Europa Nostra represented at the 2013 Forum d’Avignon
‘Culture and Power’ was the theme of the 2013 Forum d’Avignon, which was held at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France, on 21-23 November. As part of the work on the ‘New Narrative for Europe’, Europa Nostra’s Secretary General Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović was invited to be the moderator of the central panel debate on Europe’s future strategy and policy with regard to culture. Two other members of the Cultural Committee of the ‘New Narrative for Europe’ initiative, Michelangelo Pistoletto, renowned Italian visual artist, and Paul Dujardin, Artistic Director of BOZAR in Brussels, also contributed to this major forum which was attended by some 450 participants from 40 different countries. In Avignon, Europa Nostra’s Secretary General took part, together with Nicolas Seydoux, President of the Forum d’Avignon, and Radu Mihăileanu, renowned cinema director from France/Romania, in a TV debate broadcasted by France 24, and also gave short interviews for the online edition of ARTE, the two media partners of the Forum d’ Avignon.
Europa Nostra will continue to exchange views and develop synergies with the Forum d’Avignon in 2014 and beyond, to contribute to the stronger integration of culture and cultural heritage at the centre of political thinking and policy-making, especially at European level. We shall also seek to influence the public debate around the European elections of 2014 stressing that culture matters to Europe’s citizens and should therefore put at the heart of discussions on the future of Europe.