1. Access and participation: moving towards explicit policies
Nina Obuljen Koržinek, Ph.D.
IRMO – Institute for Development and International Relations, Zagreb

2. Information about research
Research funded through the Culture Programme
Duration: May 2013 – April 2015
Partners:
Cultural Policy and Management EDUCULT (Austria)
Research Center (KPY)/Turkey
Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO)/Croatia
Interarts/Spain
Telemark Research Institute (TRI)/Norway
The Nordic Centre for Heritage Learning and Creativity (NCK)/Sweden

3. Access to culture: policy analysis
The aim of the project "Access to Culture" was to compare the priority setting on European level and national implementations. The project has established indicators for the exchange and further development of Access to Culture policies on European and national level.

4. Access to Culture Major topic on the cultural policy agenda of Europe
The European Civil Society Platform on Access to Culture:
‘Access to Culture is an essential right of all citizens but becomes fundamental in the case of those with economic and social challenges […] However, there is a notable gap and a lack of political and public debate on and between principles and commitments, and everyday practices of fostering Access to Culture.’

5. EU policy framework promoting access and participation
European Agenda for Culture in a Globalizing World (2007)
Resolution of the Council of 16 November 2008 on the European Agenda for Culture – one of six priority topics
Open Method of Coordination (OMC)
Council Work Plan for Culture – one of the working groups dealing with the access to culture

6. EU policy framework promoting access and participation
The Council conclusion on the role of culture in combating poverty and social exclusion:
Link with the ‘right to culture” concept – access to culture as a human right
Removing obstacles to access to culture contributes to the social cohesion
Mainstreaming culture as part of the policies against poverty and social exclusion

7. Comparative study: 6 European countries
Key topics:
National constitutions and culture
Institutional Framework influencing Access to Culture
Access to culture as subject of politics
Actors and agents of Access to Culture
Translating politics into policies
Influence of EU documents and practices
Key trends and conclusions

8. National constitutions and culture
Different approaches
Culture as a right
Culture as a freedom
Freedom of scientific, cultural and artistic creativity
Culture as a sphere of government’s intervention (responsibility of the state to support and guarantee right and access to culture)

9. Institutional Framework influencing Access to Culture
Centralised vs. decentralised structures
Institutional framework also determines very much the legal and policy framework
Central → National → Regional → Local

10. Access to culture as subject of politics
Treatment of the access and participation in the key documents of the major political parties
The inclusiveness or exclusiveness of politics in the cultural sphere
Link with culture and education
Socio-political aspects:
Active participation (amateur art, community involvement etc.)
Access to culture for all citizens

11. Actors and agents of Access to Culture
Responsibility for access to culture at the governmental level (different ministries and agencies) – depends very much on the political traditions
Key stakeholders
Cultural institutions, NGOs, cultural centres, professional organizations
Funding bodies (governmental and others)

12. Translating politics into policies
From implicit to explicit cultural policies promoting access to culture
Programmes such as Norwegian „The Cultural Rucksack”
Investment in infrastructure
Financing of activities and programmes (active and passive participation in cultural life)
Legal provisions (e.g. obligation to provide certain cultural content for each school child)
Etc.

13. Influence of EU documents and practices
Policy level (voluntary, transfer of best-practice examples)
EU funded programmes (Creative Europe and other programmes)
Cooperation through OMC and the role of EU presidencies

14. Current issues and trends
Economic challenges:
economic crisis
budgetary cuts and shrinking public expenditure for cultural sector
Challenges of digitalisation
Challenges for cultural institutions
Changing practices of access and participation (from audiences to consumers)

15. Country Report - Croatia
Constitutional basis
Freedom of scientific, cultural and artistic creativity
Freedom of thought and expression
Freedom of speech and public activities
Division of jurisdictions:
Small country with high number of local and regional units (21 counties, 127 cities, 429 municipalities)

16. Country Report - Croatia
Financing of culture between different levels of government (2013)
Ministry of Culture 38%
Cities 32%
City of Zagreb 22%
Counties 4%
Municipalities 4%
Source, Ministry of Culture, 2014

17. Country Report - Croatia
Politics and governance
Rationales and values in the programmes of political parties
Tradition/historical factors influencing current state of affairs
New initiatives (mostly linked with cultural industries and independent culture;)
County initiatives (Istria …)

18. Country Report - Croatia
Obstacles to access and participation:
Geography, territorial organization, limited funding opportunities
Organizational models
Role of intermediaries (media in particular)
Agents and stakeholders
Governmental (different levels, different sectors)
Private sector, lobbying and partnership initiatives
Other agents (network of community cultural centres, Croatian Cultural Association (HSK)

19. Country Report - Croatia
Policy: focus on the cultural supply side
Still preserving many policies and instruments from the socialist period (providing “space” through subsidized cultural institutions and other venues and subsidizing cultural production thus “lowering the price” and making culture available)
Network of cultural centers and strong scene of amateur clubs and associations and technical culture and associations judged as very important for ensuring access to culture

20. Country Report - Croatia
Strategy on Cultural Development – five main goals for enhancing participation:
Data collection, systemic research
Promote and develop cultural amateurism in all fields of culture
To motivate cultural institutions and professional organizations to cooperate with amateur artists and organizations and to support and assist amateur artists through training, technical equipment and access to spaces for rehearsal and performances;

21. Country Report - Croatia
Strategy on Cultural Development – five main goals for enhancing participation
To introduce incentives for participation of youth in cultural activities through discounts and other measures
To use network of Croatian schools abroad in order to promote the participation of Croatians living abroad in amateur cultural and artistic activities

22. Country Report - Croatia
Local and regional cultural strategies
Support for festivals, mobility, providing space
Support for minority programmes and activities (very often amateur)
Examples of penetration in school curricula
Support for international activities
UNESCO – intangible heritage and national registry

23. Findings
Constant decrease of funding for arts and culture (including amateur activities)
National policy as well as local and regional policies – mostly implicit
Geography, large number of small territorial units
Access and participation – it is a central point of Croatian cultural policy (even if not explicitly defined as such)

24. Thank you