Prosegue il nostro approfondimento sul tema della cultura digitale per suggerire piste di approfondimento attraverso l’aggiornamento su ricerche e documenti di piano, dando nel contempo voce agli attori del cambiamento, ai testimoni privilegiati, ai soggetti chiave che si stanno occupando del tema dal punto di vista sociale, economico e culturale.  In questo numero  proponiamo l’intervista a Prof.  Dieter Gorny, Managing Director dello European Centre for Creative Economy – Ecce,  realizzata durante il Forum Internazionale “Culture is Digital – Digital is Culture” di Essen, al quale abbiamo preso parte. *In lingua inglese
 
 
Una conversazione con Dieter Gorny[1], Managing Director di Ecce-European Centre for Creative Economy per riflettere sull’apporto  della cultura digitale,  strumento e obiettivo finale delle politiche territoriali. Tecnologia abilitante per la conservazione, la valorizzazione e la fruizione del patrimonio e la produzione cultura sempre più partecipata verso la quale, anche in Germania, vede impegnate molte fondazioni come portatori di contenuti e supporto alla creazione si politiche strategiche.
 
 
 
Why the european centre for creative economy chooses Culture is Digital – Digital is Culture as the motto of the Forum d’Avignon Ruhr  2015?
Several time digitalisation comes in societies´context as a driver of challenges dealing with data, protecting it and working with it. At the same time it is a huge challenge for culture in terms of creativity and technology. We have in fact an explosion in the fields of producing culture, consuming culture, and entering cultural ideas. We believe that we are in a very important moment where we have to mention digitalisation in terms of culture and not only leave the discussion on a technological site. Without huge ideas, all technological devices wouldn’t exist.
We have to create a balance between these both sites and this is under development.
In the European discussion this is a very important aspect in the cultural sector because it is often confronted with a general fear about technologies.
In Europe we have an important discussion about digitalisation: What is it? What should we do with it? How digitalisation could influence the production of culture? How culture could make it more profitable? It does not only exist but it is the main driver.
 
 
 
What is the strategic role of the european centre for creative economy in the process of digitalise culture, cultural heritage and museums?
ecce[2] is a non-profit organisation. It is a child that was born during the year of the European Capital of Culture in 2010 that included the creative industries as an active part. We have one of the best developments in terms of cultural landscape, museums, festivals, opera houses etc. in the Ruhr region.
So if you want to give the people an understanding of new forms of cultural things, you have to open up the definition of culture to include all those parts which are not created and funded by the Government.
In Germany culture is an issue where the Government is usually involved, like museums, theatres, but in the last fifteen years we have seen that there is a cultural scene growing up  without any official public funds. This kind of culture is more popular like music, or literature or film, it´s able to create a sort of identification with the people.
The question of the european centre for creative economy was “How could we remain – after the year of the European Capital of Culture – in a European discussion in the field of culture. How could we moderate this theme on an international level?”.
The idea I would like to underline is that after the European Capital of Culture we didn´t ask for sustainability, but we organised sustainability!
We did it with a sustainability contract with the Government – the Ministry of Culture – and the Region.
We are not talking about these things in a theoretical way, but we are working with a lot of pilot projects in the Ruhr region to create culture more profitable.
We have also a special project – called Creative.Quarters Ruhr. The aim of the promotion programme Creative.Quarters Ruhr, which started in 2012, is to support and accelerate the development of artistic and creative environments because of their influence on urban development processes and thus, in a next step, to set free economic effects by enhancing the urban environment and attracting more creative economy businesses to the region.
 
 
 
What is the role of banking and civil foundations in the process of digitalisation? Could you give some examples of foundations working on this issue?
All foundations play a significant role here. There are a lot of players and a lot of foundations. An example could be the Stiftung Mercator that is an independent private foundation that aims to improve integration through education opportunities for everyone, drives forward the energy transition as a trigger for global climate change, migration and firmly anchors cultural education in schools.
In general, foundations play an important role in society, especially on culture. They are important to realise current issues, to have a look, to search for projects partners, etc., …
For example in 2010 a new museum in Essen has been built; the Folkwang Museum has been founded by the Krupp Foundation that is a major German philanthropic foundation, created by and named in honor of Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach, former owner and head of the Krupp Company.
In a time where public money became a smaller source, foundations are very helpful!
In the Ruhr region Banking foundations are for example the Sparkasse Bank that is spending a lot for cultural activities, as an active foundation, they develop their own projects within the framework of three programmes: Social Development, Culture and Europe.
 
 
Bibliografia essenziale
ECORYS (2011), Ex-post evaluation of 2010 European Capitals of Culture.
european centre of creative economy (2011), Urban Change – Cultural Players and Placemaking in the Ruhr Region.
Zentrum für Kulturforschung, ICG Culturplan (2010), Mit Kultur zur Metropole? Evaluation der Kulturhauptstadt Europas RHUR.2010, Zentrum für Kulturforschung, Berlin.
 
 
Per approfondire si segnalano di seguito gli altri articoli che abbiamo pubblicato relativi a ecce  e all’evento Ruhr.2010
E. Gasca (2015), L’eredità di un grande evento culturale. Il patrimonio materiale e immateriale di una Capitale Europea della Cultura, in «Il Giornale delle Fondazioni», Fondazione Venezia, 14 ottobre.
E. Gasca (2015), Cultura: innovazione, partecipazione e accessibilità. La Capitale Europea della Cultura RUHR.10, in «Il Giornale delle Fondazioni», Fondazione Venezia, 14 ottobre.
E. Gasca (2015), Cultura digitale: un tema trasversale. Riflessioni dal Forum Culture is Digital – Digital is Culture, in «Il Giornale delle Fondazioni», Fondazione Venezia, 14 ottobre.
 
 
 
 
 La rubrica Cultura Digitale nasce in collaborazione con DiCultHer  www.diculther.eu