[spectre] EU cultural policy draft document

Tue, 16 Jul 2002 22:09:48 +0200

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PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING MANIFESTO IS A DRAFT DOCUMENT CURRENTLY BEING =
REWORKED BY RADICAL MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES.

THE RADICAL MANIFESTO : TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN=20

RADICAL is funded by the EU IST programme to explore the contribution =
creativity makes to the European knowledge economy and to building =
strong societies within Europe. A two-year project, it convenes three =
European media arts and cultural organisations* - the SMARTlab UK at =
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, the Ecole =
sup=E9rieure de l'image in Angoul=EAme-Poitiers, and the Waag Society in =
Amsterdam, together with a network of artists, creative professionals, =
and small and large businesses.=20

[http://www.get-radical.net]

* By media arts and cultural organisations, RADICAL refers to structures =
which, on a profit and/or non-profit basis, are engaged in practice-led =
research involving arts and technology in the cultural sector=20

WHY A MANIFESTO ?

RADICAL is committed to proposing and defending policies likely to =
broaden and diversify creative visions and practice within the enlarged =
European Union. To this end, we strive to feed our own project =
experience into debate on how Europe values creativity, fosters =
innovation, and funds the seedbed for tomorrow's society.=20

At the conclusion of the third and final RADICAL lab - Mediatheque - =
held in London from 8-12 July, 2002, the extended community of core =
partners, members and affiliated cultural institutions, artist groups, =
educational institutes, labs, SMEs and individuals, expressed their =
concerns regarding the future of creative research initiatives in the =
EU.=20

These concerns are underpinned by foreseeable difficulties for media =
arts and cultural organisations and SMEs to be supported in 6th =
Framework Programme (hereafter FP6). We feel it is a matter of great =
urgency to articulate and clarify our position and objectives as =
Creative Practitioner-Researchers within the vision of the past and =
future IST programmes.=20

The RADICAL remit to address collaborative issues involving research and =
development projects that meld expertise from arts, science, technology =
and social sectors has produced an extensive body of critical discourse =
and prototype/ product development that reflects the state of our =
current practice. The recognition and validation of our professional =
experience and skills in practice-led research in arts and technology in =
the cultural sector by international, national and regional funding =
agencies is henceforth a key issue for RADICAL.=20

Constraints placed upon formulating an FP6 Network of Excellence seem to =
undermine if not exclude participation by many of our current members =
and associates. Notably, recognition of researchers with essentially =
academic credentials and affiliations rules out full-fledged =
participation by non-academics working in the multidisciplinary research =
teams we stand for. Moreover, despite moves to ostensibly facilitate FP6 =
involvement for future Union members and SMEs, media arts and cultural =
organisations from Central and Eastern Europe, like small, creative =
firms engaged in innovative, risk-taking research, can rarely accept the =
cumbersome administrative and financial conditions laid down by EU =
contracts.=20

As we head towards successful completion of the RADICAL project, we do =
not know whether and to what extent the upcoming FP6 will be able to =
take on board our ideas and ideals. The RADICAL network of excellence is =
however bound to continue, with or without EU funding, as this network =
is formed by a particularly lively community which shares strong =
creative and social values. Consequently, the present Manifesto has been =
drawn up to formulate and proactively communicate our vision of European =
creative research, focussing on work undertaken by media arts and =
cultural organisations in keeping with RADICAL's ethics, network, =
history, activities, and priorities.=20

CREATIVE RESEARCH AND INTERDISCIPLINARY DYNAMICS=20

Europe's creative landscape features numerous research organisations =
characterised by their engagement in community-building relationships. =
Because they are finely tuned to social behaviours and environments, =
these organisations are generating a specific kind of fundamental =
research, notably in the areas of collaborative creation and collective =
authorship afforded by digital technologies.=20

Today more than ever, this research has a vital role to play in =
optimising and widening ICT assimilation, thereby promoting more =
participatory, creative kinds of citizenship within and beyond the =
borders of the newly redefined European Union.=20

Over the past decade, many research organisations grounded in =
contemporary artistic and cultural practice have built interdisciplinary =
platforms drawing people from highly diversified social backgrounds. A =
strong, shared commitment to promoting the "culture commons" - analogous =
to the "knowledge commons" - endows these structures with real cohesion. =
At the same time, by virtue of their social and disciplinary =
heterogeneity, they are natural and effective team-workers and partners =
within all sorts of research consortia.=20

CULTURE COMMONS AND KNOWLEDGE COMMONS=20

Many media arts and cultural organisations are experienced in the =
management of research platforms designed to ensure interdisciplinary =
openness, convergence, and synthesis. They can thus counter the =
fragmentation which occurs when proprietary research areas are fenced =
off by businesses seeking immediate revenue sources, and by blue-sky =
institutions whose lengthy research programmes preclude swift =
dissemination of findings. These two types of activity lead to =
compartmentalisation of precisely those sectors that need to be =
connected to ensure and promote sustainable research.=20

