A Culture Action Europe Campaign
Go Vote Bring a Friend is Culture Action Europe’s 2014 Campaign for the May European elections.
Campaign launched together with cultural European organisations (namely FACE – Fresh Arts Coalition Europe, TEH – Trans Europe Halles, OTM – On the Move, IETM – international network for contemporary performing arts, CAE – Culture Action Europe, NEMO – Network of European Museum Organisations, EMC – European Music Council, ETC – European Theatre Convention, RESEO – European Network for Opera and Dance Education, Europa Nostra, European Choral Association-Europa Cantat, Res Artis, ACCR – Association des centres culturels de rencontres, ECF – European Cultural Foundation, ELIA – European League of Institutes of the Arts, ENCATC – European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centers, ECHO – European Concert Hall Organisation, EMCY – European Union of Music Competitions for Youth, Eurozine, ROOTS & ROUTES International Association, Kunsten ’92, Banlieues d’Europe, NCK – Nordic Centre of Heritage Learning and Creativity)
The European elections that took place in May 2014 impacted strategies and policies that the Union wanted to put in place, as trying to recover from the economic and democratic meltdown it is currently facing. The elections were a unique opportunity to advocate for sustainable, just and democratic models of development, rooted in Europe’s cultural assets
On January 23 2014, CAE’s political manifesto for the European elections, presenting CAE’s vision for the European project and its demands for the future European Parliament, was sent to European political parties, European political groups and all MEPs. It was translated in French, Italian and Romanian.
In order to support its members’ and supporters’ actions in the framework of the European elections 22-25 May 2014, CAE had produced an advocacy toolkit available in English and French. The toolkit includes a general introduction describing the context and the changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. The second part of the toolkit consists of key arguments, examples of actions according to the system in place in the different countries, a political calendar and useful links and contacts. The toolkit aimed to support actions of European networks, national associations but also cultural operators and organisations working at grass roots level.
CAE’s toolkit has been published under a Creative Commons license free to download, use and adapt. An example of good practice is the initiative by Trans Europe Halles, member of CAE, who has produced a remixed version of the elections toolkit adapted to their target group.
Actions were also led at the national level by CAE Members; for example, French Members sent a letter to their candidates together with CAE’s manifesto (May 5,2014) and Italian Members organised a meeting with Italian MEPs (May 19, 2014). In May 2014, CAE took part in different actions such as events on Culture and Europe organised by the French Socialist Party together wih European Socialists and Democrats in Lille, France and by the French Greens in Paris.
The invitation to the intergroup was also launched during the elections campaign.
