CREATIVE EUROPE IN THE UK 2014 - 2015 Support for the UK’s cultural, creative and heritage sectors
www.creativeeuropeuk.eu @CEDUK_Culture #creativeeurope
Front cover image: Acrophobia by Liv & Tobi, performance at BE FESTIVAL 2015. This Birmingham-based festival is part of a Cooperation Project called International Young Makers in Action. Photo Š Alex Brenner
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION COLLABORATING ACROSS EUROPE Cooperation Projects Small Cooperation Projects: Results Small Cooperation Projects: Case Studies Large Cooperation Projects: Results Large Cooperation Projects: Case Studies European Platforms European Networks
4
8 10 12 14 16 18 20
TRANSLATING EUROPEAN LITERATURE Literary Translation: Results and Case Studies
24
REWARDING CULTURAL EXCELLENCE European Cultural Prizes
CREATIVE EUROPE DESK UK What we do and how we help Get in touch
28
30 31
INTRODUCTION Creative Europe launched in 2014 with a budget of €1.46 billion to support the cultural, creative and audiovisual sectors across Europe until 2020. With a 9% budget increase, this European Union programme builds on the legacy of the previous Culture and MEDIA programmes, which ran from 2007 to 2013. During its first two years (2014 to 2015), Creative Europe has supported 230 UK cultural and creative organisations and audiovisual companies as well as the cinema distribution of 84 UK films in other European countries with grants totalling €40 million. Creative Europe offers support to European projects with the potential to travel, reach new audiences and encourage skill-sharing and development. The programme is strengthened by the coming together of the cultural, creative and audiovisual sectors and the addition of a new guarantee facility. Its new priorities, such as audience development and digital innovation, have taken the programme into a new era, encouraging projects to reach out to diverse audiences, deepen their digital engagement and try out new approaches and innovative business models. Creative Europe’s Culture sub-programme supports the cultural and creative sectors by funding collaborative projects and initiatives across all art forms. Three of the four funding opportunities encourage organisations from different European countries to work together on a joint transnational project around a shared aim. The themes of these projects range from disability arts, to how culture can help to combat climate change, to sharing audience development knowledge between museums and dance companies. 4
The Culture sub-programme also offers support for publishers to translate European fiction in order to promote the transnational circulation of high quality literary works and improve access to them so that they can reach new audiences. Creative Europe’s MEDIA sub-programme supports film, television, new media and video games. It offers funding, training and networking opportunities for producers, video game developers, distributors, sales agents, audiovisual training providers, organisers of festivals, markets and networks, film education specialists and cinema exhibitors. From 2016, Creative Europe’s cross-sector strand will offer a €121 million Cultural and Creative Sector Guarantee Fund, which is expected to improve access to finance for cultural and creative SMEs and unlock €600 million in affordable loans from the private sector. This publication offers a glimpse into how the UK’s creative and cultural sectors have participated in Creative Europe’s opportunities and spotlights some of the many successful projects led by or involving UK-based organisations and companies. Thanks to our team members and the support from our partners, Creative Europe Desk has been able to promote Creative Europe in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland better than even before. We are delighted that each
nation has benefitted from funding from Creative Europe’s Culture sub-programme and all but one of the successful UK-led applications were advised by Creative Europe Desk UK. Over the coming years, we aim to encourage a more diverse range of applicant organisations from across the UK to embrace Creative Europe’s international opportunities and to collaborate with European partners to develop projects. At the same time, we will continue to work closely with UK organisations who have been involved in Creative Europe or the previous Culture programme, and we are grateful that they support us by sharing their expertise with UK peers and by providing insight into what can be achieved when working together at a European level. Christoph Jankowski, Head of Culture, Creative Europe Desk UK – England 84 UK FILMS RELEASED IN EUROPE €12.5m
TRAINING & NETWORKS €2.3m
230
UK organisations supported overall
COOPERATION PROJECTS €9.9m
€40m
CULTURE €11.3m
of funding received by the UK
MEDIA €28.5m
AUDIENCES €1.1m
95
cultural, creative and heritage organisations supported
EUROPEAN PLATFORMS €1.3m
LITERARY TRANSLATION €165,000
DISTRIBUTION €4.2m PRODUCERS €8.4m
5
COLLABORATING ACROSS EUROPE 91 UK organisations received grants totalling â‚Ź11.2 million from Creative Europe to work on collaborative, transnational projects
Emerging Space laboratory in La Venaria Reale (Italy), partners meeting with artists as part of a European Platform called IN SITU Platform Š Maxime Demartin
COOPERATION PROJECTS Most of the funding is allocated through Cooperation Projects, the Culture sub-programme’s largest funding opportunity that encourages organisations across Europe to work on transnational collaborative projects. In 2014, 39 UK organisations received €5.4 million as partners and/or leads on the projects. This increased to 45 UK organisations in 2015 and they shared €4.4 million, the highest amount awarded to a country participating in Creative Europe. The success rate for UK-led Cooperation Project applications was 24%, well above the European average of 15%, and 47% of all supported Cooperation Projects involved UK organisations as partners or leads. There is a diverse spread in terms of the scale of supported organisations and their creative forms, which range from dance, performing arts and literature, to visual arts, heritage, museums, music and film. Around 20% of supported organisations are higher education institutes, such as the Royal College of Art and the University of Ulster.