Media arts and cultural organisations offer a third model, together with =
the microenterprise clusters that are frequently our partners. Small =
creative companies engaged in new media production are often a less =
visible but more audacious force of innovation than their large-scale =
industrial counterparts, and are apt to provide unique input to new =
media consortia. Media arts and cultural organisations are ideally =
placed to act as the necessary intermediate R&D force, federating and =
synergising energies from academic and industrial sectors.=20

The sharing and transmission of public knowledge is a prerequisite for a =
thriving, participatory society based on equality. In addition to their =
ability to pool know-how apt to spearhead ICT research, media arts and =
cultural organisations offer models of alternative practice, and a =
unique contribution to ongoing debate about intellectual property rights =
and the knowledge commons.=20

RE-DEFINING AND RECOGNISING RESEARCH=20

Infocommunications technologies provide powerful new means for exchange =
and expression in the redefined agora. National and international =
organisations are today seeking to enhance creativity by setting up =
pioneering programmes geared towards socially meaningful appropriations =
of ICT.=20

Media arts and cultural organisations with solid track records of =
sustainable research into creative, participatory uses of new media are =
potentially invaluable contributors to ongoing community efforts. This =
potential demands full recognition in the framework of the European =
Union's R&D programmes.=20

Criteria currently used to assess research proposals and to define, thus =
legitimate researcher status, fail to cater for certain areas where =
innovation is vigorously occurring and is moreover vitally needed by the =
broader community. Benchmarks implemented by traditional academia tend =
to favour peer-review validated research carried out by university =
specialists working within disciplinary confines, rather than research =
undertaken in interdisciplinary environments by heteroclite teams with =
overtly social preoccupations and goals.=20

Yet social issues are endemic to the forms of expression emerging with =
infocommunications technologies: the value of many R&D projects carried =
out by media arts and cultural organisations is anchored in tools and =
technologies which by their very nature demand open, multidisciplinary, =
participatory development processes. These processes must take into =
account the need to build economically viable knowledge enterprises, =
which at the same time are able to uphold European identities and =
ethics.=20

NEW ACTORS AND AUDIENCES FOR NEW RESEARCH=20

Media arts and cultural organisations ensure unique feedback on =
infocommuniations technologies, grounded in constantly updated practical =
experimentation formally shaped as creative works and events.=20

This role was recognised by the Fourth Framework Programme "i3" projects =
(Intelligent Information Interfaces), which highlit hard- and software =
research by multidisciplinary teams convening computer and social =
scientists, and artists using digital technologies. Artistic =
institutions enlisted on this programme include the Royal College of Art =
(London), Netherlands Design Institute (Amsterdam), Domus Academy =
(Milan), and Zentrum f=FCr Kunst und Medientechnologie (Karlsruhe). =
Despite difficulties inherent to initiating dialogue between very =
different categories of researchers, ICT feedback from these consortia =
was considered both informative and engaging, for the immediate European =
R&D community and for the broader public.=20

Media arts and cultural organisations, which play an essential =
communications role, are positioned at the vital and subtle intersection =
of fundamental research and eminently public dissemination activities. =
Firmly anchored in the public sphere, they are a source of social =
innovation, cohesion, and employment, as builders of new, increasingly =
participatory audiences and communities.=20

YESTERDAY'S AND TOMORROW'S CREATION: BUILDING THE FUTURE HERITAGE=20

Increasing amounts of EU research and technology funding over the past =
decade have been channelled towards organisations dubbed " memory =
institutions ", devoted to the preservation of, broadened access to, and =
heightened awareness of cultural heritage. Substantial IT and community =
backing has gone into the digitisation of archives and cultural =
artefacts, providing European citizens with high value educational and =
cultural products, which are enriching society in new and important =
ways.=20

Within a fast-growing community striving to build meaningful, shareable =
cultural identities, Europe's present and future heritage is at least as =
important as its past. Today's creation, i.e. the cultural legacy of =
tomorrow's memory institutions, demands recognition and investment =
parallel to that which continues to bolster IT developments in the =
museum and heritage sectors.=20

WHY CREATIVE MEDIA DEVELOPMENT CANNOT BE LEFT TO THE MARKET

The value chain from creative idea to the international market place is =
fragmented and calls for integrated approaches to support visions, =
concepts, design, training, development, and production in new media =
creation. Failing such approaches, new media development will be reduced =
to cautious reiterations of existing technologies, in answer to =
short-term market-driven specifications.=20

