19/04/2024Promoting the Status of Artists and Culture Professionals in Mongolia
Within the framework of the UNESCO-Aschberg programme for artists and cultural professionals (hereafter ‘Aschberg programme’), the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist (hereafter ‘1980 Recommendation’ or ‘Recommendation’), and the ‘2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions’ (hereafter ‘2005 Convention’ or ‘Convention’), UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia and the Mongolian National Film Council are organizing a two-day capacity building workshop aimed at disseminating knowledge among stakeholders about the fundamental concepts and principles outlined in the 1980 Recommendations and the 2005 Convention. The workshop is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding and practical application of these standards in today’s cultural landscape, aiming to empower stakeholders with the knowledge and tools necessary to understand and advocate for the status of artists and cultural professionals, fostering a supportive environment for cultural development and artistic expressions.
The workshop contributes to the establishment of a platform where relevant government entities, civil society organizations (CSOs) and stakeholders in film sector, and more broadly, the cultural and creative sectors, to deeply explore different aspects concerning the status of artists and artistic freedom through becoming familiar with the 1980 Recommendation and the 2005 Convention.
The workshop will especially explore a diverse range of topics associating with the status of artist, especially the social and economic rights of artists and cultural professionals. This issue has been receiving increased attention over the last several years, as the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a number of shortcomings in this area due to the informal nature of much cultural employment in the region.
Through exchanges among government officials, cultural experts, and leaders of CSOs, the workshop will highlight successful measures that have been implemented to raise awareness of the status of artists and promote artistic freedom and discuss how artists and civil society can participate in designing related cultural policies. The workshop will also identify priority issues that can be further explored through the upcoming research carried out by the Mongolian National Film Council on the status of artists in the film sector, with a view to have them addressed in the upcoming period through new policy measures.
The 2005 Convention is an international legal instrument ratified by 153 Parties, ensuring that artists, cultural professionals, and creative practitioners – as well as all citizens – have the capacity to create, produce, disseminate and enjoy a broad range of cultural goods, services and activities.