The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) through its programme ASEF Creative Networks is supporting the 22^nd ENCATC Annual Conference "New Challenges for the Arts and Culture: Is it just about money?” in Brno, Czech Republic from 17-19 September 2014. This major international event will bring together academics, researchers, cultural managers, policy makers, students, and artists to discuss and explore new challenges facing the arts. The themes of the conference will focus on the social, aesthetic and economic aspects of arts management in the public and private sectors and question “Is it all just about money?” This conference is meant to advance reflection and inspire innovative thinking about all aspects of the arts that impact our society and particularly the social, aesthetic and economic ones.

The Annual Conference is one of a series of events that ENCATC in partnership with the Asia Pacific Network for Education and Research (ANCER) and The Hong Kong Institute of Education is organising in 2014 as part of the project Network as Learning Experience, supported by the ASEF Creative Networks programme (1^st edition).

During three plenary sessions, keynote speakers will share their expertise and reveal three interesting perspectives from Europe, North America and Asia on the challenges for the arts and culture.  David Mareček, Executive Director of the Czech Philharmonic in Prague; Alan Salzenstein, President, Association of Arts Administration and Professor, DePaul University in Chicago, USA; and Jerry C Y Liu, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Arts Management and Cultural Policy at the National Taiwan University of Arts. The expertise, innovative cases and new perspectives brought by the conference's keynote speakers will be followed by moderated panel discussions and questions from the audience. These plenary sessions will be just several of the many opportunities to learn about the latest trends and developments in the field of cultural management and policy, exchange best practice, internationalise careers and enlarge professional networks. Ms Anupama Sekhar, Acting Director of ASEF Culture Department, will present ASEF culture360 in the open session: Transfer of Knowledge, Information and Methodology on 19 September and the WorldCP-International Database of Cultural Policies project in the research session. She will also participate in the Seminar N°1: Training at the urban cultural project level: Training needs and future perspectives The conference's 3-day programme also includes the 5^th Annual ENCATC Research Session, the 7^th Annual ENCATC Thematic Area cultural seminars, study visits to flagship cultural institutions in Brno, the 11^th Cultural Policy Research Award Ceremony, and an Open Space for knowledge-transfer on information and methodology. The event will also be accompanied by an artistic programme to showcase local talent and increase visibility of Czech artists.

• For more information and to consult the ENCATC Annual Conference Programme & to download the brochure: http://encatc.org/pages/index.php?id=104
• Register here: www.encatc.org/register