Core funding is a vital prerequisite for open research and =
experimentation untrammeled by constraints to deliver predefined =
products and clearly predefinable outcomes. Properly structured support =
mechanisms could provide valuable leverage and promote alliances between =
large-scale enterprises with research needs, SMEs, and dynamic cultural =
research sectors. Without such alliances, energies which are too =
systematically and short-sightedly harnessed to market imperatives are =
likely to subside, and no longer constitute the vital creative resource =
needed by a dynamic society.=20

As the European community and market steadily grow over the next decade, =
incentive funds to promote these alliances will be a decisive placement =
for future generations, endowing them with optimal, evolving means of =
exchange and expression. If adequately recognised and supported, =
infocommunications tools will act as vectors of new forms of sociality, =
engendering vital and viable niches of social and economic activity.=20

New production and management processes, together with new business and =
funding models, must be devised to provide independent creatives and =
microenterprises with support mechanisms adapted to the fast evolving =
skill-sets and market conditions encountered in the world of digital =
media and infocommunications technologies. A thriving digital economy =
extending through and beyond greater Europe requires the pooling and =
synergising of a wide array of creative media resources, to form a =
veritable " digital ecology ".

REMAPPING EU, NATIONAL, AND REGIONAL POLICIES=20

Europe's strengths and weaknesses lie in commonalities and differences =
manifest at all levels, from physical geography to cultural practice. =
Optimising this diversity for the benefit of Europe and the rest of the =
world means making and implementing audacious, incisive, cohesive =
European policy.=20

Ongoing and imminent remapping of the EU, with negotiations underway for =
accession of thirteen candidate member states, will decisively influence =
European life-styles and identities. New forms of communication and =
exchange to weld and promote the extended European community are =
becoming more necessary than ever.=20

Structural support mechanisms like the European Regional Development =
Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF), along with solidarity =
programmes inspired by the European Cohesion Fund (ECF), will be heavily =
solicited for the building of integrated infocommunications routes to =
effectively link greater Europe. Since these funds were first set up =
almost three decades ago, many regions have built dynamic axes of =
transnational exchange by teaming up directly with other European =
regions, often revitalising ancient historical trajectories and =
alliances. In 2004, structural funding will predictably give impetus to =
a new set of alliances, enhanced by state-of-the-art communication and =
computing infrastructures.=20

Transverse cultural strategies have a decisive role to play at local, =
regional, state, and European Union levels, to accompany and weld the =
new components of an enriched European identity. Media arts and cultural =
organisations engaged in interdisciplinary experimentation with =
infocommunications technologies are unique vectors for generating =
dialogue and meaningful symbolic landmarks within the enlarged, remapped =
European Union.

RECOMMENDATIONS=20

To ensure formal recognition of the uniquely transversal, =
interdisciplinary qualities of research driven by artists and creative =
practitioners, and their desirable integration in the shaping of ICT =
consortia, we hereby recommend :

  a.. That specific support mechanisms be implemented to promote =
interdisciplinary research platforms which explicitly include media arts =
and cultural organisations and creative practitioner-researchers ;

  a.. That creative practitioner-researchers who have submitted valid EU =
external evaluator files be regularly called to serve on FP6 research =
proposal evaluation teams : i) to input cultural expertise allowing a =
wider range of original creative research proposals to be justified and =
validated by the European Commission; ii) to give European Commission =
representatives a better grasp of the scope and potential applications =
of creative resources within the EU ; iii) to provide creative =
practitioner-researchers with first-hand knowledge of the stakes and =
procedures of EU framework programmes, thereby encouraging their =
participation in future calls;

  a.. That the unique networking abilities and strategies of media arts =
and cultural organisations be actively and proactively employed to spur =
the development of culturally meaningful infocommunications activities =
in greater Europe, particular importance being attached to Central and =
East European networking ;

  a.. That the need to uphold the culture commons and maximise equal =
access to infocommunications technologies, in order to promote the new =
creative, participatory kinds of citizenship they afford, be recognised =
and defended;

  a.. That the need to valorise and invest in Europe's future heritage =
by actively supporting today's artistic and cultural practices, =
including and especially those which have outstripped the confines of =
traditional 19th and 20th century cultural institutions, be recognised =
and defended ;

  a.. That effort be made by the European Commission to simplify =
administrative procedures and requirements, and to accelerate financial =
management processes to shorten payment and reimbursement schedules =
which are currently untenable for many media arts and cultural =
organisations, to allow their more active participation in future =
framework programmes.

