26 November 2021
Strengthening European cohesion through art and culture
Second Conference of the European Alliance of Academies, Madrid, 2/3 December 2021
Conference – Workshops – Projects
Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, livestream broadcast
Far-right parties throughout Europe have discovered art and culture as a political war zone to further polarise society and assert national borders. The European Alliance of Academies is convinced that transnational artistic cooperation is one of the best ways of combating these tendencies.
The focus of the Second Conference of the European Alliance of Academies is to address the potential of artistic cooperation. The key question is: How can we better network in analogue and digital spaces and counteract political restrictions? To this end, the participants deal with different nationalistic approaches in cultural policy and their influence on cultural institutions and thus on the freedom of art in Europe.
Jeanine Meerapfel, President of the Akademie der Künste and initiator of the European Alliance of Academies: “If individual states in Europe withdraw into the national sphere with their cultural policy, we shall react by forging artistic, transnational alliances. We shall support each other and stand together in solidarity to protect freedom of opinion and artistic freedom. That is our contribution to shaping a democratic, social and just Europe. Together, we – the 65 academies of the arts and cultural institutions of Europe – are a powerful alliance.”
Juan Miguel Hernández León, President of the Círculo de Bellas Artes: “The current situation in Europe requires firm determination in many regards: politically, economically, socially and culturally. The world of culture plays a fundamental role in defending the values that define and unite us: solidarity, diversity, freedom of expression and artistic freedom. These are under threat in some countries on our continent. The European Alliance of Academies is an important instrument for developing measures to combat these threats and implementing them in practice.
With Liesbeth Bik, Christos Carras, Jean-François Chougnet, Manuel Gutierréz Aragón, Wolfgang Kaleck, Juan Miguel Hernández León, Jeanine Meerapfel, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Dominika Kasprowicz, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Norbert Palz, Jurko Prochasko, Aleš Šteger, Cécile Wajsbrot and Miquel Iceta, Spanish Minister for Culture and Sport, H.E. Wolfgang Dold, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kingdom of Spain and Marta Rivera de la Cruz, Minister for Culture and Tourism Madrid, among others. Musical contribution by Zambra Barroca
The public programme will be broadcast as a livestream at www.allianceofacademies.eu.
A European Alliance of Academies event initiated and organised by the Akademie der Künste and Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid; in cooperation with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Madrid. Funded by the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) and the Madrid Region, and supported by the German Embassy in Madrid. Media partner Radio 3
Event Information
European Alliance of Academies
Thursday, 2 December 2021, 6 pm
Friday, 3 December 2021, 6 pm
In English
Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid + livestream
Calle de Alcalá, 42, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Livestream at www.allianceofacademies.eu
Free admission
Press conference
Wednesday, 1 December 2021, 5 pm
Teatro Real Carlos III
C. de San Antonio, 68, 28300 Aranjuez, Spain