La rencontre de Saint-Etienne: French territories, Europe and Culturee
- from: 18.09.2008
- to: 20.09.2008
- In: Saint-Etienne, Hôtel de Ville
The association "Les rencontres", founded for and by elected representatives with responsibility for culture and education from all levels of local government of the European Union and further afield, is a forum for cooperation, debates and actions in the area of the cultural policies of towns and cites, departments, regions, provinces etc. It encourages the implementation of real cultural processes and, as a result, helps to build the Europe of culture by leading the debate about ideas with a view to developing a European citizenship. The association works closely with experts, academics, cultural networks, associations of elected representatives and artists with whom it conducts effective research work.
After Görlitz in Germany and Covilhã in Portugal in 2007, within the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and in collaboration with the FNCC (French association of local elected leaders for culture) and the City of Saint-Etienne, La rencontre de Saint-Etienne will be held on Friday 19 September 2008 to discuss the topic of "French territories, Europe and Culture.'
The idea of this meeting is to introduce the general objectives of the French Presidency to the elected representatives, insisting in particular on the cultural aspects, the audio-visual sector and education.
Furthermore, the discussions will make the (newly) elected officials more aware of the European cultural challenges and involve them in projects with a European dimension. In short, it seeks to situate the cultural policies of local government within the European context. Best practices will be highlighted, particularly those which have been implemented thanks to European funds and programmes.
These elected representatives will then be able to share this Europe of culture with all citizens and cultural actors of their home territory - groups who are often not always aware of the cultural opportunities offered by Europe. This meeting is aimed at French elected representatives, as well as "observer" elected officials and professionals from other countries.
- Updated: 25.09.2008