€5.4m received by 39
UK organisations in 2014
8
â‚Ź4.4m received by 45
UK organisations in 2015
Lars Ulrik Mortensen directs the students of the 2015 Orchestral Course of the EUBO Mobile Baroque Academy, which is a Cooperation Project led by the UK-based European Union Baroque Orchestra
Calling Tree, part of Imagine 2020 (2.0), a Cooperation Project involving two UK partners: LIFT and Artsadmin. Photo Š Tony Fanning
9
SMALL COOPERATION PROJECTS: RESULTS Small Cooperation Projects involve a minimum of three partners from three of the countries participating in Creative Europe and partnerships can apply for up to €200,000 for projects that last up to four years. Here are the supported organisations in the UK and the projects they were involved in. More details, stories, links, images and contact information can be found on our website: www.creativeeuropeuk.eu/funded-projects 2014 BENEFICIARY ORGANISATION
PROJECT NAME
UK NATION
LOCATION (IN ENGLAND)
LEAD/ PARTNER
TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED TO PROJECT €
Maritime Archaeology Trust
Common Cultural Connections
England
South East
Lead
191,873
Curated Place
Moving Classics Network for New Music
England
North
Lead
199,000
England
London
Lead
200,000
British Council
Take Over
Tate
Writing Exhibitions/Exhibiting Literature: An Imaginary European Museum
England
North
Lead
200,000
Mind the Gap
Crossing the Line
England
North
Partner
200,000
Sounds Right
ELiT Literaturehouse Europe
England
London
Partner
200,000
Goldsmiths’ College
FORMER WEST, Culminating Phase: Edits, Annotations, Proposals
England
London
Partner
200,000
198 Contemporary Arts and Learning
In/visible cities - International Festival of Urban Multimedia
England
London
Partner
199,958
BE Festival
International Young Makers in Action
England
Midlands
Partner
200,000
England
South West
Partner
200,000 199,990
Plymouth College of Art
Made@EU
Abandon Normal Devices
Masters & Servers: Networked Culture in the Post-Digital Age
England
North
Partner
University of Kent
Playing Identities, Performing Heritage
England
South East
Partner
Central School of Speech and Drama
Playing Identities, Performing Heritage
England
London
Partner
200,000
Dundee and Angus College
SYMBOLS - Culture of Death & Cultural Life
Scotland
Partner
198,086
The Arts Catalyst
Trust me, I’m an artist
England
Partner
197,727
Pacificstream
Virtual Sets: Creating and promoting virtual sets for the performing arts
England
North
Partner
199,441
SeaChange Arts
JR Circus
England
South East
Partner 195,216
10
London
2015 BENEFICIARY ORGANISATION
PROJECT NAME
UK NATION
LOCATION (IN ENGLAND)
LEAD/ PARTNER
TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED TO PROJECT €
Siobhan Davies Dance
Dancing Museums
England
London
Partner
200,000
Crafts Council
NETWORKED ENCOUNTERS
England
London
Partner
200,000
LUX
ON & FOR PRODUCTON: A European Project ON and FOR Artists’ Moving Image
England
London
Partner
71,832
Upstart Theatre
PHONE HOME
England
London
Partner
167,165
The Place
Pivot Dance
England
London
Lead
199,899
Actiondog
REJuvenate European Design
England
London
Lead
167,440
Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras
Skills, Practice and Recruitment of European musicians for tomorrow. Audience Development in classical music England
London
Partner
199,206
English National Opera
The Pirates of Penzance
England
London
Lead
200,000
Candoco Dance Company
Un-Label - New Grounds for inclusive Performing Arts
England
London
Partner
200,000
London Symphony Orchestra
Unlocking the Maze: Raising the Voice of European Communities
