Interview #11 Ása Richardsdóttir (IETM)
The Secretary General of IETM explains the functioning of the European networks, their role, their importance for Creative Europe and the links between other similar European projects.
Ása Richardsdóttir has an important experience in the production and management of artistic companies, festivals and other cultural projects. She has been developing a training program in cultural and artistic management for artists and producers in Iceland and Europe for over ten years. She is now the secretary general of IETM.
Une version française de l’entretien est disponible ici.
Lacets: Can you explain what is the IETM network?
Ása Richardsdóttir: IETM is an international organisation which represents the voice of over 500 organisations and professionals working in the contemporary performing arts worldwide.
We are a membership organisation and our members form the core of our network. As IETM is very large and reaches all genres and players in the performing arts - from individuals to the largest institutions - our network reaches beyond our membership. Our work is followed by performing arts professionals all over the world and our meetings and other activities are open to all. Networking in the arts is essential for anyone who wishes to learn about new ideas and methods in creation, production, communication, presentation and more.
Networking across borders and internationally allows us to get to know other cultural perspectives and creates a deeper understanding between nations. For many of us, network places are invaluable and IETM is one of those places.
How and why did the IETM network was born? Did it start from an informal gathering of professionals?
IETM was founded in 1981 at an informal gathering of performing arts professionals at the Polverigi Festival (now called Inteatro festival) in Italy. At the time,international collaborations were to a large extent executed through governmental and intergovernmental institutions. As one of the first European cultural networks, IETM was founded by and for professionals to create a space of exchange and to strengthen international collaboration in the thriving independent performing arts sector in Europe.
Its original name, IETM, stands for “Informal European Theatre Meeting”. Soon after, colleagues from other parts of the world wanted to join, which led to a change of title, keeping the IETM abbreviation and adding the subtitles “International Network for the Contemporary Performing Arts’.
Could you define the notion of“network” in the context of Creative Europe?
If you were to ask Creative Europe, then I suspect they would say that networks are instrumental in bringing new ideas in culture policy to the forefront. Creative Europe is an important platform to exchange ideas and they can, if we listen, be the ears and eyes of the sectors they represent. There have been very healthy and constructive conversations between networks and Creative Europe in the past years which have led to our objectives - and those of Creative Europe - to become aligned. For example, objectives concerning transnational creation, green transition , inclusion gender issues and more.
It is important to understand that European artistic and cultural programmes are set up to enhance artistic and cultural cooperation at a European level. Creative Europe is not a substitute for national programmes; it is there to enable and strengthen the joint development of Europe’s cultural and creative sectors.
What are the specificities of the networks, compared to cooperation or platforms which are also supported by Creative Europe?
Simply put, you could say that the main aim behind the platform is to discover new artistic talent and provide support and exposure for artists to showcase their work. Networks, on the other hand, have a broader role. At IETM, we create opportunities for our members and the international performing arts community at large by organising networking activities, peer-to-peer learning, exchanges and dialogues via various events. We also commission publications and research, facilitate communication and distribution of information about the performing arts and strive to empower performing arts professionals through access to international connections, knowledge and a dynamic forum for exchange.
Creative Europe is a fantastic programme which we - those who live in one of the 40 countries of Creative Europe - are privileged to have access to. Networks, platforms and cooperation projects all have an important role to play in strengthening the Creative Europe artistic value chain. The work done by networks, platforms and cooperation projects has enriched our cross border collaboration immensely and enabled European creatives to create work and reach audiences which would otherwise not be possible.
What are the roles of European networks that Creative Europe is supporting? Why does Creative Europe support them?
As mentioned above, Creative Europe supports networks because we are important for the European and international artistic and cultural ecosystem. We give Creative Europe and the whole European Union direct access to thousands and thousands of arts professionals and organisations, we bring new innovative ideas into Creative Europe processes and we have a role to play in constantly provoking the system in a constructive manner, which can and has led to fantastic improvements on a European level. Perform Europe, which IETM led in the past years, is a good example of that. You can read more about it here.
IETM counts 530 members from 62 different countries. How do you manage to make such an important number of professionals and organisations work together on a common goal? And how do you deal with involving all the members on common initiatives?
This is a very good question. IETM embarked on a network wide brainstorming exercise entitled Rewiring the Network in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.. The project lasted throughout the year, and 424 of IETM´s members took part. That is a good portion of the network. The outcome of Rewiring is now guiding our work. Through this network wide brainstorm we identified the concerns and objectives of the members which we have now translated into the network´s messages and methodologies, and which are shaping our activities, advocacy and research.
From now on we will host a yearly physical brainstorm meeting with members, based on the Rewiring model. It is called IETM Focus and you can read about the first one here. We do believe that by using methods like this, constantly keeping our ears open, staying on our toes regarding new approaches and provoking ourselves on a continual basis thatwe will manage to stay relevant and serve the interest of the IETM membership
Are you connected with other European networks? Is it possible to build alliances between different networks supported by Creative Europe?
Yes, IETM is very connected to other networks. We are constantly working together on projects and continuously in conversation. As said before, IETM worked on Perform Europe, which we did in consortium with three other networks. The European Music Council led an important project called SHIFT, which IETM was part of with 7 other networks, and we are still working together on a very important task in green transitioning - more here.
Some years ago, IETM led a 37 network initiative entitled Alliance for Culture, which had the specific aim to urge policy makers to re-think the European approach and include culture and the arts in the long-term strategic goals of the European project. This action did create results. Last but not least, IETM is a member of Culture Action Europe, which many other networks are also part of. To sum up, it certainly is possible to build alliances and history has shown we do so, in particular when the stakes are high.