Re: question by Ed Driedger on the Eur. Comm. for Business Art & Culture
 
Dear Ed Driedger,
 
Through many European arts projects I'm involved in I am somewhat
familiar with this organisation. I'm not at all closely involved (I've never
worked with them on something), so please see this below as some comments of
an outsider - with the apparent limitations. For full details you should of
course talk to the organisation itself, i.e. Anne Vanhaverbeeke.
 
My own observations (for whatever they're worth...)
The Committee was not so much established by the European Committee, but did
receive funding EC funding. [The official name is BTW the French abbreviation
CEREC (which means the same)] It was founded by the national organisations for
the promotion of sponsorship of the various EC countries. Most of these
national organisations have some or are only business representations. Main
activities of these national organisations is to publish a magazine and
perhaps have a yearly award for the best sponsorproject.
 
This seems to be also the line taken by this European office they've
established in the offices of the English national organisation, ABSA. The
European organisation has a magazine and has assisted Northern Telecom (aren't
they Canadian?) in setting up a European arts competition. They've also
published a booklet on the tax situation on sponsorship in the various EC
countries in a joint project with large accountancy firm.
 
As far as the question about effectiveness and impact ... that's a tricky
one. It's main aim seems to be formulated as a function or political
statement for a very long term. Concrete results will be difficult to name,
apart from the three activities mentioned above. There are hardly any
companies that have a pan-European sponsorstrategy; everything is done
nationally. This follows company structures, which in Europe are generally
strong national (sales) offices with budgets and a supporting European HQ,
or just one national HQ with export departments.
The clearing house function is done by reporting the requests for money in
their magazine, but I'd doubt what the effects are. In my own experience
companies never pick sponsorprojects from a magazine.
 
Summarizing, it's mainly a nice, fashionable, but very vague initiative that
could perhaps have some long term contributions (although given the practice
of real business life that's doubtful). They received a starting grant for
three years from the EC, after which they were supposed to be self
supporting (as far as I know). This grant would therefore end one of these
months, and it will be very interesting to see if and how they would survive
as I doubt the national organisations to be strong enough to pay up the
whole thing on their own. From the various comments I've heard so far in the
Brussels offices, I'd be doubtfull about an extension to the original grant.
 
If you need any other information, do not hesitate to contact me.
With best wishes,
 
 
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In Message Fri, 27 May 94 06:48:55,
  "Museum discussion list" <[log in to unmask]> writes:
 
>I have just come across reference to the European Committe for
>Business, Art and Culture, an organization of the European Union that
>seeks to encourage business sponsorship of the arts while acting as a
>clearing house of information for both the arts and business
>community.  Does anyone know more about this organization?  It was
>established in 1991 and I am curious as to its effectiveness and impact?
>
>Ed Driedger
>Museum Studies
>University of Toronto