaz vienu politiķi, lai tuvinātu teoriju un praksi. Ar konferences materiāliem būs iespēja iepazīties ECA mājas lapā www.eca.dk . Līdz šim konferences apkopojums un GA protokols nav ienākušies.

Ar cieņu – LRSP delegāte Ieva Romanova

atgriezties