ASEF culture360 (culture360.asef.org) is a digital platform managed by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) since 2005.

ASEF culture360 is designed to stimulate cultural engagement and enhance mutual understanding between Asia and Europe by providing relevant information through weekly updates on news, events, opportunities and resources. It also features a magazine with in-depth articles, interviews and profiles, and social media tools to enable online networking between individuals, as well as organisations across the ASEM region

Goals

  • To inform cultural practitioners, artists, policy makers, and governments about arts and culture in and between Asia and Europe
  • To create networking opportunities for cultural professionals who are looking to share ideas
  • To facilitate cultural reflection as well as stimulate cultural dialogue and cooperation within the ASEM region

History & Achievements

ASEF culture360 was initiated in 2005 by the Culture Ministers of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), following several meetings of cultural policy makers and cultural practitioners who identified a need to facilitate information flow and cultural cooperation amongst member countries. Launched in 2008, it has been recurrently acknowledged by ASEM Culture Ministers as “a concrete deliverable of the ASEM process … to facilitate the visibility of cultural activities of member countries.” In 2010, the portal was identified as an existing tool for the exchange of information on diversity of cultural expressions by UNESCO, the UN’s lead agency for culture, in “Collecting Information, Data, Best Practices: Existing Mechanisms and Tools”. In 2014, the European Union specifically highlighted ASEF culture360 as an “excellent model of information exchange for Asia-Europe cultural co-operation” in its Report on Preparatory Action on the Role of Culture in EU External Relations and as a model worthy of emulation for Europe’s relations with other regions

Over the past decade, ASEF culture360 has been enabling easy access to relevant and reliable information for individual artists, arts organisations and policymakers across the ASEM region. It remains the only portal offering such a service in the ASEM context.

About the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) promotes understanding, strengthens relationships and facilitates cooperation among the people, institutions and organisations of Asia and Europe. ASEF enhances dialogue, enables exchanges and encourages collaboration across the thematic areas of culture, education, governance, sustainable development, public health and economy.

ASEF is an intergovernmental not-for-profit organisation located in Singapore. Founded in 1997, it is the only institution of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). For more information, please visit www.ASEF.org

About the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)

The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an informal process of dialogue and co-operation bringing together 51 countries of Asia and Europe, the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat. The ASEM dialogue addresses political, economic and cultural issues, with the objective of strengthening the relationship between the two regions, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership. www.ASEMInfoboard.org

The ASEM Partners are: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lao PDR, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Viet Nam and the United Kingdom.