Opening speech

Birgitta Englin
Director
Riksteatern

Birgitta has held the office as Executive Director of Riksteatern since 2005. She has been an actor and producer at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, Uppsala Municipal Theatre and Riksteatern, among others. She has also taught at the National Academy of Mime and Acting in Stockholm. Birgitta is currently on the board of the University College of Dance in Stockholm as well as the board of the Swedish Performing Arts branch organisation and the Arts and Business Sweden network and has been a member of the Swedish government arts policy committee.

Session 1, day 1

Alison Crabb
Deputy Head of Unit, Culture policy and intercultural dialogue, Directorate General Education and Culture
European Commission

Alison works in the European Commission, since 1999, and in DG Education and Culture, since 2001. She is responsible for the coordination of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. Other current priorities include: successful implementation of the Open Method of Coordination in the field of culture, notably via Member State expert groups; structured dialogue with the culture sector; ensuring that culture is fully taken into account in other EU policy fields, both internal policies and external relations.

Kerstin Brunnberg
Chair
Kulturrådet (Swedish Arts Council)

Kerstin has held a number of different journalistic positions – lately as director general of Swedish Radio. She has been involved in international media development projects and has worked as a newspaper reporter. For ten years she worked for Swedish Television as a political reporter and as head of the national news on the daily news programme Rapport. Since February 2009 Kerstin is Chairwomen of the Swedish Arts Council and guest-professor in Journalism at the University of Gothenburg.


Nice to know about Kerstin Brunnberg…
A person in the culture sector that Kerstin admires is Anna Takanen. She wouldn’t want to try any other profession than the one she’s got and she loves her family, her friends and her radio.

Moderator: Chris Torch
Artistic Director
Intercult

Originally an actor and theatre director, Chris Torch extended his career into the domains of culture management, production and cultural politics. Presently he is founder and Artistic Director of Intercult and an outspoken advocate for intercultural action.

While active as a director, producer and actor he founded Jordcirkus in 1977, an independent and international theatre company based in Stockholm, and Shikasta in 1993, a semi-independent and culturally diverse ensemble within the framework of the Swedish National Touring Theatre, Riksteatern.

Chris is active in a number of networks and currently holds the post as vice president for CAE (Culture Action Europe) and is on the steering group of Platform for Intercultural Europe.

Session 2, day 1

Björn Samuelsson
Culture Development
Kalmar kommun

As a culture developer for the city of Kalmar, Björn is responsible for culture political development issues for the Department of Culture and Leisure. He is currently working together with the Regional Council in Kalmar County for a proposal on a strategy for performing arts in the county. Björn has a history as a culture journalist and theatre- and film critic for Aftonbladet, as well as theatre director and culture secretary for Mörbylånga County.

Nice to know about Björn Samuelsson...
Björn admires former Swedish culture minister Bengt Göransson and loves his children, his wife’s cooking and apple trees in blossom.

Lisbeth Lennartsson
Municipal Commissioner
Borgholm kommun

Lisbeth has been Chairwoman of the Municipal Executive Board since 2002. She has a background as owner of a tourist enterprise for 10 years, including a restaurant, a native home districts museum and a gallery. This year Lisbeth is involved in a collaboration with all of the Executive Boards in Kalmar County to attract attention to various cultural issues.

Nice to know about Lisbeth Lennartsson...
Lisbeth admires the writer Astrid Lindgren, she would herself like to try to write, and she loves walks in nature, stimulating discussions and dancing. She is persistent, positive and socially committed, a mother of three and a grandmother.

Leif Larsson
Chair of Regional Council
Kalmar Region

Leif has got a wide experience from the political arena in Kalmar County. From 1997 to 2006 he was Mayor of Vimmerby and since 2006 he is the Chairman of the Regional Council, vice Chairman of the European Union Structural Fund Regional Partnership and, since 2007, he is Government Commissioner for coordination regarding the financial crisis and recession. He is also vice-Chairman of the Center party in Kalmar County, of the municipal council of Vimmerby and a board member of the Vimmerby Tourism and Enterprise Ltd.

Nice to know about Leif Larsson...
A person that Leif admires is Swedish children books writer Astrid Lindgren and the three things he loves the most are cultural heritage, local history and his own wooden house in Astrid Lindgren’s hometown Vimmerby.

