Symposium 2, De Munt, from 11:00

February 22th,

On February 22nd, De Munt / La Monnaie opens its doors to an exceptional event hosted by the platform State of the Arts : a symposium assembling the different players of the arts field concerning our future.

The current austerity policy and budget cuts imposed by the Flemish Minister of Culture and the Federal Government, should not divide us. On the contrary, we should find ways to defend ourselves in solidarity and to voice our desires as a concerned collective.

Recognizing the complexity of an increasingly superdiverse society, what policy alternatives can we suggest that can take on the societal challenges of today, rather than follow the dogma of “there is no alternative” to austerity? What actions can be taken together as a field to resist the tendency towards even more market-driven arts practices – a tendency we feel will lead to monoculture?

5 different and intertwined perspectives on the importance of diversity of the arts are proposed as a way to focus the debate:

1. Art as an equal within the diversity of practices in society
2. The diversity of players within the arts field
3. The diversity of art forms
4. The specificity of finance models for the arts within the diversity of economies
5. The diversity of organizational models for arts practices.

With your participation, this symposium can be a starting point towards articulating ourselves in an empowering way as an arts field towards cultural minister Mr. Gatz and his government and towards the rest of society. Unity and consensus among us is not necessarily the goal, but an in-depth and articulated debate are the bare essentials to becoming a stronger force within a pluralist society.

Register now

Through this call SOTA invites concerned art practitioners, organizations, institutions, etc… to gather together. SOTA will offer a set-up with parallel roundtable-discussions, as well as collective sessions, keynote lectures, a coffee bar and vegan food.