Photo: Eric van Nieuwland
On 26th of October 2023, the first day of WOMEX 2023 edition, the conference joined forces with the cultural mobility information network, On the Move, Tamizdat, and cultural advocate Marie Fol (both OTM members), to host the first ‘Cultural and Artistic Mobility Advocacy Summit.’
The intensive working session brought together 45 leading music sector and culture professionals from around the globe for 2,5 hours of discussion and debate.
Key values like fairness, diversity, access, and sustainability, guided a wide-ranging discussion of funding, networks, business, and technology. Participants grappled with questions of strategic advocacy in the face of increasing political, economic, security, social, and environmental obstacles.
While respecting the Chatham House Rules that prevailed during the CAMAS meeting, the findings of the summit were reported on October 28th, 2023 at the public session, The Policy of Progress, chaired by Marie Fol with summit participants Marwane Fachane (Morocco), Visa For Music and Hiba Foundation, and Karalyn Monteil (USA/France), UNESCO.
The Cultural and Artist Mobility Advocacy Summit (CAMAS) provided a platform that encouraged participants to forge cross-sector alliances to support existing advocacy initiatives, while it also promoted new strategic alliances. At the same time, the event created a model for future convenings that seek to chart innovative, collaborative, cross-disciplinary strategies for international artists’ and cultural mobility advocacy.