Ola Jacobsson
Evalutation and Analysis, Kultur Skåne
Skåne Region

Ola is working as commissioner for Culture Skåne in the Skåne Region. He has experience as an administrative officer for the Swedish Arts Council and as a salesman, tour planner and producer for Riksteatern (The Swedish National Touring Theatre). Ola has a degree in culture administration from the University of Umeå with history and sociology as main subjects.

Nice to know about Ola Jacobson...
Ola admires most people in the culture sector. He would like to try his luck as a writer and he loves music, humour and warmth.

Rolf Tufvesson
Chair, Culture Committee
Skåne region

Rolf has been involved in politics for many years, in the local Assembly of Helsingborg and in the Regional Assembly. Currently, he is Governor of the Region of Skåne and Chairman of the Regional Culture Committee as well as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Ethnical Diversity. In his work, he strives for expanded responsibility from the state to the elected officials in the region. He is also engaged in developing different kinds of cooperation in the Öresund Region.

Nice to know about Rolf Tufvesson...
He admires Swedish singer Jussi Björling, would like to try the profession of a diplomat and loves his son Nils, tanks and Spettekaka (a sweet speciality from Skåne).

Carina Nilsson
Chair, Culture Committee
Malmö kommun

Carina has a 25-year long background in the political arena and has been a front figure for urban development from an ecologic, economic, social and cultural perspective. She is a local government delegate, chairwoman of the regional culture committee and head of the local government council. She has also worked with different people’s health projects from a broad perspective in the Skåne region.

Moderator: Helena Salomonson
Chief of Staff
Riksteatern

Helena has been the Chief of staff at Riksteatern since 2007. Before this she has been Secretary of the Commission of Inquiry at the Swedish Government’s Committe on Equality in Performing Art, she has also worked at Kulturrådet (the Swedish Art Council.) Helena has got an M.Pol.Sc. (Master of Political Science) from the Univerity of Administration in Gothenburg and did her practical training at the Swedish embassy in Berlin. Currently Helena is on the boards of Dansens Hus, Orionteatern and WISP.

Nice to know about Helena Salomonson…
Helena is the youngest member of the management at Riksteateatern and has been on Shortcuts’ list of future woman leaders for two years in a row! A person that she admires is Kerstin Gustavsson, a non-profit-working woman at Riksteatern in Gullspång. Helena says she’s got her favourite job but that she sometimes dreams of having a book shop or going into the politics. She loves democracy in practise, beautiful dresses, her husband and reading books and drinking coffee.

Session 3, day 1

Donato Guiliani
Head of International and European Culture Operation
Nord-Pas-de-Calais Region/France

Donato has been a member of the Department for Culture of the Regional Council since 2002. His work as Head Officer includes the leadership of the interregional co-operation program LEAD; and TOOL QUIZ, a project for concerted cultural policy among regions of Europe. Donato is also a lecturer in Cultural Policies and Regional Development.. He has a broad experience from international networks such as IETM, EFAH and ENCATC and holds a post-graduate degree in Culture from the ARSEC and the European Diploma of Cultural Project Administration.

Pascal Brunet

CAE Board; Relais Culture Europe/France

Relais Culture Europe is the cultural contact point for the European community programme, “Culture 2000”, supporting cultural cooperation and exchanges by providing guidance, information and orientation to professionals in the cultural field.

Pascal Brunet held various appointments/posts in the field of performing arts: executive director of the “Centre chorégraphique de Rennes et de Bretagne”, Isadora’s co-director, project of choreographic development, Secretary general of the “Groupe de musique expérimentale de Bourges”. He was involved, for several years, in the European and international cultural cooperation, he is a founding member of DBM, the Euromediterranean cooperation network, and also member of several networks and European forums like IETM, FEMEC.

Nice to know about Pascal Brunet…
A person that Pascal admires is Albert Camus. He would like to try working as a writer, and three things he loves are books, the sea and
wine.

Moderator: Daphne Tepper
Policy Analyst
Culture Action Europe

Daphne graduated in Political Science and Public International Law at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. She then conducted research for the UNESCO Chair for Peace Culture and Human Rights in Barcelona on the use of artistic projects in post-conflict reconciliation processes. After that she worked in the development field, first in a private consultancy and then in the European Commission. She is now Policy Analyst for Culture Action Europe, a European platform of cultural networks, associations and organisations.

