Here you will find studies, expert opinions, evaluations, articles and analyses on our main themes.
(2009)
Commissioned by the Arts Division of the Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture (BMUKK)
For the Arts Division of the BMUKK the österreichische kulturdokumentation has provided an expertise on the subject of international arts and cultural funding and international cultural policy.
Various concepts of international cultural policy and promotion (organisational forms, budgets, services, structures, etc.) in selected European countries (Denmark, Germany, Finland, Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland) were described. Programmes and activities by ministries (cultural and foreign ministries), departments (e.g. the Danish Arts Council), organisations (e.g. the Goethe-Institut), foundations (e.g. Pro Helvetia) and agencies (incoming, outgoing agencies) that promote, coordinate and organise artistic mobility, cultural import and export and international cooperation were described. The summary offers a foundation for estimating trends and developments in international cultural policy and promotion.
(2007-2008)
Commissioned by: the cultural department of Graz City Council
Arts and cultural expenditure, cultural provision and opportunities for participation were listed in order to draw up a cultural profile of the city of Graz. The study describes the Graz cultural landscape, the cultural and creative labour market and the artistic education and training opportunities. It sketches out cultural development and cultural policy up until 2007 and analyses the cultural-policy discussions of the recent years.
(2009-2010)
Commissioned by CSES, ERICarts and the European Commission
Under the project-lead of the Centre for Strategy & Evaluation Services (CSES) together with ERICArts (the Institute for Comparative Cultural Research) a study has been provided, investigating the contribution of culture to local and regional development as part of European cohesion policy.
29 countries shared in the project. The österreichische kulturdokumentation has worked on the Austrian section and has selected six exemplary art- and culture-projects that have received funding from the European Structural Fund in which Austrian project partners have played and play a leading role. On the basis of a questionnaire, these projects were described by the österreichische kulturdokumentation and prepared for the study, which appeared in spring 2010.
Full Report.pdf (841 KB), Annex 1.pdf (1,6 MB), Annex 2.pdf (3,1 MB)
(2011)
Commissioned by: Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture
The structural and regional policy of the EU is one of the most important and highly funded political areas of the union: it is intended to harmonise economic and social differences between the regions and strengthen solidarity between the member states. Art, culture and the creative industries play a central role here - which has so far been little taken account of in EU regional policy.
The österreichische kulturdokumentation was commissioned by the Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture to carry out this study in order to show the current status and volumes of arts, culture and the creative industries in the framework of EU regional support programmes in Austria and to reveal their possible potential.
The main findings: Between 2007 and 2010 - that is, at “half time” in the current 2007 to 2013 support period - 534 projects with a total budget of € 139 million had been approved within the regional support programmes. More than half of these - € 78.8 million - come from the EU funds ERDF, the ESF and the EAFRD.
These figures by far exceed expectations and underscore the fact that regional development policy is just as responsible for art, culture and the creative industries as it is for industry, the environment or transport etc. The expectations, however, were not without reason considerably lower than the actual results; because in the conception of regional development policy, i.e. in the strategic guidelines, formulations of objectives and operational programmes, there is no discernable rigorous approach to taking account of culture.
The findings are discussed in all details in this publication: which of the 25 programmes surveyed make art and culture possible, where are the creative industries being particularly supported, what are the predominant themes, how do the Austrian provinces deal with the issue - and above all, where is there still latent potential that can be activated? The concluding recommendations are oriented at a better perception and anchoring of art, culture and the creative industries in order to use their potential more effectively.
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Download as pdf (german)
Download summary (german)
Download executive summary (englisch, soon available)
(2008)
Commissioned by: KÖR GmbH, Kunsthalle Wien
The österreichische kulturdokumentation has carried out research and a screening of temporary and permanent artworks that have been created in Vienna since the late 1960s. The approximately 630 projects and works have been categorised chronologically as well as according to various criteria (artist, location, material, genre, theme). Thus it has been possible to track thematic significances, material and genre ascriptions and boom cycles over the decades – from the Kunst am Bau [art on buildings/architectural sculpture] of the 1960s to temporary interventions. A selection of 163 exemplary projects forms the basis for the publication „Wem gehört die Stadt? Wien – Kunst im öffentlichem Raum seit 1968“ [Who does the city belong to? Vienna – art in public space since 1968] by Thomas Edlinger and Anja Lungstraß, published by Kunst im öffentlichen Raum GmbH and Kunsthalle Wien, Bettina Leidl, Gerald Matt, Verlag für moderne Kunst Nürnberg.