England
London
Lead
200,000
University of Wolverhampton
POP DRAMA: Circulating of European Playwriting through people’s choice England
Midlands
Partner
199,680
Birmingham City University
Rostrum+
England Midlands
Partner
200,000
University of Wolverhampton
Theatres for All
England
Midlands
Partner
199,920
Peshkar Productions
< 25 // Alternative Routes to Ripen through Theatre England
North
Partner
199,747
North
Partner
60,000
FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) A Moeda
England
Pacificstream
ARTCYCLING COOP: Sustainable and inclusive decorative arts
England
North
Partner
138,126
Pacificstream
Citizen Artist Incubator
England
North
Partner
199,084
East Street Arts
EX(S)PORTS
England
North
Partner
137,400
SeaChange Arts
Contact Zones
England
South East
Partner
197,894
ArtReach
Night of Festivals - a celebration of European freedom
England
South East
Lead
184,411
Southampton Solent University
Trans-National Creative Exchange
England
South East
Lead
199,803
Fabrica
Understanding Territoriality: Identity, Place and Possession
England
South East
The Nerve Centre
Future Artist-Maker Labs
Northern Ireland
Lead
200,000
Lead
200,000
National Galleries of Scotland
Ich bin hier. Europäische Gesichter
Scotland
Partner
200,000
YDance: Scottish Youth Dance
Let’s Dance! Community-Dance-Theatre project Scotland
Partner
195,745
The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland
MusXchange - EFNYO’s programme fostering transnational mobility, strengthening of skills and audience building for pre-professional musicians in Europe (2015-17)
Partner
173,758
Scotland
11
SMALL COOPERATION PROJECTS: CASE STUDIES ArtReach – Night of Festivals – a celebration of European (FREEDOM) Night of Festivals takes places in locations across Europe as part of a Small Cooperation Project entitled FREEDOM, which was awarded a Creative Europe grant of €184,000 in 2015. It brings together a partnership involving ArtReach (UK), Haus Drei (Germany) and The Fabric Association (Bulgaria). The project offers a platform for new, emerging or established artists, whose work explores themes of freedom and democracy. “In October 2015 the first presentation from the FREEDOM project brought together European partners and artists from the UK, Germany, Bulgaria and Romania to bring new dimensions to a special version of Night of Festivals in Leicester. The European elements of the festival included a sensational night-time lit carnival, a series of outdoor visual arts installations and an urban art freedom wall project. This exceptional work added an exciting, stimulating and colourful ingredient to a Night of Festivals SPECIAL EDITION event that was the cultural centrepiece for the Rugby World Cup programme in Leicester. The event was enjoyed by audiences of circa 60,000. In 2016 the project is delivered in Gabrovo (Bulgaria) and in Hamburg, before a final presentation on the South Bank in London (by Tower Bridge) in August.” David Hill, Director, ArtReach ArtReach, Night-Time Lit Carnival as part of FREEDOM, featuring Stelzen-Art, Oakleaf Creativity and Mandinga Arts
12
Mind the Gap – Crossing the Line
The Place – Pivot Dance
Bradford-based Mind the Gap is the UK’s largest learning disability theatre company and they are working with partners in France and Sweden on a project focused on learning-disabled artists. Together they aim to enhance the mobility of these artists around Europe; set up a programme of exchange and learning opportunities; share knowledge of business models; and develop audiences for their work.