EUROPEAN CULTURAL POLICY DOCUMENTS

The following selected policy documents have been jointly or =
individually authored by RADICAL members over the past five years, and =
represent long-held and well-published convictions about the issues =
reiterated in this Manifesto:

1997=20

The Amsterdam Agenda - fostering emergent practice in Europe's media =
culture=20

Conference " From Practice to Policy : Towards a European Media Culture =
"=20

http://www.e-c-b.net/ecb/about/articles/992927295

(also published in New Media Culture in Europe, cf. infra)

1997=20

Transdisciplinarite et genese de nouvelles formes artistiques=20

Report commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication=20

[www.culture.fr/mrt/bibliotheque/norman/norman.rtf]

1998=20

Networking Centres of Innovation

Report to European Commission representatives, EU Conference on " =
Cultural Competence. New Technologies, Culture and Employment ", Linz=20

http://www.e-c-b.net/ecb/about/articles/992926017

1998

Cultural Competence/Cultures of Electronic Networks

Paper at the EU Conference on " Cultural Competence. New Technologies, =
Culture and Employment "

http://www.kulturdokumentation.org/eversion/public_proj/e_stikker.html

1998=20

Culture and the New Media Technologies=20

Working paper commissioned by the Unesco Intergovernmental Conference on =
Cultural Policy for Development, Stockholm

[www.unesco-sweden.org/Conference/Papers/Paper9.htm]

1999=20

Creativity & The Framework Research Programmes=20

Position paper submitted to the DGXIII subsequent to a consultative =
meeting on creativity in the IST programme

1999

European Cultural Backbone Protocol

Founding manifesto of the European Cultural Backbone (ECB)

[http://www.e-c-b.net]

1999

New Media Culture in Europe

Anthology of position papers by media theorists, activists and artists

Uitgeverij De Balie/ The Virtual Platform, Amsterdam

http://www.virtueelplatform.nl/docs/brickwoodvp.pdf

2000

European Cultural Backbone (ECB) calls for Bottom-Up ICT Policy=20
Press Release, Vienna/Brussels, 17.07.2000
http://www.e-c-b.net/ecb/about/articles/992928015

2000=20

Information as a Prime and Primarily Relational Value

" Information wants to be Free ", conference series, Kunstverein, =
Hamburg

http://mikro.org/Events/OS/interface5/ms_norman.html

2001=20

EPIFOCAL Project=20

Broadcasting and Broadband Expert Group Meeting=20

Report prepared for European Commission, Information Society DG

http://www.elpub.org/istag/broadband.doc

Manifesto drafted by for and with the RADICAL consortium and affiliates =
by Sally Jane Norman (Ecole sup=E9rieure de l'image, Angoul=EAme/ =
Poitiers), Sher Doruff (De Waag, Amsterdam) ; final edit by Sally Jane =
Norman.

Upstream of presentation to all participants at the end of the London =
lab, marked by active debate and input (see www.get-radical.net for lab =
participation and details), the Manifesto working group was comprised of =
:

Geska Andersson

Susan Benn

Frank Boyd

Manuela Brandeao

Scott de LaHunta=20

Sher Doruff

Ernest Edmonds

James Hemsley

Philippe Poncin

Sally Jane Norman

David Steven

Marleen Stikker

SJN/ RADICAL

Angoul=EAme, July 14th 2002

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PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING MANIFESTO IS A DRAFT =
DOCUMENT=20
CURRENTLY BEING REWORKED BY&nbsp;RADICAL MEMBERS&nbsp;AND =
AFFILIATES.
&nbsp;
THE RADICAL MANIFESTO&nbsp;: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN =

RADICAL is funded by the EU IST programme to explore =
the=20
contribution creativity makes to the European knowledge economy and to =
building=20
strong societies within Europe. A two-year project, it convenes three =
European=20
media arts and cultural organisations* =96 the SMARTlab UK at Central =
Saint=20
Martins College of Art and Design in London, the Ecole sup=E9rieure de =
l=92image in=20
Angoul=EAme-Poitiers, and the Waag Society in Amsterdam, together with a =
network=20
of artists, creative professionals, and small and large businesses. 
[http://www.get-radical.net]

* By media arts and cultural organisations, =
RADICAL refers=20
to structures which, on a profit and/or non-profit basis, are engaged in =

practice-led research involving arts and technology in the cultural =
sector 

&nbsp;
WHY A MANIFESTO&nbsp;?

RADICAL is committed to proposing and defending =
policies likely=20
to broaden and diversify creative visions and practice within the =
enlarged=20
European Union. To this end, we strive to feed our own project =
experience into=20
debate on how Europe values creativity, fosters innovation, and funds =
the=20
seedbed for tomorrow=92s society. 

At the conclusion of the third and final RADICAL lab =
=96=20
Mediatheque =96 held in London from 8-12 July, 2002, the extended =
community of=20
core partners, members and affiliated cultural institutions, artist =
groups,=20
educational institutes, labs, SMEs and individuals, expressed their =
concerns=20
regarding the future of creative research initiatives in the EU. 

These concerns are underpinned by foreseeable =
difficulties for=20
media arts and cultural organisations and SMEs to be supported in 6th =
Framework=20
Programme (hereafter FP6). We feel it is a matter of great urgency to =
articulate=20
and clarify our position and objectives as Creative =
Practitioner-Researchers=20
within the vision of the past and future IST programmes. 

