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HOT LINKS

Forthcoming events: Networking the Diaspora and Homelessness and Cultural Democracy
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Making the Case for Culture: Creative City Network of Canada
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Poems about Community Spaces
& other papers from Connecting Schools & Communities conferences, June 2008
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Meet, Meld, Merge Art Bringing a Community Together:
the Toil Art Project, in Yea, N.E. Victoria
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Home Lands: Internet TV program which connects young refugees to their home lands
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The Agenda 21 for Culture is the first document with worldwide mission that advocates establishing the groundwork of an undertaking by cities and local governments for cultural development.
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Publications

CDN Publications | Conference Papers | Publications for Sale

Papers by presenters at many of CDN's events are available here.

e-journal of UNESCO Observatory on Multi-disciplinary Research in the Arts

The University of Melbourne's Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning

Vol 1, Issue 2: 'Creative Local Communities: Cultural Vitality and Human Rights'

Completed papers should be received by Friday May 16, 2008

Topic:
The editors welcome articles that examine the way policy and practice can impact the cultural vitality of local communities. Papers are invited on topics including:

• pro-active planning for creative communities
• the relationship between creativity and cultural expression on health and well being, and the ability of local communities to keep pace with change
• the significance of freedom of expression and cultural rights, as an aspect of a broader human rights agenda.
• impact of the framework that includes cultural vitality as a necessary ingredient for the sustainability of local communities alongside economic, social and environmental concerns.

Researchers and practitioners from the areas of cultural policy, cultural development, community-based arts, government and civil society, cultural diversity, cultural rights and are invited to submit proposals. Articles, essays and review formats are invited.

This issue’s guest editors are John Smithies, Director, and Kim Dunphy, Manager, of the Cultural Development Network.

Background:
This issue takes its title and motivation from the declaration of the 2007 World Congress of United Cities and Local Governments in Jeju, Korea, that placed culture as a priority for cities, councils, local government associations and communities.
Declaration II. 'Act to promote all human rights and respect diversity in our cities and territories as a foundation for peace and development'. In this declaration, the Congress recognised ‘that cultural policies form part of the different dimensions of good local governance in the same way as economic and social development or environmental protection'. United Cities and Local Governments represents more than 1,000 cities from more than 125 countries worldwide – and the organisation’s membership is growing. Through its Agenda 21 for Culture, UCLG has established the first document with a worldwide mission that advocates an undertaking by cities and local governments for local cultural development. This leadership by a growing number of the world’s cities provides an important balance between national agendas and the voice of local governments and communities.

United Cities and Local Governments information can be found at:
www.cities-localgovernments.org/uclg/

Closing date:
Full papers should be emailed to the Cultural Development Network by Friday May 16 to: info@culturaldevelopment.net.au
Cultural Development Network, Ph: +61 3 9658 9976 Fax: +61 3 9658 8840
PO Box 324, Flinders Lane 8009, Victoria, Australia

For further information about the UNESCO e-journal, including Guidelines for Contributors, visit the website UNESCO Observatory website

Download flyer here

Book: Fourth Pillar of Sustainability

Our most important research work is published as the Fourth Pillar of Sustainability, the monograph by Jon Hawkes published in 2001. The Fourth Pillar provides a clear definition of culture, analyses its function within the emerging new planning paradigms and proposes practical measures for the integration of a cultural perspective into the public sphere. The key conclusion of this work is that a whole-of government cultural framework, operating in parallel with social, environmental and economic frameworks, is essential for the achievement of a sustainable and healthy society. Cultural vitality is as essential to a healthy and sustainable society as social equity, environmental responsibility and economic vitality. In order for public planning to be more effective, its methodology should include an integrated framework of cultural evaluation along similar lines to those being developed for social, environmental and economic impact assessment.

This ‘groundbreaking and thought-provoking work ... stresses the belief that the way a society governs itself cannot be fully democratic without there being clear avenues for the expression of community values, and advocates the need to reintroduce the notion of culture into the language of politicians and policy makers. With this in mind, the author explores the different ways in which culture affects and relates to patterns of human activities, illustrates practical ways in which culture can be applied to public policy as well as featuring examples of models that can be drawn upon from around the world.’, UK-based Centre for Creative Communities.

"The Australian researcher Jon Hawkes has formulated the need to structure a new ‘pillar’ for sustainability. His document The Fourth Pillar of Sustainability: Culture’s essential role in public planning is recognised as a masterpiece for local policy making in many European cities. We, the cultural actors and agents, know better than anybody that the circle of development cannot be squared without the fourth pillar: culture. The framework proposed by Jon Hawkes is extremely powerful."
- Jordi Pascual, Coordinator, United Cities and Local Governments’ Group on Culture, Barcelona City Council Institute for Culture - Cultural Policies, Human Development and Institutional Innovation: or why we need an Agenda 21 for culture. Expanding Cultures conference, 2007

Buy Fourth Pillar using this order form (AUD$25), or buy online as a PDF (AUD$18.95).

Through a series of public discussions, the Cultural Development Network has begun to develop a charter for community cultural development, to identify the principles and practices that might be described as ‘lead practice’. An effective charter could contribute to ever increasing quality, diversity and breadth of community based arts activities in Victoria and beyond.

Book: Public Art Public Housing, 2004
North Richmond Community Health Centre, Department of Human Services Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, and the Cultural Development Network.

This book celebrates the creative collaborative work of residents, artists and organisations on public housing estates across Victoria since 1999. Public Art Public Housing beautifully and vibrantly reflects the creativity of its subjects: energy and excitement leaps off every page. This spectacular publication, written by Graham Pitts and designed by Lin Tobias, was produced as the climax of the Public Housing and Arts project, a collaboration between the North Richmond Community Health Centre, (lead partner), Department of Human Services Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, and the Cultural Development Network. The project began with a successful forum and culminated in an on-line exhibition that supports and amplifies the ideas and projects documented in the book.

The request a copy of this free book, please e-mail CDN with your address.

Public Art Public Housing website

Discussion paper: Strengthening Communities Through the Arts,
Judy Spokes, August 2005
CDN Director Judy Spokes wrote this position paper to stimulate discussion among policy makers and practitioners in the arts, community development and local government sectors about the possibilities of a closer integration of their efforts towards strengthening communities in Victoria.
Download paper (PDF)