Dance organisations in the UK, Italy and the Netherlands are working together on Pivot Dance. The project aims to develop a programme for choreographers, producers and audiences which stimulates and enables conversation about the creation of new dance work. The project focuses on developing the artistic voice and entrepreneurial instincts of early career artists and exploring how they can work with producers and audiences from the very start of the creative process.
“Mind the Gap has already enjoyed enormous benefits from working with our partners Moomstearten (Sweden) and L’Oiseau Mouche (France) - the skills residencies have provided a rare opportunity for learning-disabled artists to work internationally, learn from each other, and exchange skills and ideas. We are all learning through the strengths we share and different challenges we face. We are growing our network to include additional associate partners and extending the network to new parts of Europe. The opportunity to work together to deliver the Crossing the Line Festival in Roubaix, France in January 2017 is really exciting, meaning that our work will reach new and wider audiences from all over the world.” Julia Skelton, Executive Director, Mind the Gap www.crossingtheline.eu
“Collaboration is vital in our work. Working with partners and artists from other cultural contexts is the fuel in our engine. A decade of projects funded through the European Union has played an integral part in our understanding of how we support artists and bring their work to audiences.” Eddie Nixon, Director, The Place
Crossing the Line Choreography Workshop, Sweden
13
LARGE COOPERATION PROJECTS: RESULTS Large Cooperation Projects involve a minimum of six partners from six participating countries and partnerships can apply for up to €2,000,000 for projects that last up to four years. Here are the supported organisations in the UK and the projects they were involved in. More details, stories, links, images and contact information can be found on our website: www.creativeeuropeuk.eu/funded-projects 2014 BENEFICIARY ORGANISATION
PROJECT NAME
UK NATION
LOCATION (IN ENGLAND)
LEAD/ PARTNER
Pilot Theatre
PLATFORM shift+
England
North
Lead
Emergency Exit Arts
PLATFORM shift+
England
London
Partner
International Youth Foundation / European Union Youth Orchestra
Towards 2020: Skilling Musicians & Engaging Audiences
England
London
Lead
John Good
Towards 2020: Skilling Musicians & Engaging Audiences
England
Midlands
Partner
London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT)
Be SpectACTive!
England
London
Partner
York Citizens Theatre Trust
Be SpectACTive!
England
North
Partner
University of Ulster
Ceramics and its dimensions
Northern Ireland
Partner
British Ceramics Biennial (BCB)
Ceramics and its dimensions
England
North
Partner
Staffordshire University
Ceramics and its dimensions
England
North
Partner
TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED TO PROJECT € 2,000,000
1,916,000
1,750,000
1,934,309
Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Ceramics and its dimensions
England
North
Partner
Tate
Collab Arts Partnership Programme: Art in social and community contexts
England
London
Partner
Live Art Development Agency
Collab Arts Partnership Programme: Art in social and community contexts
England
London
Partner
Heart of Glass
Collab Arts Partnership Programme: Art in social and community contexts
England
North
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
CORNERS - turning Europe inside out
Northern Ireland
Partner
Isis Arts
CORNERS - turning Europe inside out
England
North
Partner
Tate
Corpus - European network for performance practice
England
London
Partner
The York Early Music Foundation
eeemerging, Emerging European Ensembles Project
England
North
Partner
1,971,375
GV Art
European Digital Art and Science Network
England
London
Partner
1,097,250
London
1,425,030
Partner
Royal Opera House
European Opera Digital Project
England
Welsh National Opera
European Opera Digital Project
Wales
Partner
England
Partner
Partner
1,283,002 612,299
1,855,688
Clear Village Charitable Trust
Human Cities_Challenging the city scale
University of Cambridge
Sharing a World of Inclusion, Creativity and Heritage
England
South East
Partner
2,000,000
Polka Childrens Theatre
Small Size, Performing Arts for Early Years
England
London
Partner
1,995,000
Nobrow Limited
Transbook, Children’s Literature on the Move
England
London
Partner
1,806,572
14
London
1,880,000
2015 UK NATION
LOCATION (IN ENGLAND)
LEAD/ PARTNER
EUBO Mobile Baroque Academy: Pathways & Performances
England
London
Lead
EUBO Mobile Baroque Academy: Pathways & Performances
England
London
Partner
London
BENEFICIARY ORGANISATION
PROJECT NAME
European Union Baroque Orchestra St John’s Smith Square
TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED TO PROJECT €
2,000,000
London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) Urban Heat