Nice to know about Daphne Tepper…
A person in the culture sector that Daphne admires is Pina Bausch, if she was to try an other profession it would be as a trapezist and the three things that she loves the most in life is discovering a new city, meeting inspiring people and having a nice dinner with good friends.

An example

Anna-Karin Ferm
Developer
Gävle kommun

Session 4, day 1

Siv Holma
Chair, Culture Committee
Swedish Parliament

Christer Nylander
Vice Chair, Culture Committee
Swedish Parliament

Christer is a Member of Parliament since 2002, representing the Liberal party, Vice- Chair of Committee on Cultural Affairs and Chair of the working group on school politics of the Liberal party. He has previously been a member of the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Education. Christer has academic degrees in political science, economics and contemporary literature.

Nice to know about Christer Nylander...
A person that Christer admires is Michael M. Kaiser, of the Kennedy Center. If he was to have another profession it would be as a writer, which he has already tried, with the two books, “Olösta mord i Kristianstad” and “Den fjärde spelpjäsen”. He loves books, his family and running.

Doris Pack
Chair, Culture & Education Committee European Parliament

Helga Trüpel
Vice Chair, Culture & Education Committee
European Parliament

Helga holds a PhD in Literature. She has been a member of the European Parliament since 2004. There she is currently vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Culture and Education, a member of the Committee on Budget and on the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China. She has also been a member and later the vice-President of the Bremen regional Assembly and a Senator for Culture and Integration in the City of Bremen. In 2001 Helga founded Agentur Art.

Moderator: Illona Kish
Secretary General
Culture Action Europe

Culture Action Europe is the key interlocutor for the European Union decision-makers on issues of concern to the cultural sector, as is represented at the highest level in European debate and dialogue with civil society. An annual conference, seminars and training sessions as well as a bi-monthly newsletter and specialised briefings form part of the regular activities of Culture Action Europe. In 2007, Culture Action Europe co-founded the Platform for Intercultural Europe. Previously Ilona worked in the corporate commercial sector as an international project manager.

Nice to know about Ilona Kish…
Ilona admires Dragan Klaic, if she would try an other profession it would be as a social anthropologist and she loves literature, cats and black olives.

Session 5, day 1

Yvonne Rock
Producer and expert
Freelance

Yvonne is a freelancing consultant for different projects and organisations. In 1979-1995 she was the Creator and Head Director of Västanå Theatre in Värmland, Sweden. She has been a consultant and producer for the Swedish culture minister, Margot Wallström, in 1994-1996; Administrative Director of the Jewish Theatre in Stockholm; and the National Coordinator for the Multicultural Year 2006. In 2009 she has been Project Leader for the Inauguration of The Swedish presidency of the European Union.

Nice to know about Yvonne Rock...
Yvonne admires the Tel-Aviv based Israeli filmmaker, Yoav Shamir, would have a flower shop if she wasn’t a producer and the three things se loves the most are playing with her grandchildren, flowers and going to the movies.

Stina Oscarson
Artistic Director
Orionteatern

Stina, director, has since 2004 been a part of the artistic leadership and management of the Orion theatre in Stockholm, together with Lars Rudolfsson. She was the initiator of the alternative to the governments Culture investigation in 2008. The alternative investigation was called "skuggutredningen" and turned out to be of importance to the Swedish debate on cultural policy.

Emma Ernsth
Acting Secretary General
Trans Europe Halles

Emma has been working for the European Network of Independent Cultural Centres Trans Europe Halles (TEH) since 2004 and currently serves as their Acting Secretary General. She has got a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from the University of Linköping, Sweden, combined with studies at Háskóli Íslands in Reykjavík, Iceland, and a postgraduate in Cultural Administration at the University of Lund, Sweden.

Nice to know about Emma Ernsth…
A person that Emma admires in the culture sector is the Irishman Sandy Fitzgerald; Director of Olivearte, a cultural agency that both offers consultancies and produces olive oil. If Emma would to try a different profession it would be as a mentor and when asked of what she loves, Emma speaks of long breakfasts during weekends, her old relative Kerstin in Stockholm who is still as curious as a one-year-old and her newborn nephew.

Clymene Christoforou
Co-Director
ISIS Arts/UK

Clymene is director and founder of ISIS Arts, based in Newcastle, UK. ISIS is a visual and media arts organisation with an international programme of commissions, residencies and events. Clymene is also a board member of Culture Action Europe, vice chair of Waygood Gallery and Studios and is a NESTA Cultural Leadership Fellow. She currently sits on a number of UK regional steering groups including the Arts Council, Newcastle City Culture Theme Group.

