The European Diploma in Cultural Project Management is a training and learning experience fostering cultural diversity and interregional exchanges as a way of giving culture a stronger place within Europe.

Through its content and methodology, this pan-European programme is specific in the way that it does not only aim at improving the skills of cultural administrators in the field of cultural management and administration, but also at helping the participants develop understanding of these fields in a changing Europe.

Its main aims are to make participants aware of challenges within their field of action and influence and to develop approaches and tools needed for co-operative and creative cultural workforce in Europe.

I - OBJECTIVES OF THE EUROPEAN DIPLOMA

Since the establishment of the European Diploma in 1989, as a follow-up pilot project of the Council of Europe’s, 350 professionals from 41 European and world countries, active in the field of cultural project management, took part to this training programme which is characterised by its innovative methodological approach and European open-mindedness.

The main objective of the programme is twofold :
_ to enable cultural managers, having already good management capacities, to better integrate their co-operation projects and actions - which links identity, culture and economy - in a European perspective.
_ to insert European projects in regional cultural development policies.

TO ACHIEVE THIS OBJECTIVE, THE EUROPEAN DIPLOMA FOCUSES ON:

• Strengthening of knowledge, competencies, skills and theoretical references in the field of cultural policies and cultural management.
• Forging of a framework open to other cultural concerns, ways of thinking/doing and sensitivities which constitute a source of mutual enrichment.
• Developing a network of European cultural managers, as well as attitudes and skills related to networking. Creation of strong relations among participants from various regions of Europe and other continents in order to lay the foundations for subsequent co-operation - multiplying the impact and the added value of the training.
• Promoting transnational co-operation and professional mobility bringing Europe closer to the citizens and enhancing their role in the creation and diffusion of cultural projects.

WHO IS THE TRAINING FOR?

The programme is designed for young, already experienced and project-oriented European cultural managers from public and private organizations. Applicants must have at least three years of professional experience in either contributing to the cultural development of a territory (region, city) or developing and spreading artistic / cultural projects.

Participants, with different origins and coming from various artistic and cultural disciplines, must already have a good knowledge of European, national and regional cultural institutions and policies and have developed skills in the administration and management of cultural projects.

The selection is based on existing qualifications and relevant professional experience, as well as on the quality and feasibility of the submitted project.

The training is conducted in English and French and simultaneous translation is only provided during the plenary sessions. Applicants must therefore be fluent in one of the working languages of the European Diploma and have a fairly good knowledge of the other.