23-29 november besöker en delegation från den Autonoma Republiken Adjara (Georgien) Stockholm och Göteborg för expertutbyten kring policyutveckling och regionalisering. Intercult arrangerar besöket i samarbete med the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, Republic of Ajara Svenska Institutet, Västra Götalandsregionen, the Ajara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency och Gerogiens ambassad.

Gia Abuladze,  Minister of Education, Culture & Sports – Republic of Ajara, gästar Sverige tillsammans med Irine Surmanidze – Head, Department of Culture/Ministry of Culture – Republic of Ajara, Ermile Meskhia – Chairman of Academic Council, Rector of Batumi Arts University, Tengiz Tsintsadze – Director, The Ajara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency och Temur Gabaidze – Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance and Economy – Republic of Ajara.

Ett antal möten och studiebesök på svenska institutioner planeras. Intercult kommer att hålla i en workshop om policyutveckling i Georgien. Den Autonoma Republiken Adjara genomgår en regionaliseringsprocess liknande den svenska utvecklingen. Nya enheter för att hantera kulturarv, turism och internationella kultursamarbeten är under utveckling. Det finns mycket att utväxla kring processen att flytta kulturpolitiken närmare medborgarna och att ge makten till regionala myndigheter. /

23-29 November a delegation from the Republic of Ajara, Georgia, will visit Stockholm and Gothenburg för a cultural expert exchange on policy development and regionalization. Intercult is organising the visit in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, Republic of Ajara and the Swedish Institute, and the West Sweden Region (Västra Götalandsregionen), the Ajara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency and the Embassy of Georgia in Sweden.

The main objective is to share experiences and strategies for development of a progressive cultural policy at the regional and municipal level. A number of meetings and study visits will be held at cultural institutions and authorities. Intercult will lead a workshop in Georgian cultural policy development. There is a great deal to share about this process of moving cultural policy ”closer to citizens” and empowering regional authorities.

Special guests are Gia Abuladze – Minister of Education, Culture & Sports – Republic of Ajara together with Irine Surmanidze – Head of Department of Culture/Ministry of Culture – Republic of Ajara, Ermile Meskhia – Chairman of Academic Council, Rector of Batumi Arts University, Tengiz Tsintsadze – Director of the Ajara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency and Temur Gabaidze – Deputy Minister of Ministry of Finance and Economy – Republic of Ajara.

Focus and background

Sweden as a nation is endeavoring to strengthen Regional engagement in the cultural sector. A cultural policy decision has been made by Minsitry of Culture to de-centralize both funding and much decision making at the regional and municipal levels. This process has been tested and evaluated in chosen regions. From 2012 the process is accelerating and including several new regions.

In particular, Västra Götalandsregion (West Sweden Region) is involved in a regionalization process when it comes to cultural policy and responsibility. Västra Götaland was one of the first regions to embrace the process and are now responsible for policy and funding of cultural institutions earlier funded by the Swedish government.

In the Greater Stockholm region, a similar but slower process is ongoing. The presence of national authorities and institutions in Stockholm makes coordination more complicated. The Ajaran Minister of Culture and his delegation need to understand Swedish national reflections on this regionalization process.

The Autonomous Republic of Ajara is going through a similar re-generation at this moment, with a greater subsequent responsibility for national (Georgian) institutions in their Republic. New units focusing on cultural heritage and tourism, and   international collaborations are in development.