The analysis of the Cypriot cultural scene from UNDO Contemporary Arts in Nicosia in 2008 has shown that in the various cultural institutions exists a great need for qualified project orientated cultural managers. The problem exists not only in the lack of Cultural Management instruments, but also in the networking of the scene on a national and an international level.

Idea, Aims and Objectives

The aim of the project is on the one hand the acquirement of knowledge in the field of Cultural Management through job shadowing, internships and further education. On the other hand the project aims to develop the network of local cultural actors in Cyprus, as well as an international network with German actors. The project should contribute to the qualification of persons on Cultural Management and in the long run support the professionalization of the Cypriot cultural scene. Official communication language of the project is English, due to the collaboration with institutions abroad.

For this purpose four Cypriots that aim at practicing Cultural Management in Cyprus have been chosen after an open call in spring 2009 to participate in a qualification program. The participants originate from the three cities of Cyprus (two from Nicosia, one from Limassol and one from Larnaca). Anastazia Anastassiou from Limassol is a freelancer graphic designer and a visual artist. Giorgos Ioannou is a professional photographer and has worked in cultural production projects and Revecca Katsaris has experience in program coordination and in organising cultural events. Both, Giorgos and Revecca represent Nicosia. Finally, Phaedon Zacharoudes from Larnaca has a professional background in Audiovisual Communication and Dance. After the withdrawal of the candidate from Paphos, and due to the fact that the project had already started, it has been decided to propose to Paphos Municipality a collaboration for the realisation of a cultural event in Paphos, which will be coordinated by the team of Moving Culture and other Cypriot cultural actors.

Program structure

The project has started in October 2009 with the selection of the four participants and the partner institutions, while the official period for the implementation of the project activities is from January 2010 to February 2011.

In February 2010 the participants were hosted by four Cypriot cultural institutions in their cities and they got to know the working space and activities of these organisations. The aim of the first month of internship was to get in touch with the local cultural administration and the general Cypriot cultural scene.

The coordinating team of the project invited these cultural institutions to participate in the training program, after studying their activities and the cultural landscape in each city of Cyprus. The institutions are: Apotheke Contemporary Arts and Satiriko Theatre in Nicosia, Rialto Theatre in Limassol and the Cultural Services of the Municipality of Larnaca.

The four participants together with one project coordinator have travelled to Berlin at the end of February, for a two-month residence. There, they have started to meet and contact representatives of cultural institutions, and they will work at some of these institutions, according to their branch. The aim is, in collaboration with the institutions, to develop an idea for a project, in which further Cypriot cultural institutions will participate. The residence will be completed by a series of training days in which the participants will be introduced by trainers with practical methods to the Cultural Management. After their return to Cyprus end of April, the participants will continue their internships at the cultural institutions, by which they were hosted during the previous winter. They will contribute with their newly gained knowledge, contacts and ideas to the daily work of the organisations (May- July 2010). By observing and contributing for four months, they will be introduced to the networks of these organisations and of the Cypriot cultural field.

The qualification of the participants includes finally the preparation of individual projects. These projects should be implemented in Cyprus in collaboration with the German institutions and other Cypriot partners. The coordinating team of the project will support this process (April- December 2010). The themes of the cultural festivals will be announced in a future stage.

The coordinating team of the project organizes, parallel to the qualification program, a series of activities, in which the different stages of the project will be presented and the public will be informed about this new field. Furthermore, representatives of cultural institutions in Cyprus and Germany and of the general cultural field in Cyprus, will be invited to participate at workshops about the development of the Cultural Management field in Cyprus and in Europe, will be asked to comment on the activities of the project and suggest future steps, need to be taken for their collaboration and the professionalization of the Cypriot cultural scene.

The results of the project and the above mentioned activities will be presented in Berlin in a form of a Cypriot Festival. (January 2011). A publication will also be prepared.

The funding of the project will be secured by public and private funds in Cyprus and in Germany.

Host Organisations

Host organisation of the project is UNDO Contemporary Arts in Nicosia. Partner organisation in Germany is the MitOst e.V. in Berlin.

UNDO Contemporary Arts is considered an expert on the cultural field in Cyprus due to its knowledge of the Cypriot cultural scene and its contacts.MitOst e.V. has a multiple expertise in the field of qualification of cultural actors through the Cultural Management Program of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the Project Accents in Perm which is funded by the European Commission and the degree program Cultural Management in Pécs.

Project management

The project is being managed by Stephanie Polycarpou and Constantinos Taliotis (UNDO Contemporary Arts) and Sarah Herke (MitOst e.V.). They are responsible for the preparation and implementation of the project modules, the fundraising, the communication with the partners and the participants, and for the public relations, the documentation and the financing.

Stephanie Polycarpou has studied Communication Science with special interest in Project Management and Political Communication in Berlin and has been working as a professional free lancer cultural manager the last two years. She has worked with independent theatrical groups, artists and musicians, public institutions as well as private companies for the realisation of cultural productions and events.

Constantinos Taliotis (1983) is a visual artist and a writer/ columnist. His work has been exhibited in Nicosia, Athens, Berlin and London and his articles have been included in various magazines and exhibition catalogues. He is represented by APOTHEKE Gallery.

Sarah Herke has studied East European Studies, Modern German Literature and Modern Greek Language in Berlin. She has worked at various cultural organisations such as the New Society for Literature and the Greek Cultural Foundation in Berlin and was project coordinator at the world’s biggest Fairy-tale Festival, the Fairy-tale Days of Berlin. Currently she is working at MitOst e.V. in the cultural exchange department. She is responsible, together with her co-workers for the coordination of the program “Cultural Manager from Central and Eastern Europe”, of the Robert Bosch Foundation.