[artinfo] Cultural Consequences of the Economic Recession - panel discussion

[Beata Hock]

Cultural Consequences of the Economic Recession
Monday, March 29, 6 PM
CEU, Gellner Room
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=354614521475 
On the panel:
Katalin Koncz, Director, OSI Budapest
Andras Torok, Director, Summa Artium Budapest
Gyorgy Szabo, Director, Trafo
Alexandra Kowalski and Jean-Louis Fabiani, CEU Dept of Sociology
Dragan Klaic, CEU Dept. of Public Policy
Even if statistic indicators signal that the world is moving out from a severe recession, its cultural consequences are far from being evident. During 2008-2009 cultural organizations across Europe saw some of their public subsidies shrink or disappear and acquiring private funding and sponsorship for cultural programs and projects has been very difficult. Some ambitious cultural initiatives have been cancelled or postponed, others have been forced to reduce their scope, concept and budget.
This panel discussion will consider the midterm consequences of the recession, especially in the light of dramatically increased deficits of the national budgets in Europe that force governments to cut their expenditure. This could signal that stagnating public expenditure for culture will be further reduced. Slow recovery and the perspective of high unemployment affect cultural consumption and curb the growth of the cultural industries. 
If the globalization has slowed down, is cultural production becoming more local and consequently more driven by diversity rather than uniformity?
Is the end of consumers' binge, based on easy credit, creating a new appeal of cultural values and experiences? 
What are sustainability strategies of commercial cultural producers, of public cultural organizations and of cultural NGOs after the crunch? 
How come that there are very few cultural initiatives seeking to benefit from the G. Soros' Emergency Fund of $ 100 million, offered to alleviate the cultural and social impact of the recession in 25 countries? 
What are specific cultural facets of the recession in Hungary?