International Council for Cultural Centers (I3C)

The International Council for Cultural Centers is planning to launch the First World Summit of Community Arts Centers and Networks in 2014 in the old historic city of Veliko Tarnovo.

The realization of the First World Summit is under the official patronage of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Rossen Plevneliev. We are expecting the participation of about 50 countries. 

The First World Summit aims to bring together experts from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America, from each country that has: a) representatives of Ministries of Culture which coordinate the sector of community arts and/or the national network of community cultural centers (often called “house of culture”) in their respective country; and b) representatives of the non-governmental organizations, associations, or networks of the above-mentioned community cultural centers/community arts. In some cases, these networks could be either governmental or NGO, or both working together, and in this case we expect two representatives per country.

 The goals of the event are to:

- Bring together for the first time and establish beneficial contact between national networks/associations of community cultural centers

- Provide a platform for the exchange of good practices in the field of intangible cultural heritage and community arts for social transformation

- Help strengthen and capacity-build each national network by facilitating new national programs and joint projects across countries

- Facilitate the unique meeting and strengthening of 3 continental cultural networks (European Network for Cultural Centers, African Arterial Network, Latin American Network of Arts for Social Transformation) and facilitating the development of new national and continental networks (Asian and North-American)

- Develop a long-term program for strategic international cultural cooperation

- Developing and organizing the principles of membership in I3C’s inter-continental network/platform

The International Council for Cultural Centers (I3C) is looking forward to welcome you at the First World Summit of Community Arts Centers and Networks.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are interested in participating or could recommend a relevant partner!