Strategy before 2004

The strategic policy of the Arts and Culture Program before 2004 was proactive, inspirational, and a catalyst for Soros foundation cultural activities, multifaceted in approach and inclusive of all groups of people and disciplines of artistic expression.

The cultural activities of the Arts and Culture Program and Soros foundations achieved important results by:

creating new cultural models and alternative cultural space and infrastructures;
supporting alternative and independent cultural initiatives that encouraged intellectual and artistic people to stay and work in their countries (these are the motors driving development and change);
using culture as a tool to fight nationalism and bridge ethnic differences;
encouraging debate within societies on controversial issues; art does not only create a cultural space but a political forum as well;
cooperation which was enhanced through Cultural Link and network activities that broke the isolation and helped to open opportunities across country borders;
providing information to the artistic communities which opens up and connects them to the international art world;
raising the professional standards in the art world.

The task of the Arts and Culture Program was to assist in the transformation of cultural structures and contribute toward structural change and autonomy of the art field. The Program worked to strengthen cultural policy, which enabled pluralism, diversity, independence, and freedom of the arts and artists.
Primary Arts and Culture Program principles:

to identify and support the crucial areas of the transition process in order to impact structural changes in the field of arts and culture (policy issues);
to support an autonomous and innovative art sector;
to promote dialogue and networking between Eastern European cultures.

Arts and Culture Program Components

Looking Inside

The aim of Looking Inside was to organize an East-East program of placements in well established and acknowledged cultural institutions of the region for art managers and cultural administrators. The idea of the program was that both parts should profit from it: art manager by acquiring new skills and gaining new experience, and the hosting institution by involving new people in its activity, creating new links and perhaps, developing new projects in the long-term run.

Mobility Fund for Central Asia, Caucasus and Mongolia

The aims of the Mobility Fund were:

reinforcement of cultural dialogue and cooperation with and within Central Asia, Caucasus and Mongolia;
strengthening the transfer of knowledge and competence to this region for the sake of further cultural developments;
promoting the mobility of cultural and arts practitioners from Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Mongolia who wanted to implement innovative models of operation in their organization or institution by exploring other cultural practices;
contributing, sharing and exchanging competencies, practices, skills and knowledge between cultural and arts practitioners from the targeted region and the rest of the Soros foundations network;
investment in cultural professionals and artists, who contributed to significant long-term sustainable changes in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Mongolia.

Capacity Building Program

The Capacity Building Program was aimed at:

capitalizing the previous activities (achievements) of the Arts and Culture Program after its phasing down by transmitting a substantial part of its role to capable institutions, organizations and resource centers in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Mongolia, so that the selected organizations could undertake the role of a "knowledge-transmitter", advocate core issues in public debates, and assist the "new-comers" in developing strategic thinking and activities. This "delegation" of the network strategy to grass-root organizations and local/regional institutions, which were already capable to fulfill a key role in the region, was of crucial importance in regional capacity development in the cultural sphere and empowerment of local actors;
strengthening the capacity of several regional institutions (by providing a substantial organizational grant) in the following fields: art management training center; policy research center; art for social change center, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Balkan regional centers. These institutions were selected in the course of international competitions;
Until January 1, 2003 the Arts and Culture Program also had three other program components: Cultural Link, Cultural Policy, and Bridge of Understanding. Information on these components has been provided on the website for archive purposes.

Members of the Arts and Culture Sub-Board (the board of advisors developed and assisting in the implementation of the new strategy for the Arts and Culture Program):

Milena Dragicevic-Sesic, Chair
Professor, University of Arts, Belgrade

Irena Veisaite
Chair of OSF-Lithuania, Member of OSI-Budapest Board

Vladimir Milcin
Executive Director of OSI-Macedonia

Krzysztof Czyzewski
Director, Borderland Foundation, Sejny, Poland

Madis Kolk
New Music Manager, Tallinn, Estonia

Mikhail B. Gnedovsky
Director of Arts and Culture program, OSI-Russia (a non-voting member of the sub-board)

Alexander Djumaev
Director of Arts and Culture Program, OSI-Uzbekistan, (non-voting member of the sub-board

The board is composed only of regional experts to ensure that regional need and know-how "direct" the art and culture program development.