The RADICAL remit to address collaborative issues =
involving=20
research and development projects that meld expertise from arts, =
science,=20
technology and social sectors has produced an extensive body of critical =

discourse and prototype/ product development that reflects the state of =
our=20
current practice. The recognition and validation of our professional =
experience=20
and skills in practice-led research in arts and technology in the =
cultural=20
sector by international, national and regional funding agencies is =
henceforth a=20
key issue for RADICAL. 

Constraints placed upon formulating an FP6 Network of =

Excellence seem to undermine if not exclude participation by many of our =
current=20
members and associates. Notably, recognition of researchers with =
essentially=20
academic credentials and affiliations rules out full-fledged =
participation by=20
non-academics working in the multidisciplinary research teams we stand =
for.=20
Moreover, despite moves to ostensibly facilitate FP6 involvement for =
future=20
Union members and SMEs, media arts and cultural organisations from =
Central and=20
Eastern Europe, like small, creative firms engaged in innovative, =
risk-taking=20
research, can rarely accept the cumbersome administrative and financial=20
conditions laid down by EU contracts. 

As we head towards successful completion of the =
RADICAL=20
project, we do not know whether and to what extent the upcoming FP6 will =
be able=20
to take on board our ideas and ideals. The RADICAL network of excellence =
is=20
however bound to continue, with or without EU funding, as this network =
is formed=20
by a particularly lively community which shares strong creative and =
social=20
values. Consequently, the present Manifesto has been drawn up to =
formulate and=20
proactively communicate our vision of European creative research, =
focussing on=20
work undertaken by media arts and cultural organisations in keeping with =

RADICAL=92s ethics, network, history, activities, and priorities. 
&nbsp;


CREATIVE RESEARCH AND INTERDISCIPLINARY DYNAMICS =


Europe=92s creative landscape features numerous =
research=20
organisations characterised by their engagement in community-building=20
relationships. Because they are finely tuned to social behaviours and=20
environments, these organisations are generating a specific kind of =
fundamental=20
research, notably in the areas of collaborative creation and collective=20
authorship afforded by digital technologies. 

Today more than ever, this research has a vital role =
to play in=20
optimising and widening ICT assimilation, thereby promoting more =
participatory,=20
creative kinds of citizenship within and beyond the borders of the newly =

redefined European Union. 

Over the past decade, many research organisations =
grounded in=20
contemporary artistic and cultural practice have built interdisciplinary =

platforms drawing people from highly diversified social backgrounds. A =
strong,=20
shared commitment to promoting the "culture commons" - analogous to the=20
"knowledge commons" =96 endows these structures with real cohesion. At =
the same=20
time, by virtue of their social and disciplinary heterogeneity, they are =
natural=20
and effective team-workers and partners within all sorts of research =
consortia.=20


&nbsp;
CULTURE COMMONS AND KNOWLEDGE COMMONS 

Many media arts and cultural organisations are =
experienced in=20
the management of research platforms designed to ensure =
interdisciplinary=20
openness, convergence, and synthesis. They can thus counter the =
fragmentation=20
which occurs when proprietary research areas are fenced off by =
businesses=20
seeking immediate revenue sources, and by blue-sky institutions whose =
lengthy=20
research programmes preclude swift dissemination of findings. These two =
types of=20
activity lead to compartmentalisation of precisely those sectors that =
need to be=20
connected to ensure and promote sustainable research. 

Media arts and cultural organisations offer a third =
model,=20
together with the microenterprise clusters that are frequently our =
partners.=20
Small creative companies engaged in new media production are often a =
less=20
visible but more audacious force of innovation than their large-scale =
industrial=20
counterparts, and are apt to provide unique input to new media =
consortia. Media=20
arts and cultural organisations are ideally placed to act as the =
necessary=20
intermediate R&amp;D force, federating and synergising energies from =
academic=20
and industrial sectors. 

The sharing and transmission of public knowledge is a =

prerequisite for a thriving, participatory society based on equality. In =

addition to their ability to pool know-how apt to spearhead ICT =
research, media=20
arts and cultural organisations offer models of alternative practice, =
and a=20
unique contribution to ongoing debate about intellectual property rights =
and the=20
knowledge commons. 

&nbsp;
RE-DEFINING AND RECOGNISING RESEARCH 

Infocommunications technologies provide powerful new =
means for=20
exchange and expression in the redefined agora. National and =
international=20
organisations are today seeking to enhance creativity by setting up =
pioneering=20
programmes geared towards socially meaningful appropriations of ICT. =


Media arts and cultural organisations with solid =
track records=20
of sustainable research into creative, participatory uses of new media =
are=20
potentially invaluable contributors to ongoing community efforts. This =
potential=20
demands full recognition in the framework of the European Union=92s =
R&amp;D=20
programmes. 

