Report: Presentation by Kees Epskamp, March 5 1999

Dutch Policy, Resources and Funds for Culture and Development

Biography
Kees Epskamp is a specialist consultant in the fields of culture and communication, based in the Netherlands. He is senior advisor to the Education and Consultancy department of Nuffic, the Netherlands organisaton for international cooperation in higher education.

Mr Epskamp has conducted extensive research into the use of creative activities in non-formal education, literacy development and communications worldwide. He has established the Foundation for Comparative Studies in Arts and Art Education in Global Perspective (Stichting Compart) to conduct and disseminate research in these fields.

For further details about Stichting CompArt or this presentation contact:
Kees Epskamp - Stichting CompArt
Kaiserstraat 30a,
2311 GS Leiden,
The Netherlands.
Tel: +31 (0)71-514 0866
E-mail: kepskamp@zonnet.nl
Dutch Policy, Resources and Funds for Culture and Development
1.1 Definition:
The Netherlands Department of Development Cooperation (DGIS) distributed a policy note 'A World of Difference' in 1990 which said that culture should be regarded as the authentic or complete set of ways of thinking and living of a community, including the material and immaterial products of that community. In this context, material products include visual and plastic arts.
1.2 Cultural Development Funds in The Netherlands
There are three Dutch funds specifically for projects dealing with 'art and culture' within the context of development cooperation.

Two of these funds are (at this moment) administered by the Directorate General of International Development Co-operation (DGIS) forming part of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BuZa). The third fund is administered by a Dutch (national) Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) named HIVOS.

Small amounts of funding are also available at country level from local Dutch Embassies.

1.2.1 Regular funds from Foreign Affairs administered by the Department of Culture and Education (DCO):

The budget of DCO is referred to within the budget of DGIS as 'category V' (culture, research and culture) with an earmarked fund of 12 million guilders (about 3.6 million UK Sterling) (1997).

The general aim of the 'cultural programme' of DCO/DGIS is to empower the cultural identity of the local population and to preserve the cultural heritage. Examples financed so far are: (1) prevention of looting archeological African art, or (2) supporting the distribution of African films within Africa, (3) contributing to the dissemination of books and reading materials.

1.2.2 Prins Claus Fund:

This fund was initiated to honour the birthday of Prins Claus (husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands). This Fund was initiated in 1996 especially to finance cultural projects in developing countries.

The five-year programme of the Prins Claus Fund aims to widen up and to stimulate the mutual understanding of various cultures and to promote the reciprocity and interaction between culture and development. The Fund will spend 25 million guilders (about 7.5 million UK Sterling) on various cultural programmes/projects in developing countries in the period 1996-2001. A preliminary brochure/leaflet has been distributed in Dutch.

1.2.3 Cultural Fund administered by HIVOS:

HIVOS is a Dutch development support NGO, based in The Hague, working together with some 500 local organisations in 30 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. HIVOS is in favour of economic as well as cultural projects of young and innovative organisations in developing countries. Activities are sponsored in the field of theatre, music, film, dance, literature and plastic arts.

The HIVOS Cultural Fund lends financial support to art and cultural activities in developing countries. To give some examples, financial support has been given to community theatre in Costa Rica, a museum in Soweto, plastic art forms and sculpture in Zimbabwe, women's music in Sri Lanka. Initiatives must be innovative, independent and of high quality. It is especially keen on initiatives which will not be realized without external financial support.

1.2.4 Budget allocation Cultural Development Funds at Dutch Embassies:

The local Dutch Royal Embassies have a special budget to finance small-scale cultural projects up to 10,000 guilders (3,000 pounds) referred to as 'Small Embassy Projects' (Kleine Ambassade Projecten; KAP).

2 Resources in Culture and Development
2.1 Department of Educational Studies and Consultancy (DESC) at the Netherlands organisation for international Cooperation in Higher Education (Nuffic)

In 1997 Nuffic created a new department devoted to education and international cooperation in education. It is called the Department of Educational Studies and Consultancy (DESC).

DESC specializes in the following areas:

* the improvement of education and education systems in developing
* countries and in countries in transition;
* the internationalization of higher education, from curriculum development
* to international cooperation;
* the design of policy in these areas.

2.2 Studies & consultancy

Staff members of DESC serve as consultants, conduct studies, organize special seminars; provide training, and give lectures. DESC, like Nuffic, does not work for profit; the fees charged for all activities are meant only to cover costs.

2.3 DESC & Culture

Main activities within DESC related to Culture in 1998-1999 are:

Studies

* Literate environment in Ghana (1998 Worldbank)
* Training needs assessment cultural management South Africa (1998-1999)
* Youth & radio for development South Africa (1999)
* Popular music in Sunda, Indonesia (1999-2001)
Technical assistance

* Culture & identity workshops Costa Rica (1996-1999: Utrecht School of the
* Arts/HKU)
* Accreditation & validation Utrecht School of the Arts (1999)
* International Conference (September 1999)
* The changing role of technical assistance and consultancy within the
* context of sector support to basic education


3. Foundation for Comparative Studies in Arts and Art Education in Global Perspective (COMPART)
The CompArt foundation came into being in 1997, with the main aim to promote and implement (comparative) research into (performing) arts in western and non-western cultures. Research undertaken by CompArt can take different shapes. It may consist of desk-studies, field studies, literature studies, surveys.

3.1 The objectives of CompArt are:

In general to promote, monitor, implement and/or make accessible of (the results of comparative) research into (performing) arts in western and non-western cultures and (stimulate) to publicise and/or make media productions in relation to this subject; More specifically the dissemination of information by way of (electronic) publications and media productions and the presentation of lectures and the provision of training and coaching in the field of the anthropology of (performing) arts.

3.2 Main CompArt activities

To provide access to information on institutions and networks and to publications by making these available (free of charge) to a wider audience. This may be done in the conventional way by forwarding available copies by surface mail or by making available the text in conventional print or via electronic mail and internet. These publications may consist of research reports, publications (books, articles in professional journals or papers), inventories of institutions and networks (addresses, aims and objectives etc.), bibliographies and literature references.

3.3 CompArt activities:

* Book dissemination project (1998)
* Tracer study: (performing) arts research in developing countries
* Education and entertainment project (2001) with John Hopkins University
* Lectures (soaps, theatre anthropology, theatre for development)
* honorary assignments

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