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Browse our database of documents, including full length books, policy papers, guidelines on Tuning & Quality Assurance, and project specific publications.
All documents in our database are listed below. Please note that they are sorted alphabetically, and grouped by category.
This was Carla's last speech at the Biennial as Executive Director, since she will retire in October 2017. Her formal farewell also took place during the Biennial Conference and among others it included past ELIA presidents. During the General Assembly on 3 December 2016, Carla was appointed Honorary Companion by the Representative Board, for all her work and dedication for the past 26 years at ELIA.
The ELIA Teachers’ Academy is usually organised in spring and attracts roughly 150 delegates - professors, researchers, teachers and lecturers from all artistic disciplines and fields of expertise - giving the host institute(s) a unique opportunity to present themselves to higher art education institutes from Europe and beyond. The host institute’s teachers and students are encouraged to be involved in the conference.
ELIA’s main objectives are to strengthen the position of higher arts education, to support the free development of education in the arts, to promote the arts as a central contributor to social and economic development, to encourage cultural diversity and foster communication between cultures.
The principle mission of ELIA is to represent Higher Arts Education as an influential voice and advocate in promoting the interests of its members. In articulating and demonstrating the value of arts education and artistic research ELIA is committed to enhancing the conditions in which Higher Arts Education can flourish within changing educational structures, nationally and internationally. Guided by a profound commitment to cultural diversity, social inclusion and the roles of art education and artists in our societies, ELIA’s mission continues to be both vital and urgent in the current era dominated by financial uncertainty, global ecological challenges and rapidly shifting political landscapes.
ArtesnetEurope: Peer Power! The Future of Higher Arts Education in Europe This handbook is the companion volume to inter}artes, Tapping into the potential of Higher Arts Education in Europe, and expands upon the work of the Inter}artes network. It includes an extensive survey of creative partnerships, material on quality assurance and enhancement, the Tuning process, an overview and bibliography of research in the arts in Europe, and documentation of the Teachers’ Academy, July 2009.
ELIA recognises that on occasions delegates will book onto events and subsequently find that they are unable to attend. In these situations ELIA asks that delegates notify ELIA Conference Manager their need to cancel an event booking as soon as possible.
ELIA recognises that on occasions delegates will book onto events and subsequently find that they are unable to attend. In these situations ELIA asks that delegates notify ELIA Conference Manager their need to cancel an event booking as soon as possible.
The aim of the ELIA Biennial Conference is to create a platform to share knowledge and information and to stimulate discussion and networking with peers. The ELIA Biennial Conference is usually organised in autumn, giving the host institutes a unique opportunity to present themselves to Higher Art Education Institutions and Universities from all over the world. The host insitutute will be actively involved in the development of the conference. For more information, please visit the ELIA biennial conference website: www.eliabiennial.com
The conference offers a platform for new ideas and innovative practices for educating the next generation of artists and contributes to the professional development of professors, teachers and researchers in higher arts education.
The ELIA Academy brings together roughly 150 delegates – lecturers from all artistic disciplines and fields of expertise - giving the host institute(s) a unique opportunity to present themselves to higher art education institutes from Europe and beyond. The aim of the ELIA Academy is to stimulate and engage teaching artists, lecturers and researchers in discussion with their peers in Higher Arts Education institutions internationally through participation and engagement in a varied programme (formal and informal presentations, creative workshops, debates, performance lectures, city visits and cultural tours, professional networking events).
Central Saint Martins and the Teaching and Learning Exchange at the University of the Arts London open their doors to the 8th ELIA Academy 2017. Delegates will have the opportunity to meet colleagues from all over the world, while discussing innovative working methods and practices for educating the next generation of artists.
Held in the cultural city of Basel during Art Basel and Design Miami/ Basel, the conference Economies of Aesthetics will create a platform for informed discussions between experts from the fields of contemporary aesthetic practices, higher arts education, economy, social sciences and philosophy.
EAP: Creative Producers and the Communities of Tomorrow
The European Academy of Participation (EAP) brings together ten higher education and arts & culture organisations from all over Europe. EAP sets out to make a contribution to a more inclusive Europe, in which people live together in mutual respect of their differences. Participatory practice in art and culture is a central tool to involve communities in a positive process of constructing a shared cultural space. The conference, organised at the Dublin School of Creative Arts, will include a key note address, presentations and workshops to engage creative producers, cultural practitioners, artists, academics, educators, arts & culture organisations and higher education institutions in a critical dialogue and a rich exchange.
The CrAFt - Creating Actionable Futures project engaged 240 students across Europe in three years. It developed and piloted three different participatory and collaborative models to achieve this: the CrAFt Core Group of Students, the CrAFt Think-Do Tank Events, and the CrAFt STEAM Teams. ‘The Next Generation CrAFt Think-Do Tank Final Report 2022-2025’ is a comprehensive document that shares not only the stories, but also the tools, the methodological frameworks and learnings from the CrAFt project’s transversal engagement of, and collaboration with, students.