Criteria currently used to assess research proposals =
and to=20
define, thus legitimate researcher status, fail to cater for certain =
areas where=20
innovation is vigorously occurring and is moreover vitally needed by the =
broader=20
community. Benchmarks implemented by traditional academia tend to favour =

peer-review validated research carried out by university specialists =
working=20
within disciplinary confines, rather than research undertaken in=20
interdisciplinary environments by heteroclite teams with overtly social=20
preoccupations and goals. 

Yet social issues are endemic to the forms of =
expression=20
emerging with infocommunications technologies: the value of many R&amp;D =

projects carried out by media arts and cultural organisations is =
anchored in=20
tools and technologies which by their very nature demand open,=20
multidisciplinary, participatory development processes. These processes =
must=20
take into account the need to build economically viable knowledge =
enterprises,=20
which at the same time are able to uphold European identities and =
ethics. 

&nbsp;
NEW ACTORS AND AUDIENCES FOR NEW RESEARCH 

Media arts and cultural organisations ensure unique =
feedback on=20
infocommuniations technologies, grounded in constantly updated practical =

experimentation formally shaped as creative works and events. 

This role was recognised by the Fourth Framework =
Programme "i3"=20
projects (Intelligent Information Interfaces), which highlit hard- and =
software=20
research by multidisciplinary teams convening computer and social =
scientists,=20
and artists using digital technologies. Artistic institutions enlisted =
on this=20
programme include the Royal College of Art (London), Netherlands Design=20
Institute (Amsterdam), Domus Academy (Milan), and Zentrum f=FCr Kunst =
und=20
Medientechnologie (Karlsruhe). Despite difficulties inherent to =
initiating=20
dialogue between very different categories of researchers, ICT feedback =
from=20
these consortia was considered both informative and engaging, for the =
immediate=20
European R&amp;D community and for the broader public. 

Media arts and cultural organisations, which play an =
essential=20
communications role, are positioned at the vital and subtle intersection =
of=20
fundamental research and eminently public dissemination activities. =
Firmly=20
anchored in the public sphere, they are a source of social innovation, =
cohesion,=20
and employment, as builders of new, increasingly participatory audiences =
and=20
communities. 

&nbsp;
YESTERDAY=92S AND TOMORROW=92S CREATION: BUILDING THE =
FUTURE=20
HERITAGE 

Increasing amounts of EU research and technology =
funding over=20
the past decade have been channelled towards organisations dubbed =
"&nbsp;memory=20
institutions&nbsp;", devoted to the preservation of, broadened access =
to, and=20
heightened awareness of cultural heritage. Substantial IT and community =
backing=20
has gone into the digitisation of archives and cultural artefacts, =
providing=20
European citizens with high value educational and cultural products, =
which are=20
enriching society in new and important ways. 

Within a fast-growing community striving to build =
meaningful,=20
shareable cultural identities, Europe=92s present and future heritage is =
at least=20
as important as its past. Today=92s creation, i.e. the cultural legacy =
of=20
tomorrow=92s memory institutions, demands recognition and investment =
parallel to=20
that which continues to bolster IT developments in the museum and =
heritage=20
sectors. 

&nbsp;
WHY CREATIVE MEDIA DEVELOPMENT CANNOT BE LEFT TO THE=20
MARKET

The value chain from creative idea to the =
international market=20
place is fragmented and calls for integrated approaches to support =
visions,=20
concepts, design, training, development, and production in new media =
creation.=20
Failing such approaches, new media development will be reduced to =
cautious=20
reiterations of existing technologies, in answer to short-term =
market-driven=20
specifications. 

Core funding is a vital prerequisite for open =
research and=20
experimentation untrammeled by constraints to deliver predefined =
products and=20
clearly predefinable outcomes. Properly structured support mechanisms =
could=20
provide valuable leverage and promote alliances between large-scale =
enterprises=20
with research needs, SMEs, and dynamic cultural research sectors. =
Without such=20
alliances, energies which are too systematically and short-sightedly =
harnessed=20
to market imperatives are likely to subside, and no longer constitute =
the vital=20
creative resource needed by a dynamic society. 

As the European community and market steadily grow =
over the=20
next decade, incentive funds to promote these alliances will be a =
decisive=20
placement for future generations, endowing them with optimal, evolving =
means of=20
exchange and expression. If adequately recognised and supported,=20
infocommunications tools will act as vectors of new forms of sociality,=20
engendering vital and viable niches of social and economic activity. =


New production and management processes, together =
with new=20
business and funding models, must be devised to provide independent =
creatives=20
and microenterprises with support mechanisms adapted to the fast =
evolving=20
skill-sets and market conditions encountered in the world of digital =
media and=20
infocommunications technologies. A thriving digital economy extending =
through=20
and beyond greater Europe requires the pooling and synergising of a wide =
array=20
of creative media resources, to form a veritable "&nbsp;digital=20
ecology&nbsp;".