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(2004 - 2005)
Commissioned by: Europaforum
The aim was a survey of new cultural cooperation and cultural policies across national borders in the Central Europe region). Thus, derived from the description of the status quo (structures, competences, programmes etc.), a strategic concept is to be developed, on the one hand to give the political and culture-political decision-makers and the most important players in the cultural field the necessary instruments to inject cultural dynamism into the Central Europe region and on the other hand to identify new models of cultural cooperation and cooperative cultural policies. Besides the description of the national profiles of cultural policies and the description of the cultural activities and scenes with a focus on the four sub-regions - Vienna, southern Moravia, western Hungary and Bratislava - the strengths and weaknesses of cultural cooperation across national borders were identified. Strategies for trans-regional cultural cooperation were developed on this basis.
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(2008)
Commissioned by: Ericarts, Bonn, study for the European Commission
The study, carried out from April to October 2008, studies the mobility of artists and cultural professionals in Europe and the support programmes in various European countries. The österreichische kulturdokumentation has evaluated a questionnaire for the Austrian country profile and deals with questions on the mobility programmes for Austrian artists who go abroad as well as on programmes available for foreign artists in Austria. The focus of the questionnaire is on the artists-in-residence programmes, cross-border cooperation, support programmes for artists and cultural professionals, and training programmes. The study further investigates trends, supporting factors and obstacles to mobility and the effectiveness of mobility support and makes recommendations for more productive mobility programmes.
Long version in english: download as pdf
Short version in english: download as pdf
Short version in german: download as pdf
Short version in french: download as pdf
(2008)
Commissioned by: Ministry for Education, Culture and the Arts, EU coordination office for the „Working group on improving the conditions for the mobility of artists and other professionals in the culture field“
The österreichische kulturdokumentation was commissioned by the „EU working group on improving the conditions for the mobility of artists and other professionals in the culture field“ to present the obstacles to mobility in the fields of social insurance for artists and cultural professionals and creative workers (pension rights, unemployment benefit, health insurance) in Austria, the Austrian mobility programmes for artists and cultural professionals as well as trends and tendencies. The results of the study will shortly be published by the European Commission.
(2009-2010)
Commissioned by the Austrian UNESCO Commission (ÖUK)
The österreichische kulturdokumentation has prepared a current stocktaking on the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions: where is there a need for cultural policy action in Austria in the sense of the convention? Where are there problems and how can solutions be formulated for them with the help of the convention?
The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) is aimed against a global cultural monoculture and against (market) liberalisation of cultural enterprises. It recognises the dual nature of cultural goods and services as commercial commodities on the one hand and as the bearers of cultural values and identity on the other and is a binding instrument of international law which gives all signatory states (so far 103, Austria signed in 2006) the right to an independent cultural policy. The field in which the UNESCO convention can and must be applied is a broad one. It ranges from sensitisation to the issue, raising of awareness of its lasting importance to society, the economy and politics, from the motivation work for its implementation through cooperative and effective collaboration of all players up to and including many specific individual measures from the most diverse fields of arts, culture and cultural policy.
Download in german as pdf-file
(2000 - 2000)
Commissioned by: Council of Europe
The project analyses the issue of cultural policy and cultural diversity
because cultural diversity in all its forms represents a fundamental
challenge for the traditional interpretations of cultural policy, yet also
for our self-image and understanding of how public institutions reflect
this cultural diversity.
The shift from the production of (cultural) homogeneity
to the administration of diversity as a new social norm demands a new conception
of the processes, mechanisms and relations required for democratic political
development in the culturally diverse societies.
In the course of the study, national reports were
drawn up in the participating countries, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland,
Canada, Luxembourg, Britain and Austria. The österreichische kulturdokumentation
was here responsible for the coordination and reporting back of the Austrian
contribution.
The final reportt "Differing Diversities" was drawn up on the basis of the country reports of the participating states. This final report and the individual country reports have meanwhile been published by the Council of Europe. Summaries of the country reports and the final report can be found on the website of the Council of Europe: http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/culture/Completed_projects/Transversal
The Report for Austria is available at the kulturdokumentation.
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… in the Context of Institutions and Branches
Comparison of architecture centres
(2000 - 2001)
Commissioned by: IKP and Architekturzentrum Wien
The study was compiled in the framework of a positioning measure by the Architektur Zentrum Wien. The aim of the study was to gather basic data on other European centres, foundations and architectural museums - from budget frameworks and costings to forms of financing and figures on staff and visitor numbers.
The objective of the project was to classify the Architektur Zentrum Wien in an international context. 17 international centres, foundations and museums for architecture were evaluated by questionnaire, qualitative interviews and appraisal of documents.