Nice to know about Clymene Christoforou…
Clymene admires the artist Marina Zurkov and loves her family, her friends and new experiences.

Moderator: Chrissie Faniadis
Coordinator, European Resource Center for Culture and Europe Direct
Intercult

As coordinator for the ERC and the official Europe Direct office Chrissie’s overall mission is to assist in the internationalisation of Swedish cultural life, make Swedish culture more visible to international operators and increase the level of intercultural and EU-related competencies. She has worked as Marketing Manager at Devilfish in London and as Marketing and Administrations Assistant at DG Development in Brussels. Chrissie is a College of Europe graduate with an MA in Advanced European Political and Administrative Studies. She also has an MA in Film and Broadcast Management from Bournemouth Film Academy and a Bachelor of Arts from University College London.

Nice to know about Chrissie Faniadis....
A person Chrissie admires in culture is Melina Merkouri. An alternative carreer she would have liked to try is being shoe designer. Three things she loves are sunny days, people with a groove and pineapple.

Summary from day 1

Isabelle Schwarz
Head of Strategic Programmes and Cultural Policy Development
European Cultural Foundation

Isabelle joined the ECF in 2002 with the assignment to build up a cultural policy development strand for the foundation. A former Executive Director of the European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres (ENCATC), first in Brussels, then Copenhagen, she launched within ENCATC the Nordic-Baltic Platform for Cultural Management. Earlier, Isabelle has worked at the World Commission on Culture and Development (UN/UNESCO), the Council of Europe, the French Ministry of Culture, and with cultural NGOs in London, Paris, and Brussels. Isabelle serves on several juries and boards. She holds an MPhil in international cultural exchanges, as well as in history of international relations. She also has a M.A. in history of art and archaeology.

Nice to know about Isabelle Schwarz...
Isabelle admires Michelangelo Pistoletto. If she would try a new profession it would be as a horse breeder and she loves intensity, inspiration and life.

Session 1, day 2

Karin Ekdahl-Wästberg
Chair, Culture Committee
Stockholm Region

Karin is Chairwoman of the Culture Committee of Stockholm County Council and vice Chairwoman of the board for the Stockholm Concerthall Foundation. Before this she has been working as an editorial journalist for many Swedish morning papers and also as Chief Editor of the periodical Liberal Debatt. Karin has also been the Head of Information for a think tank and for people’s education (folkbildning).

Nice to know about Karin Ekdahl Wästberg…
At the moment Karin is home with her 10 months old twins. She loves her family, books and flowers, and if she were to try another profession it would be as a florist.

Kristian Berg
Director of Culture
West Sweden Region

Kristian has got a bachelors degree in Arts and History of Ideas and is a settlements antiquarian. He has been working with different culture political issues and issues of cultural heritage in a broad social sense. Previously Kristian has been Assistant Undersecretary at Departement of Culture and Chief Curator of the Swedish National Historical Museums. Up until last year he was Chairman of Culture Contact North and is now Culture Director in the Region of Västra Götaland since three years.

Lars Nordström
Chair, Culture Committee
West Sweden Region

Lars is a liberal politician and chairman of the Culture Committee for the Region of Västra Götaland (West Sweden). He is a firm advocate of culture as a tool for social development and individual growth. Lars focuses on the youth and creating opportunities within the culture sector.

Moderator: Niels Righolt
Managing Director
Cultures

Niels is Managing Director at Cultures, a communications bureau and magazine specialized in intercultural strategies, globalisation and internationalisation. He is a member of several boards and steering groups, such as the Danish Centre for Arts and Interculture (CKI) and Nordic Forum for Interculture. Niels is the former Director of the Dunker Culture Centre in Helsingborg, Sweden; has been Head of Information for the Cultural Department in Copenhagen; and has been working as an independent producer and curator in Denmark.

Nice to know about Niels Righolt…
Niels admires the two culture personalities Jette Sandahl and Trevor Davies, he loves his job and can’t think of anything else that he would like do. Three things he loves are culture, culture and culture… along with family and friends.