England
Shetland Amenity Trust
Follow the Vikings
Scotland
Lead
York Archaeological Trust
Follow the Vikings
England
Partner
North
Lead
University of the Arts London
Creative Lenses
England
London
Partner
Village Underground
Creative Lenses
England
London
Partner
Olivearte
Creative Lenses
England
South East
Partner
Artsadmin
IMAGINE 2020 (2.0) Art, ecology & possible futures
England
London
Partner
London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) IMAGINE 2020 (2.0) Art, ecology & possible futures
England
London
Partner
980,864
1,960,000
1,964,950
2,000,000
Elastic Eye
LPM 2015 > 2018 - Live Performers Meeting
England
London
Partner
Royal College of Art
NE©XT Accelerator
England
London
Partner
1,025,799
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
NE©XT Accelerator
Scotland
Partner
University of Winchester
NE©XT Accelerator
England
Partner
South East
Derby Quad
Flâneur - New urban narratives
England
Midlands
Partner
Next Level Projects
Flâneur - New urban narratives
England
North
Partner
University for the Creative Arts
an Orchestra Network for Europe - ONE® is more England
South East
Partner
Cinebook
EUROPE COMICS
England
South East
Partner
Creative Foundation
Power of Diversity
England
South East
Partner
The Corn Exchange Trust
Power of Diversity
England
South East
Partner
South West
Plymouth College of Art
Euranim
England
Prime Cut Productions
EU COLLECTIVE PLAYS!
Northern Ireland
740,000
541,097 1,997,528 1,075,223
1,040,681
Partner
297,700
Partner
1,886,770
15
LARGE COOPERATION PROJECTS: CASE STUDIES Shetland Amenity Trust – Follow the Vikings “I am absolutely delighted that the Trust has been successful in securing this funding on behalf of our Viking colleagues. We and our partners have been working for a number of years to make transnational Viking heritage more accessible and understandable to a worldwide audience. We hope that the project will contribute to maintaining and developing Europe as the number one global heritage tourism destination.” Jimmy Moncrieff, General Manager, Shetland Amenity Trust
Led by the Shetland Amenity Trust, Follow the Vikings is a Cooperation Project bringing together 14 partner organisations, including York Archaeological Trust in the UK, and 11 associate partners from across Europe. This project promotes and celebrates Viking heritage throughout Europe and has a particular emphasis on skills development, sharing business models, reaching new audiences, and promoting Europe as a global tourism destination, including the creation of an international touring event. Follow the Vikings was awarded a grant of €1,960,000 from Creative Europe in 2015 and the project continues until 2018.
Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Isis Arts – Corners “This European initiative has provided a brilliant opportunity for our artists to exchange ideas, collaborate across art forms and tell stories from the corners of Europe. These are stories which give voice to more marginalised groups in our society – children, homeless people, prisoners – but they are stories which connect us across cultures through multidisciplinary art.” Roisin McDonough, Chief Executive, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, talks about the Corners projects presented at the Belfast International Festival in 2015
Follow the Vikings
16
Corners is a Creative Europe-supported Cooperation Project that received a grant of €1,283,000 in 2014 to create a platform for artists and audiences, designed and driven by cultural organisations at the fringes of Europe, linking cities and artists in collaborative, international, multidisciplinary projects and through an online platform for artists and audiences called CORNERS Live. Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Isis Arts in Newcastle are the two UK-based partners.
Welsh National Opera, In Parenthesis, commissioned by the Nicholas John Trust with 14-18 NOW: Centenary Art Commissions. This WNO opera is screened on the Opera Platform from the Royal Opera House in July 2016. Photo: Bill Cooper
Royal Opera House and Welsh National Opera – The Opera Platform This Cooperation Project brings together a partnership between Opera Europa (representing 160 opera companies and festivals), the cultural broadcasting channel ARTE, and 15 opera companies from twelve European countries. The Opera Platform, which received €1,855,688 in 2014 and continues until 2018, involves two UK-based partners: Welsh National Opera, Cardiff and the Royal Opera House, London. The project aims to open up opera to new audiences and digitally showcase the diversity of European opera. At least one opera performance per month is live-streamed and available to watch for six months for free on their website, alongside shorter films of archival performances and interviews with major artists from across Europe. All digital content is subtitled in six languages.
