We have the pleasure to announce the new dates of the “1stCorfu Arabian World’s Festival”, to take place in Corfu, from 1 – 6 April 2011. The Festival is implemented in the framework of the project “Intercultural Dialogue Festival-Cultural Encounter between East and West”, Grant Agreement N0 2009/0908”, co-funded up to 50% by the European Union “Culture 2009-2013 Programme”
The project partners organising their respective festivals are: from Italy, Calabria the Municipalities of Santa Severina (lead partner) and Crotone, from Spain the Municipality of Puerto Lumbreras, Spain, and from Greece the Corfu based Greek NGO CulturePolis-Europe of Cultures Forum: Adriatic-Ionian Chapter, which joined the project in 2010 and organises the Corfu festival.
The project is based on the principle that multicultural Europe is based on humanistic and spiritual traditions, which are the source of its dedication to freedom and human rights, as well as on pluri-secular interaction with other regions, civilisations and cultural expressions among which the Arabic world holds a primordial position, namely in regards to the Southern Mediterranean European countries. The Festival has been conceived on UNESCO's definition of Culture : "Culture... is ... the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterize a society or social group. It includes not only arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs", adopted by the Mexico declaration on the Cultural Dimension of Development at the World Conference on Cultural Policies, MONDIACULT, Mexico City, 1982.
The goal of the project is to promote the creativity to an intercultural and interreligious dialogue among local European populations and Muslims, by means of recovering their ancient cultural and historical links with the Arab world, promoting the artistic creation as literature, tales and painting production as well as encouraging a new literary talent to describe the integration, the immigration and the encounter between Orient and Occident worlds in a open competition.
The specific goals of this project are:
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To improve the knowledge, among European citizens of Arab culture and arts, paying particular attention to literature, philosophy, music, theatrical performances and mathematics;
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To set up cultural cooperation channels among European countries of the South of Mediterranean, in order to introduce and implement innovative actions taking into consideration the cultural interaction with Arab and Muslim immigrant populations, for the promotion of mutual acquaintance and understanding within European multicultural societies.
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To encourage cultural operators and public administrations to share their knowledge and to exchange their experiences concerning culture and the management of relations among different cultures;
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To promote the artistic creativeness as a tool for the social communication as well as supply methods to achieve citizens through the art production and originality;
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To strengthen the intercultural dialogue and relationships among different ethnic groups in the three EU countries of the South of the Mediterranean, also considering a further gradual growth of Muslim and/or Arab presence in their territories.
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To promote the active participation of people stimulating the public awareness using the originality of the cultural productions.
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To encourage the involvement of young people to social themes as well as to the literature creation.
The project foresees the implementation of a series of events focusing on Arab literature, philosophy, science, music, art and cinema seen as essential tools to get acquainted with Arab culture as a whole and moments devoted to theatral research and analysis. The Festival lasts several days and will be very staggered and will move to the three partner towns involved, namely Santa Severina and Crotone in Calambria, Italy, Puerto Lumbreras, Spain and finally Corfu, Greece.
A series of Recommendations and proposals for networking activities will be produced by the Festival, aiming at multiplying its effects and ensure its results' viability.
Identity card of the 1stCorfu Arabian World’s Festival
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What
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A Festival consisting of a transnational conference and a series of scientific, cultural and artistic events events for a period of six (6) days
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Why
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Understand better the Arab world and its links with Europe
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When
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Fri 1 – Wed 6 April 2011
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Where
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Corfu, Greece
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Who
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CulturePolis - Europe of Cultures Forum: Adriatic-Ionian Chapter
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The initiative is managed by a cross border panel of experts constituted, from the very beginning of the project, by the representatives of each partner. The exchange of experiences and knowledge sharing among the cultural operators will trigger actions of project, and activities aiming to foster the intercultural dialogue between European populations and immigrants. An active participation of citizens will be promoted by mean of an International Tales Competition in which the originality and creativity on the cultural integration theme will be awarded. To encourage the mutual knowledge, that besides contributing to avoid conflicts, leads to the cultural enrichment of the individual and to the improvement of the civilisation of all societies.
For this purpose the following activities will take place with active participation of Italian, Spanish and Greek experts and cultural operators: culturepolis.org and (provisional website: www.interculturalfestival.eu)
The 1stCorfu Arabian World’s Festival will have a high visibility to attract attention not only of authhorities and local populations but also from economic/ business stakeholders to allow for a touristic exploitation and attraction of new visitors desiring to discover new worlds besides their own.
