Research on the economic impact of culture in Flanders has focused on the whole of cultural and creative sectors (CCS), including architecture, the audiovisual industry, communication and advertising, cultural heritage, design, fashion, gaming, music, new media, performing arts, publishing, and visual arts.[1] The definitions of CCS used in this research are similar to what the European Commission defines as ‘cultural and creative sectors’. The results therefore encompass all sectors discussed under section 3 — which cover the different stages of the cultural value chain and not solely the ‘cultural and creative industries’.[2] The latest figures refer to 2016 and apply... read more →
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If you are not happy with the results below please do another searchA number of issues have been the subject of debate in and on the cultural field in Flanders and Brussels in the past years. General issues include the socio-economic position of artists and cultural workers (see 2.3), the impact of digitization on the workings of the arts and cultural sector (see 2.4), the position of people with culturally diverse background in the field of culture (see 2.5.1), gender inequality and harassment (see 2.5.5), equal access to culture (see 2.5.1, 2.5.6, and 2.6), questions of ecological sustainability (see 2.8), and questions of funding for arts and culture (see 2.3, 2.7, and... read more →
In 2016, one out of five inhabitants of the Flemish Region is of ‘foreign’ origin.[1] In the Brussels-Capital Region, this amounts to seven out of ten. In the Flemish Region, the foreign origin lies in most cases (23%) in one of the neighbouring countries. EU-citizens make up 45% of inhabitants of foreign origin. In the Brussels-Capital Region, people with roots in another EU country represent 40%. When looking at the countries of origin, links can be made with historical and recent labour migration (e.g. Italy, Morocco, Turkey, Poland, Romania), Brussels as capital of Europe and as headquarters of NATO (attracting... read more →
Transnational collaboration on developing and sharing work and projects is widespread among artists and organisations in the professional arts scene in Flanders and Brussels.[1] This exchange is in part facilitated by international network organisations in arts and culture — some of which have their main seat in Belgium, such as IETM, On the Move, the EFA, Pearle*, or Culture Action Europe (all of them in Brussels). In the cultural heritage field in Flanders and Brussels, international cooperation happens through membership of network organisations (ICOM, NEMO, etc.), engaging in the UNESCO networks, or participating in international (digitization) projects such as Europeana.... read more →
Belgium is a federal country, in which cultural affairs are mainly the subject of policies on the level of the Flemish, French, and German-speaking Communities (see 1.2.3). Cultural affairs refer to areas such as arts, heritage, language, media, youth policy, and sports (see 4.1.1). Tourism and immovable heritage are competences of the Regions (Flemish, Walloon, and Brussels-Capital Region; see 1.2.3). A number of (large) cultural institutions resides with the competences of the Federal State (see 1.2.2). Principles of political and cultural democracy and references to human rights pervade the history of cultural policies in Belgium and its Communities. Many actions... read more →
Institutions and organisations of culture are functioning practically in all areas of cultural activity. Accordingly, the Concept of Culture undertakes to classify cultural institutions in heritage, art and cultural industries. Archaeological, architectural, garden-park, monumental, memorial, decorative, applied art monuments, culture, architecture, art, and ethnographic reserves, form immovable cultural heritage. Museums of history, memory, ethnography, art, and archives and libraries protect movable cultural heritage. The centres of culture, houses of culture, and clubs represent the infrastructure of intangible cultural heritage (folklore, local lore and crafts). Concert halls and theatres, art galleries and exhibition halls are places where professional art is widespread.... read more →
Table 7: Public cultural expenditure by the level of government, in AZN and EUR, 2021 Level of governmentTotal expenditure in AZNTotal expenditure in EUR*% share of totalCentral126 504 17363 252 086.533.3%Regional252 821 913126 410 956.566.7%TOTAL379 326 086189 663 043100% Source: The Ministry for Culture, 2021 Table 8: Public cultural expenditure by the level of government, in AZN, 2015 and 2021 Level of governmentTotal expenditure in 2015 in AZNTotal expenditure in 2021 in AZNTrend in % Central127 473 009126 504 173-0.8%Regional138 559 143252 821 913+82.4%TOTAL266 032 152379 326 086+42.3% Source: The Ministry for Culture, 2015 and 2021 It should be noted that,... read more →
Azerbaijani society is typified by cultural diversity, so all laws on culture are geared to satisfy a broad range of cultural requirements. Some laws are general (e.g. the Law on Culture of 2012), others more specific (e.g. the laws on cinematography, town planning, museums and publishing). The Law on Culture spells out the state policy's principles and aims and lays down the duties of government and local authorities in this area. It guarantees the right of individuals to engage in creative activity, promotes international contacts and co-operation, prevents the state from monopolising culture, and covers preservation and development of the... read more →
The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1995), the Labour Code (1999) and laws On Employment (2018), On Trade Unions (1994), and On Culture (2012) regulate employment in the cultural field. A unified system of salaries is in place for those working in the different spheres of the public sector. Relationships between employers and workers are based on a contract system (usually concluded on a permanent or short-term basis). The collective contract is signed between the employer on the one side and the trade union on the other. In the event of the trade union’s absence, the working collective signs... read more →
Following the Constitutional Referendum of 12 November 1995, the new Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan entered into force on 5 December 1995. The country’s basic law was developed in line with the fundamental principles and norms of international law. Besides general guarantees, fundamental rights, freedoms, and responsibilities, the Constitution has several provisions related to culture and, more specifically, cultural rights, freedom of expression and creativity, copyright protection, heritage protection, etc. Article 40 of the Constitution (“Right to culture”) provides that “I. Everyone has the right to take part in cultural life, to use cultural institutions and cultural values. II.... read more →