CCA Bulletin 38/07

December 7 , 2007

Several Measures Proposed at the CCA Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy

The Facts

On November 22nd, at Université du Québec à Montréal, the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA) held a one one-day Symposium on the Role of Arts and Culture in Canadian Public Diplomacy. One hundred and twenty (120) people working within the artistic and cultural sector gathered, to hear the twelve invited panelists’ thoughts.  Participants discussed the principles and models on which the federal government bases its actions pertaining to the integration of the artistic and cultural sector into public diplomacy strategies. Several proposed measures for the CCA were put forward in an attempt to redefine the role of the cultural sector in public diplomacy while seeking to alter other countries’ perception of Canada.

More Information

The two former ministers in attendance at the symposium, Bill Graham and Marcel Masse, reminded the audience that the people responsible for the cultural dossiers in the government solicit funds, generally without the support of the Ministry or Treasury Board, for activities rarely mentioned in public forums. In addition, the question of the government delegating to third parties - artists or cultural workers - its responsibility and diplomatic credits, despite the fact that it has the ability to assert strict control over this activity, was called into question. Part of the answer certainly resides in maintaining cultural issues in the public sphere. An open discussion forum such as the CCA symposium goes a long way in keeping the arts and culture on the government’s agenda. Such public forums provide valuable arguments to ministers responsible for cultural dossiers, enabling ministers to subsequently make a stronger case for the shared interests between the government and the cultural sector.

Beyond the need to keep these questions in the public forum, the group identified other obstacles, such as the lack of dialog between the cultural and the political sectors, as well as the need for concerted action among the people working in Canadian public diplomacy, mainly the federal governments and the provinces.

Furthermore, participants looked at public diplomacy by exploring the genesis and the accomplishments of the diplomatic models developed in Québec, in Japan and in Canada. One finding was that cultural diplomats should principally be responsible for building the bridge between artists and cultural workers, and between foreign cultural networks and governments. This task is too often subject to political agendas of existing governments, prompting some participants to suggest that public diplomacy ought to be perhaps kept apart from governments. It was suggested that a separate entity be created, with a mandate to promote Canadian culture abroad, based on existing models such as the British Council, the Alliance Française or the Goethe Institute. However, the Quebec and Japanese models demonstrate the importance of establishing a network of states’ representatives and the need to appoint competent employees in charge of cultural matters.

The importance of networks took up a substantial part of the day’s discussions. These networks do not come into being solely through efforts of official representations, as they also require action from artistic institutions which are more and more connected to their international counterparts. A form of parallel diplomacy naturally ensues, one in which the artist acts as a diplomat. This does not imply that the state can’t play a role in such operations; support, even symbolic, from diplomatic representatives is often required in the concluding stages of international cultural partnerships.

During this enriching day of discussions and recommendations, the CCA determined the following requirements:

• The need for more dialogue between the cultural and the political sectors about the role of the arts and culture in our society and in our foreign policies
• The need for more coherence between all involved in public diplomacy
• The importance of maintaining and fostering the development of networks already in place
• The relevance of seizing international partnership opportunities
• The urgency of integrating new technologies in all future cultural diplomacy approaches.

What Can I Do?

In January 2008, the CCA will publish a report comprised of all the symposium’s discussions. This report will be made available through our website and will be forwarded to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and to every member of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. As well, the CCA is bringing together a group of experts on international relations in order to establish a long-term action plan, which will put forward tangible solutions to the challenges facing the promotion of Canadian culture on the world stage. Please share with us any element which you feel should be considered when this group gathers, by contacting Guillaume Sirois, Cultural Advisor to the CCA at guillaume.sirois@ccarts.ca, or by calling (613) 238-3561, ext. 19.