1. Amateo Conference Vrsar, May 20, 2016
Igor Teršar Amateur Art in Slovenia - networking, good practices and international cooperation
Amateo Conference Vrsar, May 20, 2016

2. Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities was founded twenty years ago.
Fund has 59 local offices and connections in neighbouring countries.

3. Primary activities: festivals, exhibitions, education and publishing in amateur culture.
Amateur culture contains active societies with members.

4. Fund was one of founding members of Amateo in Portorož in 2005.
It is member of various international organizations: AITA, CISM, EU CANTAT.
Ten years ago it was cofounder of the Forum of Slavic Cultures.

5. Promotes cooperation between professional and amateur culture – professionals teach amateurs and lead or direct choirs, theatre groups …
Euro barometer survey shows that interest for culture is extremely high even in the time of economic crisis.

6. Fund’s RESIDENCE CENTER in Ljubljana has two apartments for visiting artists and mentors from abroad for promotion of international cooperation.
Exhibition and information center KULT 3000 in Ljubljana cooperates with galleries in Croatia (Rijeka, Pula), Hungary, Austria (Graz) with exhibitions and poetry evenings.

7. Donations are also important part of fund’s activity – mayor donation is from Mr. Mirko Cuderman, choir leader and professor of music. It has more than units (mostly music sheets and scores).
We’ve already digitized more than compositions. It will be one of the biggest digital music centers in South Eastern Europe.

8. Culture School is one of our mayor national projects : It monitors cultural activities in public schools – more than half of all schools have already received the title Culture School for their engagement in amateur culture.

9. TLK – Week of Amateur Culture
It is just now in progress for the third time.
More than events in entire Slovenia.
President of Slovenia is its sponsor.
Slovenian Minister of Culture opened it.
Slovenian national television and radio is mayor media sponsor.

10. Fund proposed to the Slovenian government to proclaim and coordinate year 2018 as the Year of Ivan Cankar – the 100th anniversary of his death. He is mayor Slovenian literary person – poet, writer and journalist.
In 2018 we will organize the Finals of European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Maribor.

11. Many contacts are arranged on all levels for promotion of amateur culture.
Fund also promotes local, national, and international cooperation between institutions and non-governmental organizations.

12. Our mayor concern is successful development of amateur cultural activities, promotion of new programs and ideas in Slovenian amateur culture and equal treatment between professional and amateur culture.

13. All of us directors in Europe are facing one big question: Why are amateur cultural activities even now outside of European cultural politics?
Amateur cultural organizations have not sufficiently stressed social role of their activities.
Amateur cultural activities still do not have adequate place in national cultural politics.
Because of their non-confirmed place in national cultural politics, they are not adequately recognized as one of mayor factors of European cohesion.

14. There are many important tasks before us:
We must fight for adequate recognition and place in national cultural politics – each of us in his country. We have made great breakthrough in Slovenia in previous years; but new model of culture is prepared just now – this can be again dangerous or maybe new opportunity.

15. We must link together our activities on European level, especially from the point of view of social functions of cultural amateurism.
Maybe we should find new expression that will replace amateur culture on European level.

16. We must stress that amateur cultural activities are the most important defenders of cultural diversity in Europe. Their power is based on democratic values.
Involvement in cultural life is one of the primary human rights – we must give all for its realization.

17. Amateur cultural activities contain many experiences.
At the national level we must go beyond traditional “folkloristic” view on amateur culture and discover its possibilities for modern times.

18. At the European level we must play more active role in preparation of documents for European Council and with help from national governments address forthcoming joint declarations.