Achieving intercultural dialogue through the arts and culture?

  As part of the preparations for the 4th World Summit on Arts and Culture 2009 in Johannesburg in September 2009, IFACCA released a Discussion Paper exploring the claim that intercultural dialogue has become a new priority for arts and cultural policy makers around the world. The Discussion Paper, researched and written by Andreas Wiesand and Danielle Cliche of the ERICarts Institute, was based on a survey designed to map views and collect cases of good practice on the (potential) role of intercultural dialogue in the arts and arts policies.   Survey results indicated that it may be unrealistic to expect that a single arts strategy or cultural policy could address the diversity of challenges facing the promotion of intercultural dialogue through the arts. Survey respondents urged all stakeholders to work together – different tiers of government, non-governmental and private actors – to foster intercultural dialogue at a level closest to where people live and work.   Following discussion at the World Summit and feedback from IFACCA network members, Dr Wiesand has finalised this study