International Interdisciplinary Conference

“Culture in dialogue: from external policies to postmodern colonialism”

December 5, 2008

Vilnius, Lithuania
Venue: Barbacan Palace Hotel, Bokšto str. 19.

The provisional programme is in the document attached. For registration and any other queries please contact Agne Norkute on +370 5 261 2921 or agne@durys.org .

Generally the conference addresses the third objective expressed in ‘Communication on a European agenda for culture in a globalizing world’ which is - Promotion of culture as a vital element in the Union’s international relations. The conference thematic concept pursues the following structure:

The first part of the conference explores the potential of culture in the field of EU external policy. As national revitalization is currently in the agendas in Denmark, Netherlands, Great Britain, France and Poland, this raises an important debate on how collaborative the European cultural space could be. The first part of this section seeks to provide a broad perspective on the general ‘trends’, challenges and limitations to the cultural component in the EU’s external policies, whereas the second part focuses on recommendations to the regional collaboration in the field of culture.

The second theme of the conference deals with a notion of postmodern colonialism. First part of the section provides practical insights and experience on how European self-perception might shape and undermine the cultural collaboration with the third countries. Whereas the second part aims to look at the issue of colonialism within closer context - Russian cultural persistence and symbolic vibrancy within Lithuanian public (sub)consciousness. The final part presents the art project/case study. 

The third theme of the conference seeks to address the challenges for traditional cultural diplomacy within a specified region - Central Eastern Europe. The need for strategic approach to the role of culture in external relations will be considered, at the same time looking at creative forms of cultural collaboration existing in practice.

The conference is organized by International Cultural Programme Centre that is the Lithuanian coordinator for the EU programme "Culture" (2007-2013).