&nbsp;
REMAPPING EU, NATIONAL, AND REGIONAL POLICIES =


Europe=92s strengths and weaknesses lie in =
commonalities and=20
differences manifest at all levels, from physical geography to cultural=20
practice. Optimising this diversity for the benefit of Europe and the =
rest of=20
the world means making and implementing audacious, incisive, cohesive =
European=20
policy. 

Ongoing and imminent remapping of the EU, with =
negotiations=20
underway for accession of thirteen candidate member states, will =
decisively=20
influence European life-styles and identities. New forms of =
communication and=20
exchange to weld and promote the extended European community are =
becoming more=20
necessary than ever. 

Structural support mechanisms like the European =
Regional=20
Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF), along with =
solidarity=20
programmes inspired by the European Cohesion Fund (ECF), will be heavily =

solicited for the building of integrated infocommunications routes to=20
effectively link greater Europe. Since these funds were first set up =
almost=20
three decades ago, many regions have built dynamic axes of transnational =

exchange by teaming up directly with other European regions, often =
revitalising=20
ancient historical trajectories and alliances. In 2004, structural =
funding will=20
predictably give impetus to a new set of alliances, enhanced by =
state-of-the-art=20
communication and computing infrastructures. 

Transverse cultural strategies have a decisive role =
to play at=20
local, regional, state, and European Union levels, to accompany and weld =
the new=20
components of an enriched European identity. Media arts and cultural=20
organisations engaged in interdisciplinary experimentation with=20
infocommunications technologies are unique vectors for generating =
dialogue and=20
meaningful symbolic landmarks within the enlarged, remapped European =
Union.

&nbsp;
RECOMMENDATIONS 

To ensure formal recognition of the uniquely =
transversal,=20
interdisciplinary qualities of research driven by artists and creative=20
practitioners, and their desirable integration in the shaping of ICT =
consortia,=20
we hereby recommend :

<UL>
 
 <LI>That specific support mechanisms be implemented to promote=20
 interdisciplinary research platforms which explicitly include media =
arts and=20
 cultural organisations and creative practitioner-researchers ;</LI>
 </UL>

<UL>
 
 <LI>That creative practitioner-researchers who have submitted valid EU =

  external evaluator files be regularly called to serve on FP6 research =
proposal=20
  evaluation teams : i) to input cultural expertise allowing a wider =
range of=20
  original creative research proposals to be justified and validated by =
the=20
  European Commission; ii) to give European Commission representatives a =
better=20
  grasp of the scope and potential applications of creative resources =
within the=20
  EU ; iii) to provide creative practitioner-researchers with first-hand =

  knowledge of the stakes and procedures of EU framework programmes, =
thereby=20
  encouraging their participation in future calls;</LI>
  <P></P></UL></FONT><FONT size=3D2>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<UL></FONT><FONT size=3D4>
  <P align=3Djustify>
  <LI>That the unique networking abilities and strategies of media arts =
and=20
  cultural organisations be actively and proactively employed to spur =
the=20
  development of culturally meaningful infocommunications activities in =
greater=20
  Europe, particular importance being attached to Central and East =
European=20
  networking ;</LI>
  <P></P></UL></FONT><FONT size=3D2>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<UL></FONT><FONT size=3D4>
  <P align=3Djustify>
  <LI>That the need to uphold the culture commons and maximise equal =
access to=20
  infocommunications technologies, in order to promote the new creative, =

participatory kinds of citizenship they afford, be recognised and=20
 defended;</LI>
 </UL>

<UL>
 
 <LI>That the need to valorise and invest in Europe=92s future heritage =
by=20
 actively supporting today=92s artistic and cultural practices, =
including and=20
 especially those which have outstripped the confines of traditional=20
 19th and 20th century cultural institutions, be=20
 recognised and defended ;</LI>
 </UL>

<UL>
 
 <LI>That effort be made by the European Commission to simplify =
administrative=20
 procedures and requirements, and to accelerate financial management =
processes=20
 to shorten payment and reimbursement schedules which are currently =
untenable=20
 for many media arts and cultural organisations, to allow their more =
active=20
 participation in future framework programmes.</LI>
 </UL>

&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
EUROPEAN CULTURAL POLICY =
DOCUMENTS

The following selected policy documents have been =
jointly or=20
individually authored by RADICAL members&nbsp;over the past five years, =
and=20
represent long-held and well-published convictions about the issues =
reiterated=20
in this Manifesto:

