[spectre] UNESCO rep on Arab Reg. Meeting for Digital Creation

[Andreas Broeckmann]

Von: digiarts <digiarts at unesco.org>
Betreff: UNESCO Information report on the "1st Arab States Regional Expert
Meeting for Digital Creation" (15, 16 Sep 2003)
Datum: Sat, 11 Oct 2003 15:24:07 +0200



Dear partners and advisors,


It is our pleasure to inform you that the "1st Arab States Regional Expert
Meeting for Digital Creation" had taken place on 15, 16 September in Beirut
within the framework of the Digi-Arts project.
(http://portal.unesco.org/digiarts) 


Please find attached the press release we have recently made, announcing the
outcomes of the regional expert meeting.  Following up on the meeting, we
are sending you several documents, including work plans of foreseen
activities to be implemented in 2004-2005 within the region.


On this occasion, we would like to ask of your cooperation in first building
up the existing regional database
(http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php@URL_ID=5347&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_
SECTION=201.html) of resources in the field of arts connected to media and
technology, which is classified according to countries.  Any kind of
information in identifying individuals, institutions and events engaged in
the field of digital arts within the region would be most helpful.  In this
case, we have also attached the last document indicating the required fields
of information to be provided.


We would also appreciate it if you could forward this information to
different channels that you are using and supporting, as it is equally
essential to connect the existing networks in expanding the bigger scope of
the regional/inter-regional network.  Additional recommendations and
proposals to the foreseen activities (See document 2, 3 and 4) are highly
welcomed. 


Please do not hesitate to contact us, if you have further questions.  

(1)               (2)              (3)             (4)             (5)
  <<Press release (Arab states meeting Sep 2003).doc>>    <<Region network
activity_portal (Sep 2003).doc>>    <<Regional network activity_event (Sep
2003).doc>>    <<YDC Arab states activities (Sep 2003).doc>>    <<Indexation
of the researchers contents.doc>>


Best regards,


Jaco Du Toit and Doyun Lee

Digi-Arts Portal team
Tel: 33.1.45.68.43.72
Fax: 33.1.45.68.55.89
http://portal.unesco.org/digiarts





The need to reinforce the Arab regional network within the digital 
arts community


The need to reinforce digital arts community was recently underlined 
in a regional expert meeting in Beirut, Lebanon on 15 - 16 September 
2003.  The meeting brought together several artists/foundations and 
institutes from Arab States that acknowledged the importance of 
UNESCO's action in the field of digital arts.

Arab culture has historically had strong links between the arts and 
sciences and this provides a foundation for the emergence for new 
developments in the future.  Participants emphasized the fact that 
very little is known about digital arts within the region and the 
regional network of Digital Art in the Arab region could enable 
artists to break the isolation and help to open opportunities across 
country borders for digital artists.  Participants underlined the 
importance of science and technology in the Arab region and digital 
arts provide new opportunities to express this important historical 
link in the region.  Several aspects of the richness of Arab cultural 
expression could benefit from this new cultural space, especially in 
promoting creative participation of young people in society 
development.

The meeting took place within the framework of the Digi-Arts Portal, 
one of UNESCO's major initiatives aiming at the development of 
interdisciplinary activities in research, creativity and 
communication in the field of digital arts.  Furthermore it is 
expected to promote intercultural dialogue among specialists, 
artists, students and teachers from different geo-cultural regions 
and in addition to the extension of regional practices of 
interdisciplinary research and creation.  Lastly, young digital 
creators are also encouraged to actively participate to Digi-Arts 
through competitions, forums and exhibitions under the guidance of 
leading experts and teachers.

The major needs that have to be addressed in the Arab region are: the 
strengthening of regional capacities for scientific research, 
information-sharing and cultural exchanges and the enhancement of 
learning opportunities through access to diversified regional 
specific contents and delivery systems.  Activities for the next 
biennium related to these two objectives include: extended services 
and increased representative ness of the current regional portal on 
digital arts, promotion of digital arts at a major contemporary arts 
festival in the region through master classes to university students 
and an on-line tutorial on digital artworks.  In this way UNESCO 
provides concrete activities to address the principle of Information 
and Communication Capacity Building as underlined in the report of 
the Western Asia Regional Conference for WSIS (Beirut, 4 - 6 February 
2003).

The report also underlines the importance for action aimed at 
achieving specific objectives leading to the transition into an 
information society, emphasizing the needs of youth and other 
underprivileged groups.  Activities aimed at young people within the 
framework of the young digital creators project include the 
development of a web-based programme, encouraging young people to 
express their thoughts and ideas on social and global issues through 
an interdisciplinary approach of arts and technology.  The main 
objective of this programme would be to enable youth to be the actors 
of developing creative digital contents, reflecting on the rich 
cultural background of the region, and to actively exchange views in 
constructing a better society within a collaborative online 
community. 

The UNESCO Office in Beirut and Regional Bureau for Education in the 
Arab States will play a major role in the next biennium to implement 
these activities with relevant partners and will also seek 
extra-budgetary funding to expand the potential of the proposed 
activities.


Your assistance in expanding the current regional network is 
essential.  Thank you for filling in the attached form for any 
additional Directories, Educational institutions, Foundations, 
Conferences, Museums, Galleries, Art Centres and qualified 
individuals to be added to the current listing of Digital arts in the 
Arab region.
If you are interested in one of the above-mentioned activities, do 
not hesitate to send e-mail to j.dutoit at unesco.org
d.lee at unesco.org
For more information on the Digi-Arts project, please consult the 
Digi-Arts website at http://portal.unesco.org/digiarts