Summary Description of Activities in Corfu
A Transnational Conference
Theme:The Journey: from Homer’s Odysseus to Sinbad the Sailor
Organise and implement a transnational conference concerning a particular issue: “the Journey”, dealing with Homer’s Odysseus and Sinbad the Sailor, with the tradition of the Arabian Nights. It will compare two conceptions of life that are the basis of the nature and the customs of two populations of sailors and travellers, considering also an ideal widening of the natural Mediterranean borders. The conference will last two days and will be held in Corfu. Experts of cultural and historical issues related to the objectives of the initiative will be invited as speakers.
Arab world readings / fairy tales
Offer readings sessions by professionals of fairy tales and Arab literature and philosophy.
Under the Arab Tent and eventually other public places & schools.
Exhibition Corner
Arab video/film projections
· Project videos/films with documentaries on Arab world
Arab and European art and handicrafts
· Exhibit Arab and local handicrafts generated from synergies with other EU initiatives will be sought. Eventually these will be combined with local artistic works.
Literature corner
Books and other documents concerning literature, science, art and mathematics and their development in the Arab world and in Europe.
In adddition bookshops in Corfu will promote in visible bookstalls books concerning Arab world, published by Arab publishing houses that can be purchased.
Dissemination and promotion activities
Publicity and promotion actions will be launched at local, national and international level to adequate media in 4 languages (EN, IT, GR, SP) mainly via Internet.
These promotion activities will take place not only in Greece and other EU participating or not countries but also partner Arab countries using all communication means.
The Arab World festival concerts
Performances will be proposed with Arab and Greek music and dance linking these two cultures, whose folklore belongs to the same stock having an Arab matrix (provisional list)
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A Performance (Greco-Arab Party) will be proposed with Arab and Greek music and dance linking these two cultures.
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Other concerts with arab musicians
Promotional activities
Publicity and promotion actions will be launched at local, national and international level to adequate media in Greek and English (some also in 4 IT, SP) and via Internet. These promotion activities will take place not only in Greece and other EU participating or not countries but also partner Arab countries using all communication means.
The Arab Tent
It is planned to instal a Marocaine tent (Haima) installed in the middle of the Corfu city Piazza and it will be the symbol and hosting venue of several activities described below.
Arab and Corfiot gastronomy
Arab cuisine and its relationships local traditional cooking will be demonstarated by Arab cooks.
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Invitation to Young Authors !
International Contest for Young People
(age groups 12-18 & 19-34)
Young people willing to participate in the International Tales Competition and submit their essay (up to 2.500 words in Greek language) on the theme of the Festival ”Intercultural Dialogue: encounters between East – West”
The tales aim to encourage the mutual knowledge, that besides contributing to avoid conflicts, leads to the cultural enrichment of the individual and to the improvement of the civilisation of all societies.
The local committee will select the 3 best essays based on their originality and creativity, and the first winner will be rewarded during the Festival in Corfu together with the winners from the contest in Italy and Spain.
All candidates have to submit by email (only) their Tale to arabfestival@culturepolis.org
until 20 March 2011
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Call for Contributions in Material
Museums, public organisations, foundations, private firms and NGOs etc.
in Greece and abroad
If your organisation is active in Arab world issues in culture, art, science, myths, religion, music, politics etc. are invited to send their material (mainly in Greek and/or English, Italian, Spanish, Arabic) to be displayed during the event.
Material could be posters, brochures, copies of original Islamic art/paintings, handicrafts, books, documents, music, plays etc. and of course videos CDs and DVDs and web based material and websites.
Thank you in advance for contacting us and sending your contribution to the address above.
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For further information
CulturePolis-Europe of Cultures Forum: Adriatic-Ionian Chapter
"1st Corfu Arabian Wold's Festival" Secretariat
Address: Alepohori Kamaras, 49084 Corfu, Greece
Tel./Fax: +30 26610 54592
Skype: arabfestcorfu
Mob: +30 6934 92 12 87
W: culturepolis.org & arabfestivalen.wordpress.com
@: arabfestival@culturepolis.org
Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες
CulturePolis-Φόρουμ της Ευρώπης των Πολιτισμών: Παράρτημα Αδριατικής-Ιονίου
Γραμματεία "1ου Φεστιβάλ Αραβικού Κόσμου Κέρκυρας"
Διεύθυνση: Αλεποχώρι Καμάρας, 49084 Κέρκυρα, Ελλάδα
Τηλ./φαξ: +30 26610 54592
Skype: arabfestcorfu
Κιν.: +30 6934 92 12 87
W: culturepolis.org & arabworldsfestival.wordpress.com
@: arabfestival@culturepolis.org
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