Session 2, day 2

Fredrik Lindegren
Director of Culture
Umeå kommun

Fredrik has been working as a stage director and actor for over 15 years in different institutions and companies. He has also been teaching at the University of Umeå for 10 years in the field of film and drama. Since 2006 Fredrik has been head of the Culture Department and has been working with the Umeå 2014 bid. In the bid process for the European capital of culture he serves as Artistic Director with a focus on the geographical aspect, a collective imagination and a cultural open source environment as a means for getting people involved in the process.

Nice to know about Fredrik Lindegren...
Fredrik admires Arianne Mnouchkine, he would have like to try being a professional spy and loves his family, a warm, sunny day and people who don’t hide their emotions.

Marie-Louise Rönnmark
Mayor of the City of Umeå
Umeå kommun

In her role as Mayor of the City of Umeå, Marie-Louise is Chariman of The Board of Globalizaton and Research, a member of the Executive Committee, the Trade and Industry Committee, the Municipality Company Group and Chairman of The Local Theatre Association. She is also 1st Vice President of The Union of Baltic Cities (UBC) and a member of several boards, both national and international, such as The Board of The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions.

Session 3, day 2

Felicity Harvest
Executive Director, Special Projects
Arts Council England, South East/UK

Over a long career, Felicity has worked as a theatre designer, a publicist and administrator. She joined West Midlands Arts in 1990, then South East Arts as Chief Executive in 1996, becoming Executive Director of Arts Council England, South East in 2003. She has developed partnerships with the Higher Education sector, and the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. She was part of the group that created the Arts Council’s International Policy in 2005, and is now updating it.

Nice to know about Felicity…
Felicity admires Anselm Kieffer, among many other artists. She is about to train to be a secular celebrant and loves many things but first of all her daughter who is training to be a documentary photographer; her husband and her pets who gives her love in return; and her garden, where she can relax by hard work.

Kirsi Väkiparta
Senior Advisor
Arts Council Finland

Kirsi graduated in art history from the Helsinki University and has a working experience of some twenty years in the contemporary visual art field. She has worked as the Director of AV-arkki (Distribution Centre for Finnish Media Art), Project Coordinator for the international ARS06-exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Curator of Education at the Helsinki City Art Museum, and in the editorial offices of the magazines Siksi and NU: The Nordic Art Review. Kirsi is a member of AICA (Association International des Critiques d'Art).

Nice to know about Kirsi Väkiparta…
Kirsi admires several excellent artists in the cultural sector. If she was to have an other profession it would be as a marine biologist. She loves her family including the dog, a swim after the sauna and an espresso in Italy.

Kristin Razsolkova
Art Historian
National Culture Fund, Bulgaria

Kristin has worked extensively with the Sofia City Art Gallery and the establishment of the first private university in Sofia, of which she also was the Director for some time. She was Programme Director for education and culture at the Open Society Foundation in Sofia and has done research for the National Culture Fund and the Pro Helvetia Programme. Currently Kristin is working on policy research projects for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Observatory for Cultural Economics.

Nice to know about Kristin Razsolkova…
Kristin admires the culture profile Mark Schuster; if she were to try another profession it would be anything linked to playing, animals and plants. Three things she loves is being with her daughter and friends in London, hiking long hours and then to sit by an open fire, and swimming.

Moderator: Ivor Davies
Director of Performing Arts
Arts Council England, Yorkshire

Ivor has a wide background in the arts and education, he is a graduate in French and Philosophy. Currently Director of Performing Arts for Arts Council England in Yorkshire, he was acting National Director of International Strategy. Ivor has a background in theatre, but has over many years increasingly broadened his practice, including: making and managing art, lecturing and research. In early 2010 he will return to independent practice in international arts policy.

Nice to know about Ivor Davies...
Ivor believes in the artist's right to roam; believes that vision, diversity and quality management all enrich each other; sings with a village choir in the hills outside Sheffield; has a secret ambition (secret until now) to restore old houses.

Summary session

Rani Kasapi
Head of International Development
Riksteatern

Rani has a background in social anthropology with focus on international migration and ethnic relations, but has worked within the performing art sector since 1997. Currently she is Head of International Development at Riksteatern. Rani started off as a project manager at Intercult and has since then focused on intercultural work, connecting the international perspective with the local. Among other things she has been involved as an expert in several commissions concerning diversity within the cultural sector.

Nice to know about Rani Kasapi…
Rani admires Bono; would like to try the work of a documentary filmmaker and loves her family, her friends and her city.