What we do
Our Focus Group deals with developing efficient ways to advocate for arts and culture in rural areas at local, regional, national and European levels.
We are practical people:
- we collect information and resources to support and strengthen members in their attempts to influence decision making processes about culture and art in rural areas.
- we work on the AREA Roadmap for Advocacy. The roadmap is a guide for artists who want to improve the results of their advocacy and fundraising work. This roadmap is was made with the experiences and knowledge of AREA members in a number of focus group sessions and is continuously refreshed.
Our motto
Comes from Ritsaert ten Cate: Take care of yourself, Make every effort to find your limits, Have fun, And if you are not having fun – shift position, Because they, who are not having fun, They are wasting their time.
Our motivation
Viewing where culture sits within the wider perspective, it is our belief that, at regional, national and European levels, there is overwhelming support to cultural institutions in urban centres, whereas cultural activity in rural areas operates within a fragmented and poorly supported infrastructure. Arts and culture in the rural domain need strong advocacy
Organisers and moderators
Jean Vinet, Chris Torch and Henk Keizer