Commissioned by the Flemish Department of Culture, Youth and Media, the ‘Field Drawing of the International Cultural Policy from Flanders’ was conducted by IDEA Consultants Joris Janssens and Inez Boogaarts. The study comes at a crucial time, as societal and sectoral disruptions such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the accelerating cost of living, have challenged the international activities of cultural actors. By evaluating (professional and amateur arts), and creative, heritage, and socio-cultural sectors, researchers Janssens and Boogaarts mapped out significant trends in the field and matched them with the existing framework, providing insights into where the Flemish International Cultural Policy (ICP) can be improved to both benefit the cultural players and fulfil the ambitions of the Flemish Community.
As a research process supplemented by interviews with intermediary organisations, and actors from each sector reveals, Flemish cultural actors are working internationally in diverse ways – from international tours and awards to more experimental practices, such as artist-run collectives, multilingual festivals, and organisations with branches across multiple time zones. The study found that there are manifold motivations for working internationally, such as artistic motives, sustainability considerations, financial drivers, network-related and personal motives. Because of migration and the rise of digital and hybrid artistic practices, the study also found that local contexts and communities have become spaces that are increasingly international, diverse, and multilingual.
The research revealed that internationalisation processes simultaneously generate artistic and financial opportunities and create more pressure and competition in the sectors. As such, the Flemish International Cultural Policy must recalibrate, and consider the time and space needed for artistic production and skill building, the financial support required to work internationally, and new sustainable, collaborative, inclusive, and solidarity-based approaches as a replacement for the traditional principles of competition. Recommendations for the ICP include enhancing support for strengthening Flemish actors to achieve sustainability in a shifting transnational environment, fostering both a sharp sectoral approach and cross-policy collaboration and coordination, and reinforcing transparent long-term perspectives with effective knowledge building and monitoring.