Contribution to the first Austrian Report on Building Culture
(2006)
Commissioned by: Plattform Architekturpolitik und Baukultur
In six subject volumes (recommendations, responsibility, publicity, sustainability, economy and production) the first Austrian Report on Building Culture explains the significance of building culture for the Austrian population from an economic, ecological and social perspective. The contribution from the österreichische kulturdokumentation „Creative industry and service export“ concerns itself with the importance of the architectural sector within the creative industries. On the basis of the examples of Austria, Britain and Germany, the overview shows that the architectural sector – seen from the perspective of economic statistics – is indeed a core area of the creative industries but is (still) hardly taken into account in the appropriate support programmes and strategies.
The Baukulturreport (art on buildings report) can be downloaded here: www.baukulturreport.at
Appraisal and exploratory study of research in Austrian museums
(2006)
Commissioned by: Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture, Dept. VI/3
The tasks of Austrian museums and exhibition houses are not just collecting, exhibiting and education, but as places and archives of knowledge, of art and nature they also have a political and scientific mandate to fulfil. The appraisal provided an overview of the form and extent of research in Austrian museums and exhibition houses. To this end, 80 national, provincial and city museums, selected exhibition houses, private museums and houses were surveyed and interviews were carried out with 14 experts. The recommendations for the promotion of museum research were derived from the questionnaires and interviews.
Intersection of Architecture and Policy
(2003 - 2004)
Commissioned by: Arts Division of the Federal Chancellery
Since the early 1990s quality safeguards for the built and natural environment has become a central field of action for state policy in many countries in Europe. Occasioned by a parliamentary inquiry into architecture policy and building-culture in Austria in March 2004, the project "intersection of architecture and policy" takes a look outside Austria's borders and illuminates architecture policy priorities and instruments in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia and Slovenia.
The 14 country profiles include a description of the essential competence structures, concepts and support measures, provide information on education, professional modalities and interest associations and relevant architectural institutions. One chapter is dedicated to outlining measures (guidelines, supports etc.) in the context of architecture and building policy at European Union level. A collection of links to the most important institutions is intended to facilitate further researches.
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Theatres in Vienna and Graz: performances and productions
(2000 - 2001)
Commissioned by: Cultural department of the City of Vienna and the cultural department of the City of Graz
This study sought to relate the theatre programme of established major and medium-sized theatres to the under-funded free theatre field in Graz and Vienna. An analysis was made of how the different areas of the theatre (the national theatre, major, medium and small-scale theatres and free groups) contribute to the breadth of the variety of theatre performances. Thus the Freie Theater both in Graz and Vienna receive around 4 % of the subsidies, but contribute 38 % (Vienna) and 47 % (Graz) to the variety of performances in both cities.
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The economic relevance of culture and the creative industries: Vienna in comparison
(2005)
with Barcelona, Berlin, London, Milan and Paris
Commissioned by: Vienna City Council Department for EU Strategy and Economic Development
The study describes the relevance of culture and the creative industries in Vienna for the economy and employment in comparison with Barcelona, Berlin, London, Paris and Milan. The description and appraisal were carried out on the basis of following data: public financing of culture, proportion city - national government/province per capita proportion of cultural expenditure, employees in the cultural and creative industries, size of businesses in the creative industries, attendance figures and cultural provision, data on cultural tourism, description of the creative class based on Richard Florida.
On the basis of this data, relationships between the six cities were established to enable a argumentative positioning of their economic potential in culture and the creative industries. In order to provide a comparative description that is not only based on statistics, the essential trends in urban cultural policy and interesting concepts for urban developments and the creative industries were described.
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Kreativwirtschaft/Creative Industries
International Cultural Industries Report
(2009)
Commissioned by: Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences (CASS), Peking
The International Cultural Industries Report, published in Beijing in 2009, includes the Chinese translation of the 2004 Vienna Creative Industries Report by the österreichische kulturdokumentation, Mediacult and Wifo. It also includes reports on the creative industries in London, Australia and Germany.
The relevance to Vienna of Richard Florida's "creative class"
(2005)
Commissioned by: Vienna City Council Department for EU Strategy and Economic Development
The preliminary study is intended to lay the scientific and empirical fundamentals for an evaluation of cities on the basis of the Florida indicators "Talent, Technology and Tolerance". Surveys in European cities so far have shown that the Florida indicators are not transferable one-to-one, but need modification and adaptation. Thus the Florida indicators and the concept of the creative class were analysed and evaluated according to their relevance and applicability.
As there were only national analyses for Europe but no analyses of cities using the Florida indicators, on basis of the available data it was further investigated as to whether an empirically well-founded description of the indicators would be possible or if more data would have to be collected.