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EWA Network invited to the Voices of Culture Dialogue

GENDER EQUALITY: GENDER BALANCE IN THE CULTURAL AND CREATIVE SECTORS

35 organizations will be participating in working sessions for the theme 'Gender Balance in the Cultural and Creative Sectors'. All participants will attend a Brainstorming Meeting at Goethe-Institut Prag in September and a Dialogue Meeting in November in Brussels.

In 2007, the European Agenda for Culture, adopted by the Commission, set out three strategic objectives, namely the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, the promotion of culture as a catalyst for creativity and the promotion of culture as a vital element in the Union’s international relations. It also introduced two tools for cooperation in the field of culture at EU level: the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) with EU Member States and a Structured Dialogue (SD) with civil society.

Through the Structured Dialogue, the Commission maintains a regular dialogue with civil society. During this process, stakeholders provide key ideas and messages that can also be shared with the relevant OMC experts. This dialogue with the culture sector provides a framework for exchanging views and information, and ensures that the voice of civil society organisations is heard.

As of 2015, the second strand of the Structured Dialogue has taken another form, with the launch of Voices of Culture.

1. Brainstorming Session

About 35 representatives from civil society in the EU Member States convene in different European cities and Brussels to discuss a selected topic in a Brainstorming Session. These representatives are selected after responding to a call for applications and on the basis of achieving representation from a diverse range of interests and a broad geographical spread.

2. Brainstorming Report

The report of the Brainstorming Session summarizes core ideas gathered during the meeting and messages to be conveyed. All finalized Brainstorming Reports are made available on this website.

3. Dialogue Meetings

The participants of the Brainstorming Session meet representatives of the European Commission at a Dialogue Meeting in Brussels. The aim is to present and discuss the outcomes and key messages resulting from the Brainstorming. The discussions held during the Structured Dialogue with stakeholders have been complementing the work and dialogue between EU decision-makers, which is taking place through the OMC on the same themes.

 

Who is participating?

After an open call for applications, 35 organizations were chosen to participate in the dialogue cycle on Gender Balance in the Cultural and Creative Sectors. Each of the following networks and organizations, will send one representative to the Brainstorming Meeting and Dialogue Meeting: