EP Pilot project in 2008 - Scheme for artist mobility approved by European Parliament.

An Erasmus programme for artists?
In her report on the 2008 budget, MEP Helga Trüpel (Greens, Germany) proposed the launch of a 3 million € pilot project to support artists’ mobility in Europe. The idea of an ‘Erasmus programme for artists’ was first presented by Gottfried Wagner (Director of the European Cultural Foundation) at the Berlin conference culture.powers.europe last June.

After discussions with experienced key European networks active in the mobility field, Helga Trüpel’s proposal was adopted by the Culture Committee and will be put to the vote in the EP Budget Committee in October. An amendment to cut the 2008 pilot projet budget from 3 million € to 1.5 million € is currently in discussion in the Budget Committee. EFAH hopes that this amendment will be reconsidered and that the original figure of 3 million will be reinstated to make sure this important project is given the adequate budget to achieve its objectives.

The pilot project proposed by Mrs Trüpel isn’t quite a ‘Erasmus programme for artists’, as it does not aim to create a new European mobility fund or scheme yet, but rather to support the existing mobility structures in the civil society or public sectors. Specific objectives for the year 2008 are (1) to commission a feasibility study for a European wide system of information on mobility, (2) to launch calls for networking of existing structures supporting mobility and (3) to contribute to the operational costs of mobility funds, programmes or schemes.

This pilot project is conceived as a first step towards a fully-fledged European mobility programme, which could be in the Culture programme at the time of the mid-term budget review (2009).

Watch this space for further news on the proposal.

Source: EFAH Newsletter