ELIA will organise its 15th Biennial Conference in 2018 and is calling upon its members to nominate a venue. The ELIA Board will decide in September 2014 whether the 14th Biennial Conference will take place in Firenze, Italy or Poznan, Poland.
ELIA is issuing a call for proposals for short videos (1 or 3 minutes) within the context of the European Commission’s promotion of multilingualism. The competition is being organised as a contribution to the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009. The European Commission’s objective in launching this competition is to raise awareness among young European audiences of the benefits of Europe’s linguistic and cultural diversity and the opportunities they provide.
Principles and Guidelines for Assessing and Recognising PHE Excellence
PHExcel project has developed a Draft Quality Framework for Professional Higher Education Excellence. The framework is meant to be a basis to test the feasibility of a label to be awarded to institutions and programmes that prove their excellence in delivering professional higher education. We have developed an approach to test the claim of an institution or programme about their excellence that is set out in this document.
The 15th ELIA Biennial Conference sets out to examine how art, design and performance can play a vital role in building resilience, especially in the urban context. Colleagues from ELIA member institutions from all artistic disciplines are welcome to contribute to the programme and showcase their practices in the arts and education, be it in a Pecha Kucha style presentation, paper presentation, workshop, debate or another suitable format that sparks discussion and engages the audience.
NXT Making a Living From the Art: A Quantitative Analysis of the Project
The ELIA Office collected approximately 200 answers from over 30 countries with a quite even balance between (independent) hubs and higher arts institutions. Quantitative data was collected through a 28-question survey.
As a platform of knowledge sharing, Making A Living from the Arts brings together academics from all over Europe, cultural professionals, cultural entrepreneurs and artists to address the challenges that the contemporary arts sector is facing and explore the creative solutions that are being developed. The NXT Conference aims to stimulate a critical debate on several topics; therefore the active involvement of the attendees is as much part of the event as the speakers are.
Releasing the Potential for Arts & Design Research in Europe
ELIA and the SHARE Network have jointly written this paper to convince European Commission officials that Arts & Research forms part of the European research landscape and to create openings within the next generation of European Research Funding 2013-2020, which is now being prepared.
The 'Florence Principles' position paper was presented by Andrea Braidt (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna), chair of the working group, during the 14th ELIA Biennial Conference in Florence. It is intended as a position paper on the doctorate in the arts for policymakers, university leaders, curriculum designers, research funding agencies and addressed to universities of art and science alike, helping the former to secure recognition for their endeavours.
Reaction of the European Alliance for Culture and the Arts to the European Commission’s proposal for the EU future budget
The Alliance argues for a long-term, considerable and balanced funding of the cultural and arts sectors at the EU level, allowing for sustainable development and ensuring their crucial role in the revitalisation of Europe.
ELIA is a part of the Alliance for Culture and the Arts.
Political Statement on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Rome Treaties
60 years ago, the treaties of Rome prepared the ground for the European Union. When celebrating their 60th anniversary in March this year, Member States will have the opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to fundamental European values whilst creating a new understanding of a sustainable European project, deeply grounded in the European societies. This is essential in times of deep societal changes, when European citizens feel disconnected to the Union. Culture and the arts can help to strengthen the European project; therefore, the 33 signatories of this statement call on European institutions and Member States to include culture and the arts in the strategic goals of the Union.
The member institutions of ELIA and the Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen (AEC), representing more than 550 higher arts education institutions across Europe that provide higher education in architecture, fine art, dance, design, media arts, theatre and music, remain strongly committed to the principles of the Bologna process, and continue to support the European ministers for education in seeking greater comparability and readability of qualifications as the platform for a stronger, more integrated European space of higher education. The objectives of both have been to gain a better understanding of both existing differences and common values, to create an ongoing dialogue between higher arts institutions at a European level and with national and European professional bodies. At the same time we are mindful in respecting and supporting the rich diversity of learning and teaching approaches, artistic traditions and practices.
The European Alliance for Culture and Arts welcomes the opportunity to discuss the central role regions and cities play to address key challenges in future European policy making and cooperation between EU Member States.
ELIA/AEC response to the EC's European Area of Education and Culture 2025 Project
Following the announcement from the European Commission on the strategic aim to establish a European Area of Education by 2025, ELIA and AEC have drafted a joint statement.
ELIA/AEC Open Letter on Key Competences of the EC's European Area of Education and Culture 2025 Project
ELIA and AEC have drafted a joint statement with the aim of propose some amendments in the European Area of Education and Culture 2025 project in order to highlight the importance of culture as a core connector of competencies in society.
An ELIA Position Paper in support of the establishment of a new European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) for Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) within Horizon Europe.
Thank you to the contributions from David Crombie, European Research, Centre for Research & Innovation, HKU University of the Arts Utrecht and Stella Donata Haag, Research Officer at Film University Babelsberg.
Position Paper ELIA/AEC for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation The European Association of Conservatoires (AEC) and the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA) together represent more than 600 institutions for higher arts education in all European countries. The higher arts education sector in Europe provides a natural synergy between education and culture, which is of crucial importance to supporting creativity and innovation not only in the arts sector, but in society at large. Both organisations are uniquely positioned through their experience and mission to subscribe, enhance and contribute to furthering the aims of the EU Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009.
CCI Paper: Higher Arts Education and the Creative Economy This paper provides arguments that will help higher arts education institutes to sharpen their own approaches and, in particular, define their relationship with the wider creative economy. This intersection can be considered as a space where alternative presents and futures can be discussed and as a driver for alternative value chains. It is written and supported by the ELIA Board 2012-2014 and ELIA experts. As the topic of this paper is subject to many changing factors in society it will be presented as a dynamic paper, meant to be updated when needed.
The following paper: Barcelona, Beijing, Birmingham by Jonathan Harris, PhD, Birmingham City University, highlights and questions the ideas of independence and autonomy as these apply to Brexit and higher arts education institutions. The essay was originally published in Third Text Issue 5-6: Lost in Europe: In the Wake of Britain's Inner Emigration: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09528822.2018.1555356
This letter of petition created by Scholars At Risk Network appeals to European governmentsa and EU institutions to take action for Afghanistan's scholars, researchers and civil society actors given the current political climate under Taliban rule.
Inter}artes: Tapping Into the Potential of Higher Arts Education in Europe The Socrates Thematic Network for the Higher Arts Education Sector in Europe was active from 2004-2007. Bringing together 65 partner institutions from the European higher arts education sector, it was concerned with the impact of the Bologna process, tuning educational structures in Europe, quality assurance, innovation in learning and teaching, and professional practice. The findings of inter}artes have been collected in the handbook Tapping into the potential of Higher Arts Education in Europe.
Innovation in the arts transforms traditions and communities. The post-industrial and multi-cultural Europe of the near future poses a relevance demand for the cultural sector. In anticipating and intercepting change higher arts education performs a leading role. It seeks to improve skills and competencies through knowledge development and transfer. This implies new learning methods, the advance of artistic skills and of professional expertise. Capacity-building should enhance the performance of higher arts education institutions and sustain flexible innovation partnerships with relevant disciplines and sectors. An integrated higher arts education approach is its prospective vision.
Ever since artists have been concerned with breaking the rules, teaching art has been a difficult, and at times an impossible task. In 2001, there was a book published called Why Art Cannot be Taught. Fair enough: if you do as you’re taught to, then you’re not making art. But art schools more or less could live with that problem. In the last ten years, however, there have been additional reasons to raise the question: what should we teach to our students?
ELIA Contribution to the Discussion of the High Level Reflection Group on Mobility This paper is based on a study done by the European League of Institutes of the Arts, ELIA, named Learning Abroad in the Arts: Bringing International Mobility in the Arts to the Forefront. The main aim of the study was to explore student and teacher mobility in Higher Arts Education Institutions and Universities within Europe.
The Playing Field of European Institutions and Policies
This paper is meant to update the ELIA members and board on current issues and developments in European policy relevant to higher arts education in Europe. Crucial points include the place of culture in the EU growth strategy 'Europe 2020', and the new Culture Programme 2013-2020.
Comments from the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA) on the Green Paper 'Unlocking the potential of cultural and creative industries' Brussels COM (2010) 183
ELIA Leadership Symposium 2000 - The Artist in the Community
For many, arts education is concerned with the exploration of individual creativity and expression, with breaking the rules. These values have been described as modernist and romantic but they undoubtedly inform a good deal of practice in the field. The use of the arts for commercial or social purposes threatens these values partly because it requires artists to develop other social skills perceived by some as at best a distraction and at worst a direct threat to the individual's engagement with his practice. However, funding for the arts increasingly comes from programmes with social and economic goals and artists, in addition to having artistic aims have to justify their work in these terms. It is evident that performance work with community groups requires social skills, but even the creation of public art objects/ performances frequently demands that the artist negotiate with politicians, bureaucrats and communities.
This publication gathers selected presentations from thematic mobile sessions at the 15th ELIA Biennial Conference, Resilience and the City: Art, Education, Urbanism.
Claiming Creativity - Art Education in Cultural Transition The Symposium "Claiming Creativity - art education in cultural transition" took place in Chicago, 21-24 April 2010 and was hosted by Columbia College Chicago in partnership with ELIA.
