SICA Newsletter February 2012

The Amsterdam Museum recently opened the exhibition 'Sultans, Merchants, Painters', about the earliest trade contacts between the Netherlands and Turkey in the 17th and 18th centuries, in the Pera Museum in Istanbul. All of the paintings are going to be packed up again in April for their journey to the Amsterdam Museum, where the exhibition will open on April 18 as The Chamber of the Levantine Trade.

The Rijksmuseum is presenting its works in Turkey this year for the first time, including five paintings by Rembrandt and Vermeer’s 'Love Letter'. Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Rosenthal opened the exhibition in the Sakip Sabanci Museum in Istanbul alongside the Turkish president Gül.

The first of three joint exhibitions, by Eindhoven’s Van Abbemuseum and the Salt museum (Istanbul), opened in Istanbul at the end of January. This spring the Boijmans Van Beuningen and the Istanbul Museum for Modern Art will also exchange a selection from their collections. The exhibition ‘Istanbul Modern’ will open on 10 March in Rotterdam, on 16 February the exhibition ‘La La La Human Steps’ opened in Istanbul.

On February 23th the Festival Turkey Now! Was opened and further exchanges are also being prepared in the fields of music, theatre, fashion, film and dance.

On March 6th the website www.nltr400.nl will be launched providing you with an overview of activities in The Netherlands and Turkey this year.

If you would like to stay informed about all of the cultural activities within the framework of NLTR400, then take a regular look at www.culturalexchange-tr.nl and register there for the Turkey Newsletter.  

The Slavist, curator and writer Sjeng Scheijen was recently appointed as artistic director, to compile the cultural programme for the Netherlands – Russia Year, together with a Programme Board and the cultural field. The Programme Board consists of representatives from foundations and sector institutes, as well as experts for the various disciplines. Sjeng has formulated departure points, in terms of content, which will provide direction to the cultural programme and be an inspiration for the cultural field.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the first to make matching funds available to support a number of cultural projects taking place, particularly in the latter half of 2013 in Moscow and St Petersburg, and which fit within the departure points. Soon you will be able to read more in the NLRF newsletter and on the SICA site about the artistic plan and the criteria to be included in the cultural programme and to be eligible for the matching funds. Would you also like to receive the Russia Newsletter? Then send an e-mail to SICA, Robert Kieft, r [dot] kieft [at] sica [dot] nl.">r [dot] kieft [at] sica [dot] nl. Robert would also like to receive information about your intended activities. If you have any further questions, then contact project manager Judith Veraart, j [dot] veraart [at] sica [dot] nl.

In 2012, it will be 40 years since the People’s Republic of China and the Netherlands established diplomatic relations at an ambassadorial level. Even though relations stretch back more than 400 years, it was only on 18 May 1972 that relations were elevated to the ambassadorial level. And even though China and the Netherlands have come to understand each other better over the last 40 years, and there are now many areas in which close collaboration takes place, this moment does offer a good opportunity to look to the future. A logo has been created in order to present all of the activities together and to add lustre to the event. Keep a close eye on Cultural Exchange for updates, and let us know if you have plans to take part in this celebration yourself. 

SICA is organising an expert meeting on Monday 12 March, specifically for cultural professionals in the performing arts. This meeting may be attended by invitation. Further information at www.sica.nl.

On 6 February 2012, Dutch Culture Centre (DCC) received the first prize for the best international presentation of 2010-2011 at the Jing'an District Top Ten Cultural Activities Presentation (district Jing’an Shanghai). DCC was part of the World Expo 2010 and it was realised by the Netherlands China Arts Foundation, in collaboration with SICA. Further information at http://www.culturalexchange-cn.nl/

Central de Cultura, a joint initiative by six Dutch cultural foundations (The Foundation for the Performing Arts, The Mondriaan Foundation, The Foundation for Cultural Participation, The Dutch Foundation for Literature, the Dutch Film Foundation and the Netherlands Architecture Fund) will enter its second year in 2012. The multidisciplinary programme for cultural exchange gives substance to the priority that the ministries of Education, Culture and Science and Foreign Affairs have accorded Brazil in international cultural policy. On 29 March, Central de Cultura, together with SICA, is organising an expert meeting for professionals in the visual arts sector with serious plans in Brazil. Because of the limited number of places available, this meeting may only be attended by invitation. More information is available from SICA, Ellen Sluis, e [dot] sluis [at] sica [dot] nl

  
This spring, SICA will receive various Brazilian guests in the Foreign Visitors Programme, including two members of staff from the Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil (CCBB) and a delegate/director from the programme for ‘Integrated Arts’ by Funarte, the Brazilian Foundation for the Arts.
You can also stay informed about cultural exchange with Brazil in 2012 via the platform Cultural Exchange Brazil-the Netherlands. SICA sent the first Brazil Newsletter via this platform in February. It can still be read %20e [dot] sluis [at] sica [dot] nl%20%20%20This%20spring,%20SICA%20will%20receive%20various%20Brazilian%20guests%20in%20the%20Foreign%20Visitors%20Programme,%20including%20two%20members%20of%20staff%20from%20the%20Centro%20Cultural%20do%20Banco%20do%20Brasil%20%28CCBB%29%20and%20a%20delegate/director%20from%20the%20programme%20for%20%E2%80%98Integrated%20Arts%E2%80%99%20by%20Funarte,%20the%20Brazilian%20Foundation%20for%20the%20Arts.%20%20You%20can%20also%20stay%20informed%20about%20cultural%20exchange%20with%20Brazil%20in%202012%20via%20the%20platform%20Cultural%20Exchange%20Brazil-the%20Netherlands.%20SICA%20sent%20the%20first%20Brazil%20Newsletter%20via%20this%20platform%20in%20February.%20It%20can%20still%20be%20read%20here%20%28in%20pdf%29.%20Registration%20for%20the%20mailing%20list%20is%20possible%20at%20Cultural%20Exchange." target="_blank">here (in pdf). Registration for the mailing list is possible at Cultural Exchange.

The current EU subsidy programme Europe for the Citizen runs to the end of 2013. The European Commission published its proposal for the new programme Europe for the Citizen (2014 -2020) in the autumn of 2011. The proposed total budget amounts to some € 229 million; annually € 2 million more than the current programme. The central aims of the new programme are to strengthen commemoration and to enlarge civic participation in the European Union. The programme promotes debate, reflection and collaboration in the areas of commemoration, European integration and history. The programme also supports projects that give European citizens more insight into the EU policy process and stimulates them to take part in this, and also projects that increase the opportunities for solidarity, engagement, and volunteer work at the European level. The Europe for Citizens Point is housed with SICA and supports (potential) applicants for the programme Europe for the Citizen. You can find more information here. The next deadline for applications for the current programme is 1 June 2012.