ARTS FORUM Amman 2012

14 May, 2012
Category: ARTS FORUM Amman 2012
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Arts for social change and development

Crises, revolutions, social movements, protests… our societies, in Europe as much as in the Mediterranean region, are currently experiencing real changes - profound shifts which are going to modify our approaches, our perceptions, and our visions of the world. Tomorrow will be different from today. Our environment, driven by technological revolutions, is advancing rapidly towards as-yet-unknown lands, which can sometimes be worrying.

In this context, what place is there (still) for arts and culture, for its creators and other professionals? Should the women and men who work in the field of culture – the entertainers, artists, and performers – step aside and disappear because of concerns, commonly considered to be serious, that our societies are experiencing? In short, do we have a social role or are we here just for show, to add some colour in a perfectly peaceful gallery?

We believe that the arts and culture have a central role in our societies. We believe that the artist or performer and the work he or she produces, along with culture professionals, fully contribute to economic and social development. We believe that the arts bring well-being to the majority of people, including to the disadvantaged. We believe that art is the means to make the world – which can be so bleak – more beautiful. We believe that the women and men involved in culture are, above all, responsible citizens who play a role in the different movements in their regions and who fully contribute to the development of their respective societies.

In short, we believe that the arts contribute to social change and the development of our societies. In Amman (Jordan), this is what artists, performers and professionals from the field of culture of more than ten European and Mediterranean countries will come to discuss, exchange, compare, present and (re)iterate.

In view of the foregoing, partners of the EUROMEDINCULTURE(s) Network have given the 2^nd ARTS Forum in Amman the theme of “Arts for social change and development”.

Under the patronage of the Jordanian Ministry of Culture, this event will be held from the 4th to the 6th of November, 2012, in The Royal Culture Center and the National Center for Culture and Arts of the King Hussein Foundation, and will consist of the following: