No Sustainable Development without Culture
19.01.2017EMCY strongly supports the initiative of the European Alliance for Culture and the Arts because the creative work and culture are key to development. Here you can find the final version of our statement:
''Brussels, 20 December 2016
No Sustainable Development without Culture
The European Alliance for Culture and the Arts appeals to include culture, arts and creative work in the the European Commission's new strategy for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (the 2030 Agenda).
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and associated targets adopted by the United Nations in 2015 set a long-term strategy for building a better and fairer future and eradicating poverty worldwide. The New European Consensus on Development, one of the documents of the Commission’s new sustainability strategy, acknowledges the need for more efficient collaboration at all levels and a new cross-cutting approach to addressing the different dimensions of sustainability. The new plan also highlights that there is a drive towards a decisive transformation of the existing development approaches, which implies a significant cultural shift within institutions and society at large.
Nevertheless, the European Alliance for Culture and the Arts notices with concern that European Commission has not yet mainstreamed culture in its new sustainability plan. The Commission hints at the role of culture, arts and creative work in relation to various goals, yet there is an apparent gap between the Commission’s plan and the ambitious spirit of the SDG Agenda. We encourage the Commission in all next steps not to miss the opportunity to benefit from culture’s transformative power and its potential for envisaging and shaping a truly different world.
Imagining a different future is as much a challenge as it is a creative task. Culture, arts and creative work have the potential to inspire a critical view, revealing the imperfections of current approaches to sustainability and to facilitate envisaging a better future. Not only must new legal frameworks be introduced, but a considerable transformation of individual perceptions, values and behavioural patterns is needed. Be it with regard to education, gender or intercultural relations, attitudes towards the environment or consumer habits, culture and the arts have tremendous power as messengers on sustainability concerns.
The European Alliance for Culture and the Arts believes that it will only be possible to achieve the ambitious SDG framework if the EU integrates culture, arts and creative work in its 2030 Agenda, including its objectives, definitions, tools and evaluation criteria. The Agenda 2030 must clearly address the role of the arts and heritage in fostering intercultural dialogue and social cohesion, acknowledge the cultural component of the integration of displaced people and highlight the power of culture to promote democracy and to heal social wounds. Culture and creative work must be recognised as key contributors to economic growth and a powerful messenger on all sustainability issues, from gender discrimination to climate change.
In this context the Alliance refers to the campaign “The Future We Want Includes Culture”, of which the Alliance’s member Culture Action Europe is an active partner. The manifesto of the campaign lays out key arguments why culture needs to be included in the SDGs.''
- 26 February 2018 43. Schweizerischen Jugendmusikwettbewerbs (SJMW) Classica
- 22 February 2018 Internationally open BALYS DVARIONAS - HARP & VIOLA COMPETITION
- 19 February 2018 GMAF - Discover Music Tour
- 11 February 2018 Results of the 88th Concurso Permanente de Jóvenes Intérpretes
- 08 February 2018 Results of the XII International Competition of Young Pianists dedicated to the Work of 'Fryderyk Chopin'
- 07 February 2018 Winners of the 52th International Radio Competition for Young Musicians Concertino Praga
- 06 February 2018 New Member Competition: The Papandopulo Croatian Competition of young musicians
- 30 January 2018 We are looking for a new volunteer!
- 28 January 2018 The Netherlands Violin Competition 2018
- 25 January 2018 Surprising Stars online music competition 2018
- 23 January 2018 Musik ohne Grenzen – Jugend trifft Klassik
- 22 January 2018 International Chamber Music Campus 2018
- 19 January 2018 YEMP- STAMP Workshop for trainers
- 15 January 2018 European Concerts in Oslo with Julius Schepansky
- 19 December 2017 Christmas and holiday season
- 14 December 2017 Jubilee concert Classic Young Masters
- 06 December 2017 34rd Edition Of The Concours Luxembourgeois Pour Jeunes Solistes & European Competition For Young Soloists
- 28 November 2017 IV International Music Festival “European Concerts in St. Petersburg”
- 16 November 2017 EMCY´s conference at Malaga
- 15 November 2017 Gala Concert of the Festival "European Concerts in Saint-Peterburg"
- 13 November 2017 „Epoche_f goes Europe“
- 12 November 2017 Welcome Parida!
- 02 November 2017 GMAF - Surprising Stars, online competition on YouTube
- 25 October 2017 New volunteer at EMCY
- 18 October 2017 GIVE MUSIC A FUTURE - Premiere!
- 16 October 2017 Lunchtime recital at the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven with Kiron Atom Tellian
- 15 October 2017 The International Festival «European concerts in Saint-Petersburg»
- 14 October 2017 Epoche_f goes Europe
- 10 October 2017 “Music is the Supreme Revelation!’’
- 09 October 2017 New Member Competition: 'Brin d’herbe' Junior Piano Competition
- 08 October 2017 Webinars offer: Navigating your Music Professional Pathway in the 21st Century
- 09 August 2017 EMCY office on vacation
- 07 August 2017 EMCY is hiring - Project Manager
- 13 July 2017 EMCY won the Music Rights Award 2017 of the International Music Council!
- 12 July 2017 STAMP - PROmote: “Audience development, PR” workshop for EMCY members and interested music managers
- 06 July 2017 Results of the XI International competition of young pianists “A step towards mastery”
- 05 July 2017 STAMP - Free seminar for EMCY members in Cesis (Latvia)
- 26 June 2017 Young Hearts for Music Tour was a big success!
- 19 June 2017 GIVE MUSIC A FUTURE –Without borders!
- 02 June 2017 Flute East Trio at the Victoria International Arts Festival in Malta
- 31 May 2017 Germany and Mexico together? Ausgezeichnet!
- 18 May 2017 XV. Peter Toperczer International Piano Competition in Košice 2017
- 14 May 2017 Menuhin Competition Geneva 2018
- 08 May 2017 International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz
- 01 May 2017 13. Anna Amalia Competition for Young Guitarists
- 01 May 2017 EUROPEAN UNION YOUTH WIND ORCHESTRA
- 10 April 2017 Schweizerischer Jugendmusikwettbewerb (SJMW) Jazz, Rock&Pop
- 02 April 2017 G7 Cultural Summit
- 22 March 2017 Call to our Members and to Prize Winners: the 58th Weimar Master Classes
- 21 March 2017 Aarhus International Piano Competition- the winner takes it all? No!
- 19 March 2017 EMCY is looking for a New Volunteer
- 15 March 2017 Swiss Music Competition for Youth - Entrada 2017
- 14 March 2017 Euro Radio Youth Concert
- 09 March 2017 Make Your Ensemble’s Career
- 01 March 2017 GMAF - Discover Music Tour
- 28 February 2017 V International Jascha Heifetz Competition for Violinists
- 23 February 2017 GMAF - New Children's Show
- 22 February 2017 New Competitions On the Road to EMCY Membership
- 09 February 2017 Music Education Academy 2017
- 06 February 2017 GMAF - Homage a Heifetz
- 05 February 2017 Culture at the heart of a sustainable Europe
- 31 January 2017 Retreat for European Cultural Network Coordinators
- 23 January 2017 Results of the 51st edition of Concertino Praga 2017
- 18 January 2017 No Sustainable Development without Culture
- 20 December 2016 Happy Festive Season, EMCY Office in vacation
- 12 December 2016 Two member competitions of EMCY Slovakia took place in November 2016.
- 12 December 2016 EMCY Slovakia accepted and welcomed a new member competition
- 09 December 2016 Job opportunity: Policy Advisor in Bonn, Germany
- 09 December 2016 GMAF - Reach out session in Istanbul
- 08 December 2016 STAMP - Shared Training Activities for Music Professionals
- 01 December 2016 17th International Television Contest for Young Musicians 'The Nutcracker'
- 30 November 2016 European Union Youth Wind Orchestra: call for applications
- 21 November 2016 Results of the X International youth competition memory of E.A. Mravinsky
- 18 November 2016 Results of the Concours Luxembourgeois pour Jeunes Solistes & European Competition for Young Soloists 2016
- 14 November 2016 X International youth competition memory of E.A. Mravinsky
- 10 November 2016 GMAF - International cooperation for reaching underrepresented groups in Lithuania
- 24 October 2016 Copyright warning
- 19 October 2016 New EMCY Prize Concept
- 17 October 2016 EMCY' s Conference INTER-NATIONAL net_works+ and 30th General Assembly in Vilnius, Lithuania
- 07 October 2016 EMCY´s General Assembly & Conference INTER-NATIONAL net_works+ 2016
- 30 September 2016 Orlando Festival
- 23 September 2016 Lunchtime recital at the Muziekgebouw Eindhoven with Se Tcoi
- 21 September 2016 2016 edition of the epoche f master class
- 18 September 2016 New volunteer at EMCY!
- 16 September 2016 Dear musicians- Your opinion is crucial!
- 07 September 2016 GIVE MUSIC A FUTURE
- 12 August 2016 EMCY office on holidays
- 09 August 2016 Singers wanted!
- 08 August 2016 Job opportunity: CHOREOS is looking for a choir manager
- 03 August 2016 Job opportunity: The Menuhin Competition is looking for a new Project Manager
- 13 July 2016 EMCY concert in Mirgorod (Ukraine)
- 24 June 2016 103 competitors announced for the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists
- 23 June 2016 Results of the the 24th 'Ján Cikker Children's Music festival' (EMCY Slovakia)
- 21 June 2016 Scholarship for violoncello master class in Iserlohn
- 17 June 2016 3 Young Hearts on Tour!
- 16 June 2016 Job opportunity: The Swiss Competition is seeking for a new staff member
- 02 June 2016 Competitors for the Orlando Competition announced
- 31 May 2016 Results of the XI International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz
- 30 May 2016 Results of the 85th Concurso Permanente de Jóvenes Intérpretes
- 24 May 2016 EMCY welcomes two new member competitions!

Members' Area
Latest News
- 26 February 2018 43. Schweizerischen Jugendmusikwettbewerbs (SJMW) Classica
- 22 February 2018 Internationally open BALYS DVARIONAS - HARP & VIOLA COMPETITION