This paper provides arguments that will help higher arts education institutes to sharpen their own approaches and, in particular, define their relationship with the wider creative economy. This intersection can be considered as a space where alternative presents and futures can be discussed and as a driver for alternative value chains. It is written and supported by the ELIA Board 2012-2014 and ELIA experts. As the topic of this paper is subject to many changing factors in society it will be presented as a dynamic paper, meant to be updated when needed.
The NXT Project publication "Careers in the arts: Visions for the future" is the culmination of 3-years of research and various activities co-funded by the Creative Europe programme and initiated and supervised by ELIA. In this publication, Nadia Danhash and Kai Lehikoinen, both of whom were deeply involved in the project's activities, reflect on some of the most relevant aspects of how to make a living from the arts from their own professional perspective. In addition, there are some insightful interviews with artists and their experience in the world of work after graduation and the creative solutions they have found. The research and case studies by Joost Heinsius comprise a large part of the book; giving an interesting snapshot of the diversity of creative hubs. These are stories of higher arts education institutions and how they are dealing with the changing world of work for their students, and examples of independent creative hubs which often deal with young professionals
The first CA2RE+ book discusses and identifies the long-term development goals and potentials of Design-Driven Doctoral Research. It situates DDDr in an academic context of research. This addresses research done within the proliferating field of research-by-design. The book also discusses DDDr in the broader context of explorative and constructive research within the humanities, social sciences and relevant areas of technical research. ELIA is a proud partner in the CA²RE+ Strategic Partnership.
ELIA Strategy Paper: Artistic Research & 'New Knowledge' The paper sets out an approach for the immediate future for how ELIA will contribute, initiate and stimulate dialogue that enhances opportunities for artistic research across Europe and for shaping the development, production and application of creative ´new knowledge´ within a variety of institutional and public contexts.
ArtFutures: Current issues in higher arts education features arts educators and thinkers from eight countries and a variety of disciplines. They cover a wide range of topics from post-consumerist art and activist design, via the public role of education and the creative economy, to documentary theatre and improvisation with live electronics.
ArtFutures: Working with Contradictions in Higher Arts Education
ArtFutures: Working with Contradictions in Higher Arts Education brings together leading arts practitioners, educators and thinkers, across 14 countries and a variety of disciplines, to address the most pressing issues in higher arts education from the perspective of those operating within the field. In its exploration of diverse geographies, ArtFutures tackles issues such as the rise of the MFA in Europe alongside the need for an inclusive approach to the cultural and creative industries, centred on informal arts education, in Africa. These papers constitute a unique anthology which highlights the manifold iterations of higher arts education.
ArtesnetEurope: Peer Power! The Future of Higher Arts Education in Europe
This handbook is the companion volume to inter}artes, Tapping into the potential of Higher Arts Education in Europe, and expands upon the work of the Inter}artes network. It includes an extensive survey of creative partnerships, material on quality assurance and enhancement, the Tuning process, an overview and bibliography of research in the arts in Europe, and documentation of the Teachers’ Academy, July 2009.
Artemisia - Boosting Gender Equality in Higher Arts Education: Project Outcomes The symposium brought together approximately 30 representatives from higher arts education institutes (deans and professors), researchers, artists, journalists and experts from the cultural sector, originating from Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Representatives from the Comissado para a Igualdade e Direitos das Mulheres, and members of the Portuguese Parliament intervened at the seminar. The seminar was hosted by the Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, one of the partners in the Artemisia project.
Artemisia - Boosting Gender Equality in Higher Arts Education
The handbook is a result of the Artemisia project undertaken by ELIA during 2000-2001. It provides practical tools to address gender equality issues within higher arts education and the cultural sector as a whole.
The project created an opportunity for art students from several European countries to develop – in cooperation with foundation practitioners and in an exchange with theoreticians – their own understanding of the specific European experience of cultural diversity and to reflect on the theme of “Intercultural Dialogue”.
NEU NOW, an initiative of ELIA, existed from 2009-2017 as a transdisciplinary art festival devoted to presenting the work of exceptional emerging artists across Europe. This special, digital publication, wraps up the project as it existed with a digital publication, showcasing the work from one artist selected from each of the nine years.
This report provides an overview of the ELIA Seminar “Becoming an Artist? Routes for aspiring artists and designers wanting to join an art school” which took place from 13 to 15 March 2019.
NXT Making a Living From the Art: A Quantitative Analysis of the Project
The ELIA Office collected approximately 200 answers from over 30 countries with a quite even balance between (independent) hubs and higher arts institutions. Quantitative data was collected through a 28-question survey.
From Florence to Rotterdam: Activity Report 2016-2018
Read ELIA's 2-year activity report which includes updates on its activities, projects and governance. It has been an eventful two years and ELIA is grateful to the network for their continued support and enthusiasm.