1997 
The Amsterdam Agenda - fostering emergent practice in =
Europe's=20
media culture 
Conference "&nbsp;From Practice to Policy&nbsp;: =
Towards a=20
European Media Culture&nbsp;" 
<P=20
align=3Djustify>http://www.e-c-b.net/ecb/about/articles/992927295=
<FONT=20
size=3D4>
(also published in New Media Culture in =
Europe, cf.=20
infra)

1997 
Transdisciplinarite et genese de nouvelles formes =
artistiques=20

Report commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture =
and=20
Communication 
[<FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff>www.culture.fr/mrt/bibliotheque/norman/norman.rtf</FO=
NT>]<FONT=20
size=3D4>

1998 
Networking Centres of Innovation
Report to European Commission representatives, EU =
Conference on=20
"&nbsp;Cultural Competence. New Technologies, Culture and =
Employment&nbsp;",=20
Linz 
<P=20
align=3Djustify>http://www.e-c-b.net/ecb/about/articles/992926017=
<FONT=20
size=3D4>

1998
Cultural Competence/Cultures of Electronic =
Networks
Paper at the EU Conference on "&nbsp;Cultural =
Competence. New=20
Technologies, Culture and Employment&nbsp;"
<P=20
align=3Djustify>http://www.kulturdokumentation.org/eversion/public_proj/e=
_stikker.html<FONT=20
size=3D4>

1998 
Culture and the New Media Technologies 
Working paper commissioned by the Unesco =
Intergovernmental=20
Conference on Cultural Policy for Development, Stockholm
[<FONT=20
size=3D3>www.unesco-sweden.org/Conference/Papers/Paper9.htm</F=
ONT><FONT=20
size=3D4>]

1999 
Creativity &amp; The Framework Research Programmes =

Position paper submitted to the&nbsp;DGXIII =
subsequent to a=20
consultative meeting on creativity in the IST programme

1999
European Cultural Backbone Protocol
Founding manifesto of the European Cultural Backbone =
(ECB)
[<FONT=20
size=3D3>http://www.e-c-b.net]

1999
New Media Culture in Europe
Anthology of position papers by media theorists, =
activists and=20
artists
Uitgeverij De Balie/ The Virtual Platform,=20
Amsterdam
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.virtueelplatform.nl/docs/brickwoodvp.pdf"><FONT=20
size=3D3>http://www.virtueelplatform.nl/docs/brickwoodvp.pdf</A></=
P><FONT=20
size=3D4>

2000
European Cultural Backbone (ECB) calls for Bottom-Up =
ICT Policy=20
 Press Release, Vienna/Brussels, 17.07.2000 <FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff><FONT=20
size=3D3>http://www.e-c-b.net/ecb/about/articles/992928015=
<FONT=20
size=3D4>

2000&nbsp;
Information as a Prime and Primarily Relational =
Value
"&nbsp;Information wants to be =
Free&nbsp;",=20
conference series, Kunstverein, =
Hamburg<FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff>
<P=20
align=3Djustify>http://mikro.org/Events/OS/interface5/ms_norman.html<=
/U><FONT=20
size=3D4>

2001 
EPIFOCAL Project 
Broadcasting and Broadband Expert Group Meeting 
Report prepared for European Commission, Information =
Society=20
DG
<A =
href=3D"http://www.elpub.org/istag/broadband.doc"><FONT=20
size=3D3>http://www.elpub.org/istag/broadband.doc</A><FONT =

color=3D#0000ff>
<P align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3></FONT></P></U></FONT><FONT size=3D4>
<P align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D3></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Manifesto drafted by for and with the RADICAL =
consortium and=20
affiliates by Sally Jane Norman (Ecole sup=E9rieure de l=92image, =
Angoul=EAme/=20
Poitiers), Sher Doruff (De Waag, Amsterdam)&nbsp;; final edit by Sally =
Jane=20
Norman.</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Upstream of presentation to all participants at the =
end of the=20
London lab, marked by active debate and input (see <A=20
href=3D"http://www.get-radical.net">www.get-radical.net</A> for lab =
participation=20
and details), the Manifesto working group was comprised of :</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Geska Andersson</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Susan Benn</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Frank Boyd</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Manuela Brandeao</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Scott de LaHunta </P>
<P align=3Djustify>Sher Doruff</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Ernest Edmonds</P>
<P align=3Djustify>James Hemsley</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Philippe Poncin</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Sally Jane Norman</P>
<P align=3Djustify>David Steven</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Marleen Stikker</P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P></FONT><FONT size=3D2>
<P align=3Djustify>SJN/ RADICAL</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Angoul=EAme, July 14<SUP>th</SUP> 2002</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P></FONT><FONT size=3D4>
<P align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</P></FONT><FONT =
color=3D#000000>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P></FONT><FONT size=3D2>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P></FONT><FONT size=3D2>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P></FONT></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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