“We are thrilled to have been working with Opera Europa and the 14 other opera houses across Europe who participate in The Opera Platform to develop this new important offering to audiences across the world. It is more important than ever that we give people access to experience opera, and to see for themselves the enormous diversity and creativity in the work that goes on in different houses. As major public broadcasters in many countries seem to have less and less appetite for capturing full-length performances, we are thrilled to have developed this new way to capture and showcase opera performances. The funding from Creative Europe enables a brilliant platform for opera lovers – or those interested in the art form – to find interesting work, but almost more importantly it ensures that interesting work across the range gets captured in the first place.” Kasper Holten, Director of Opera, Royal Opera House
Corners - Oh My Home Lost and Found at Belfast School of Art University of Ulster, 2015
17
EUROPEAN PLATFORMS European Platforms is a new funding opportunity introduced with the arrival of the Creative Europe programme in 2014. The emphasis of European Platforms is on audiences and supporting emerging talent. A platform consists of members (such as festivals, venues, libraries, theatres etc.) which together make a commitment to presenting the best of European-produced content and to provide visibility and mobility of new talent. So far, the themes of supported platforms have included poetry (E-merging Creativity), artistic creation in public spaces (IN SITU Platform), contemporary music (Liveurope) and architecture (Future Architecture).
25% of platforms
led by UK organisations
11 UK organisations made the most of this new opportunity and they are involved in six of the eight supported platforms. Two of the eight European Platforms are UK-led: • •
Aerowaves for emerging dance artists and young choreographers Literary Europe Live for emerging European literary creators ANNUAL GRANT AWARDED TO PROJECT €
UK NATION
LOCATION (IN ENGLAND)
LEAD/ PARTNER
Aerowaves
England
London
Lead
Aerowaves
England London
Partner
Ledbury Poetry Festival
E-merging Creativity
England
Midlands
Partner
Norfolk & Norwich Festival
IN SITU Platform
England
South East
Partner
2014
UZ Arts
IN SITU Platform
Scotland
Partner
2014
Village Underground
Liveurope
England London
Partner
2015
Literature Across Frontiers (Aberystwyth University) Literary Europe Live
Wales
Lead
2015
Scottish Poetry Library
Literary Europe Live
Scotland
Partner
2015
Bangor University
Literary Europe Live
Wales
Partner
2015
Hay Festival of Literature & Arts
Literary Europe Live
Wales
Partner
2015
Artifice Books
Future Architecture
England
Partner
YEAR AWARDED
BENEFICIARY ORGANISATION
PROJECT NAME
2014
Aerowaves
2014
The Place
2014 2014
18
London
420,100 366,197 500,000 500,000
455,426
500,000
Literature Across Frontiers Aberystwyth University, Wales
Aerowaves
75% of platforms
involve UK organisations CASE STUDIES: Literary Europe Live “We are delighted to be supported by Creative Europe in our work as a European Platform. The Literary Europe Live project will allow us to focus on developing audiences for European writing in all genres and particularly to support emerging writers, something we have been successfully doing with earlier projects. The members of our Platform – from prominent large festivals to smaller grassroots ones – will share their expertise in organising literary events and learn from each other about the ingredients of successful pan-European programming. Digital dissemination of literature is another topic we will be focusing on in order to reach young readers in particular. European writing is booming and we are here to help make it travel.” Alexandra Büchler, Director, Literature Across Frontiers, Aberystwyth University, Wales
Aerowaves Hodworks, Conditions of Being a Mortal © Daniel Domolky
Aerowaves is a hub for dance discovery which is supported through Creative Europe’s European Platforms funding opportunity with an annual grant of €420,100 from 2014 until 2017. They identify the most promising new work by emerging dance artists and promote these works through cross-border performances. The Place in London is one of the 24 European members involved in this UK-led dance platform. “Creative Europe funding has galvanised our Platform. The number of artists applying to Aerowaves has increased by a fifth across Europe, and the professional guests at the annual festival have more than doubled, travelling from 42 countries. The live stream has gathered an online audience around the world, and we are nurturing a new generation of dance writers. All these activities drive new opportunities for younger artists, many of them completely unforeseen. More presenters want to join us from Novi Sad to Limerick, and we are hoping that we will be able to meet demand in our third year through enhanced funding.” John Ashford, Director, Aerowaves
19
EUROPEAN NETWORKS Creative Europe Desk UK encourages UK organisations to join European cultural networks in order to meet peers and potential partners to collaborate with. Many cultural networks are supported by Creative Europe through the European Networks funding opportunity. These networks aim to support their members’ capacity to operate transnationally and adapt to change. Networks encourage linguistic and cultural diversity, strengthen competitiveness, and promote skill-sharing and good practice.
