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Networks: The Evolving Aspects of Culture int he 21st Century, Zagreb/Croatia, 13-15 November 2009
Jaka Primorac
orcid.org/0000-0001-6969-4598
; Institute for International Relations, IMO, Zagreb, Croatia
Paško Bilić
; Institute for International Relations, IMO, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The Third World Culturelink Conference was held in Zagreb from 13 to 15 November 2009, bringing together Culturelink Network's members, researchers, artists, professionals, and many others who perceive networking as one of the most intriguing phenomenon of contemporary culture. It was attended by 130 participants from all continents, representing research organizations, national and international associations, foundations, cultural institutions and universities. The event marked the 20th anniversary of the Culturelink Network, that was established in 1989 by UNESCO and the Council of Europe. The Institute for International Relations (IMO) in Zagreb, Croatia has been the focal point of the Culturelink Network since its inception. The first plenary session entitled Twenty Years of Cultural Networking reflected on the successful history of the Culturelink Network in the context of the general development of networks during the past twenty years. Presentations in this session focused on general issues within the context of networking but also analyzed current trends and relevant practices through several case studies from Europe, Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. They highlighted the need to revisit the concept of establishment and initial development of cultural networks as well as the current status of networks, key agents, and dominant approaches and challenges. The second plenary session dealt with the Effects of ICT and Digital Culture on Networking Dynamics. Questions were raised concerning actual cultural practices and their efficacy in linking diverse cultural contexts, strategies of sustainable development, the technology which facilitates cultural interaction and the way it shapes cultural practices in a constantly changing landscape of digital communication. The second day of the Third World Culturelink Conference was opened by the third plenary session of the programme entitled Cultural Networks and Cultural Policy. The status of cultural networks in relation to national and trans-national policy making was questioned, as well as innovative practices and forms of cultural policy-making in the local and global contexts. This session highlighted the importance of the redefinition of cultural policies in the light of the convergence of culture, the digital environment and the overall global interconnectedness of economic, political and social changes. The fourth plenary session was devoted to the Evolving Networking Culture. It highlighted the networking culture within its current context, and identified areas of shared concern, which generated discussions on crucial questions about the development of cultural networking and the possible future of cultural networks. The Third World Culturelink Conference highlighted the important transformations of cultural networking that took place in the course of the past two decades: thus we are moving from networking of cultures to networked cultures, which is a significant step that leads us to face new challenges. One such challenge might be the emergence of networked identities, the research into which could be the theme of the Fourth World Culturelink Conference to be held in 2012.
Keywords
Croatia; Zagreb; Culturelink; network; conference
Hrčak ID:
59906
URI
Publication date:
1.6.2010.
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