DUTCH CULTURE: WHAT’S NEXT?

            In the face of unprecedented Dutch cultural policy U-turn many professionals in the sector ask themselves: how to progress? Is progress at all possible? Is there a base for development of the sector that is about to loose so much of its financing?

Indeed, at this moment there are many more questions than answers. And there are lots of emotions too. The general feeling is, that if the planned austerity measures will go through, year 2013 will go in history as a sort of Dutch cultural apocalypse.

But must we passively wait or shall we at least try to take constructive action in order to secure our professional future?

Nachttheater Sugar Factory, Binoq and Gallery WM decided to join forces and chose for the second option: stimulation of a constructive and inspirational discussion on the three key themes in the Dutch cultural landscape of now: new ways of financing, cultural entrepreneurship and (sector) innovation.

SYNOPSIS

       The Alternating Current Amsterdam (ACA) is a new glocal (local-global) and pluralistic cultural initiative in Amsterdam.

•  ACA’s aim is to help develop the three main themes of Dutch cultural sector of now (new ways of financing, cultural entrepreneurship and [sector] innovation) in the light of artistic autonomy.

• ACA is characterized by forward thinking in combination with a positive and constructive tone.

•  ACA aims at horizontal exchange with measurable results, inclusive action and cross-disciplinary method.

• ACA has got an ambition to grow globally: starting with one local, grass-roots pilot program.

1. •This pilot program is a combination of a symposium and art expo and will take place at Sugar Factory and Gallery WM from 08 December 2011 till 08 January 2012.
   

IINOVATION PLATFORM - NEW TYPE OF EVENT

   The evolution of creative communication requires new types of events. We are no longer satisfied with separating our leisure from our work, or our private life from our web personality. Creative minds look for an ideal place where genuine, open exchange takes place in a professional environment while digital exchange, leisure and excitement rising from informal encounters is just right the corner.

The creative person of the future is not bound with one particular work process or one particular work place. The future of creative productivity stands in a close relation to life-style, mobility, high level of personal satisfaction and a low stress factor.

ACA is creating such new model of innovation platform by combining the following elements:

>>> ACA Platform Meetings - regular monthly work-group meetings with well defined themes (as the core activity)

>>> ACA Digital Room where real-life activities of ACA are reflected through social media and real-time documents’ exchange (i.e. OpenOffice)

>>> ACA Residency Projects where individual art projects or team programs and enterprises can be developed under the ACA umbrella (with focus on qualitative new CBMs and entrepreneurship)

>>> ACA Events with public seminars featuring hand-picked discussion panels and stimulated engagement of the public (events set in the context of art-manifestations, festivals, conferences etc.)

PROJECTS AIM

    The ambition of this project is to trigger glocal discussion on financing, entrepreneurship, innovation and cooperation in the context of AMSTERDAM’s CULTURAL AUTONOMY.

Placing this local context in the centre of the discussion is  an attempt to release new creativity and to help forming a modern innovative identity of our ever-changing cultural capital.

MAIN GOALS

1. -to strengthen the sustainable growth of our Amsterdam’s cultural heritage. In a sense, we wish to instill the meaning of continuity, stability and historical determinism into the current, hugely volatile situation within the society in general and the Amsterdam cultural sector in particular
   

2. -to create a new Amsterdam’s innovative platform where policy makers meet independent and entrepreneurial artists and innovative cultural producers (horizontal and pluralistic open network)
   

3. -to stimulate Amsterdam’s creative environment where the new generation’s globalism and trans-nationalism reaches out towards new forms of art and communication
   

4. -to develop new cultural business models for Amsterdam and beyond, with focus on  User-Centered Design (UCD) and Public Oriented Art (POA) in combination with the overall stimulation of creative entrepreneurship
   

5. -to exchange and register the historical and current perspectives on trends in arts and culture in Amsterdam in the context of larger sways in cultural trends over decennia, locally and globally
   

The main goal of the ACAmsterdam beyond 2011 is to support the unique identity of art and culture of Amsterdam on its way towards innovation and sustainable growth locally and globally.