“As a member and more recently President of the Europe Jazz Network (EJN), I have found getting to know jazz promoters from across Europe invaluable in developing our own approach to jazz programming here at Sage Gateshead. The activities EJN are undertaking, supported through our Creative Europe funding, also help my understanding of potential developments far beyond jazz – such as in the fields of environmental sustainability and addressing gender issues. Visiting other European cities as part of our work is also fascinating, particularly those in Central Europe who are investing a great deal in culture and are attracting younger people as audiences and participants.” Ros Rigby, Performance Programme Director, Sage Gateshead, and President, Europe Jazz Network
23 European
networks supported
20
IETM (international network for contemporary performing arts) meeting in Budapest in 2015. IETM has 66 members from the UK. © Balázs Turós
European networks often hold events in the UK such as Culture Action Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conference, which took place in Gateshead in October 2014, and the European Network of Cultural Centres Conference, hosted by Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre in February 2016. Take a look at our website for a list of creative and cultural networks, some of which are supported by Creative Europe: www.creativeeuropeuk.eu/european-networks
21
TRANSLATING EUROPEAN LITERATURE
LITERARY TRANSLATION Creative Europe’s Literary Translation funding opportunity supports publishers and publishing houses to translate literary works from one European language into another. The fund aims to support cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe, promote the transnational circulation of high quality literary works, as well as to improve access to these literary works so that they can reach new audiences. Four UK publishers were awarded a total of €165,000 from Creative Europe to translate 19 European titles into English and publish them in the UK. Publisher UK Nation Grant Quercus Editions (MacLehose) England €94,108 Peirene Press England €20,043 Istros Books England €19,094 Harvill Secker (Random House) England €31,334
€165,000 received by UK publishers
24
CASE STUDIES: Istros Books “Creative Europe is exactly what it says it is - it is a fund dedicated to enabling culture to flourish and travel within our European space, and, for that reason, it is of the utmost importance. Istros has received translation funding over the past four years, and without it we would not have been able to bring these important books to an Englishspeaking audience. Our last project was for two novels from Bosnia and one from Romania. Two of the books are EU Prize for Literature winners and all of them offer English readers a unique insight into the culture and identity of the Balkans.” Susan Curtis-Kojakovic, Editor, Istros Books. Istros’ founding strategy is to bring quality literature from South East Europe to English-speaking readers and the grant supported the translation of three novels from Bosnian and Romanian into English.
Peirene Press â&#x20AC;&#x153;The funding we were given for our Chance Encounter series was absolutely invaluable. All aspects of our project benefitted from it, from translation costs to book production to running events. It also allowed us to secure advertising in places unavailable to us before. In a time when publishing translated fiction can be a risk, Creative Europe funding has allowed us to focus on the quality of the books, and helped us to reach a wider audience.â&#x20AC;? James Tookey, Peirene Press The Creative Europe grant supported the translation of three novels from Finnish, French and Norwegian into English.
