EUNIC's vision and strategy for the years 2025-2029 - which encompasses new technologies and artificial intelligence, but also freedom of expression and creativity - were presented on Tuesday in Bucharest by Laura Napolitano, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Bucharest and chair of the European Union Network of Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) Romania, and Liviu Jicman, chairman of the Romanian Cultural Institute and member of the EUNIC Board of Directors at global level.

Jicman said that the document is a 'very synthetic' one, made in such a way that it is easily perceived by the public and partners, while also being accessible.

'It is a framework document that is open to adaptations even within the announced period of 2025-2029, but it must exist in one form. Some components have been taken over or developed from the previous strategy, others are new. (...) What I wanted was to be a very synthetic document, so that it would be easily perceived by the public and partners, not be a very elaborate document that only we, those within the member organisations, would know and possibly even among us, only the most interested, but it should be an accessible one. The document speaks on the one hand of priorities, some of which were also in the old strategy, others, such as the challenges generated by new technologies and artificial intelligence, are new components. I am referring here to freedom of expression and creativity, sustainability and climate change,' Jicman said.

He added that a very important element for EUNIC is the encouragement of the involvement of civil society and the independent cultural sector in collaboration in international cultural relations.

'The strategy mentions at the very first objective the fact that we aim to provide a meeting framework between partners, a meeting framework between cultural operators, but also between artists and creators in general, and also that these approaches must be adapted to the local realities of each country, just as, of course, they are also adapted in EU or non-EU spaces.'

Jicman underlined the direction 'to encourage co-productions, co-creations, collaborations and partnerships, not only to present creations from one country to another, to make itinerant projects that do not have the ability to be consulted afterwards'.

According to him, EUNIC 'aims to support the voice of the independent cultural sector, to provide a platform in this regard and, on the other hand, to be able to bring together both our own resources or especially the resources of partners, professionals in the field, who can offer points of view, analyses for the development of the cultural sector and international cultural affairs,' said Jicman.

Laura Napolitano, President of EUNIC Romania, said that 'EUNIC is an active network: every day, all over the world' and through this 'interpersonal collaborations through culture' are created.

'EUNIC clusters will become increasingly efficient, dynamic, and impactful, platforms for collaboration bringing together the country offices, institutes, and embassies of EUNIC members. Clusters will expand and deepen their local partnerships, as long-standing and structural allies of local civil society and cultural actors across the globe. This makes EUNIC uniquely placed to strengthen international cultural relations,' reads the EUNIC strategy.

According to the document, EUNIC is an advocating network: we support the European Union to develop a prominent role as an international cultural relations actor.

EUNIC will strengthen itself as a community of practice amongst its members and partners, defending the independent voice of the cultural sector, bringing in high-level practitioners' perspective from our membership and culture sector partners, deepening the human relations between the leadership of our members, and keeping proactive and equipped on evolving topics and global developments. AGERPRES (RO - editing by: Petronius Craiu; EN - writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)