19 novels
translated into English
25
REWARDING CULTURAL EXCELLENCE
EUROPEAN CULTURAL PRIZES Through Creative Europe, the European Commission also supports a variety of prizes and initiatives to increase the visibility of Europe’s cultural sectors and highlight excellence: • • • • • • •
European Capitals of Culture European Heritage Days EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards European Heritage Label EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Award European Border Breakers Awards EU Prize for Literature
All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld (Vintage)
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UK organisations, projects and people have been commended with these awards. For example: • Evie Wyld was the UK winner of the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) in 2014 for her novel All the Birds, Singing. • Saw Swee Hock Student Centre at the London School of Economics was one of the five finalists of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture / Mies van der Rohe Award in 2015. • John Newman and Disclosure were awarded European Border Breakers Awards, in 2015 and 2014 respectively. This award celebrates the best pop, rock and dance acts in Europe to have achieved cross-border chart success. • Seven initiatives in the UK were awarded an EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Award in 2014-2015: • Abbotsford: The Home of Sir Walter Scott, Melrose • Churches Conservation Trust, London • Heritage Skills Initiative, Newcastle upon Tyne • Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent • Shaping 24: Promoting Heritage in Norwich and Ghent, Norwich • Stonehenge, Wiltshire • Young Archaeologists’ Club,York
Europa Nostra award winner in 2015 Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, saved and restored by The Princeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Regeneration Trust. Photo: Š Twisted Mind Photography
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CREATIVE EUROPE DESK UK WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE HELP With our Culture sub-programme specialists based at the British Council, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Welsh Government and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, we work with these partners to reach out to new audiences and provide expert advice to applicants. In 2014 and 2015, we have helped cultural, creative and heritage organisations in all four UK nations to obtain Creative Europe funding to support their ambitious international projects. Our team has welcomed thousands of cultural professionals to over 60 free information seminars and workshops across the UK, from Dundee to Derry, Harlech to Poole. We are delighted that many organisations are subsequently inspired to apply for Creative Europe funding. A strong turnout at our Cooperation Projects application workshops and webinars resulted in UK organisations benefitting the most of all European countries from this funding opportunity in 2015. Collaboration is a vital element of Creative Europe’s Culture sub-programme projects and it is also an essential part of our activities. Working with a range of partners and peers is a great way to meet new prospective applicants. We have worked in partnership with Working Internationally Regional Project (WIRP) to inform the heritage and museum sector about Creative Europe; with local councils such as Aberdeen City Council; and with the European Literature Network in London to inspire publishers and the literature sector to get involved in Creative Europe.
Encouraging networking is an important part of our role and we organised regular get-togethers of Creative Europe-supported organisations so that they can exchange advice, feedback and insight. Furthermore, we invited three European cultural networks – IETM, Culture Action Europe and Europe Jazz Network – and UK-based members of these networks – such as LIFT, Artsadmin and Fabrica – to London in 2015 to describe how networking at an international level can enhance their staff’s skills and their programmes. We attend and present at cultural conferences and festivals across the UK to raise awareness of international collaboration and Creative Europe, including the Audiences NI Conference, Publishing Scotland Conference, APAC Conference, Hay Festival of Literature and Arts, National Eisteddfod of Wales, Edinburgh Festivals, Museums Galleries Scotland Conference and Museums Association Conference. Our online audiences have also gone from strength to strength with the launch of Creative Europe Desk UK’s website and a range of film content to inspire and assist UK applicants, from video application tutorials to case studies of Creative Europe-funded projects. Remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@CEDUK_Culture) to get the latest updates on our events and activities. We look forward to working with many more of you in the years to come. Creative Europe Desk UK
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Beneficiaries get-together at No Boundaries conference in Manchester in 2015
Read our other biennial report on the Creative Europe MEDIA sub-programmeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support for the audiovisual sector in the UK: www.creativeeuropeuk.eu/ publications
GET IN TOUCH Creative Europe Desk UK offers free advice and support to creative professionals. Come to one of our regular workshops, seminars and networking events, drop us an email or call us for a chat to discuss your ideas and get application advice. Our team of specialists is based across the UK, in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast: www.creativeeuropeuk.eu/contact-us Visit our website to browse funding opportunities, be inspired by funded projects and keep up-to-date with the latest deadlines via our e-newsletter: www.creativeeuropeuk.eu Follow us on Twitter: @CEDUK_Culture Like us on Facebook: /CEDUKCulture #creativeeurope The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. This report was published by Creative Europe Desk UK in May 2016.
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With support from the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the European Commission.