“Film Policy, Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power” é uma pesquisa interdisciplinar envolvendo acadêmicos e profissionais que investigarão como governos e gestores públicos entendem e empregam estratégias de diplomacia cultural para exercer “soft power’ ao focar na natureza e função da indústria cinematográfica.
O Programa tem entre seus pesquisadores a doutora Alessandra Meleiro, presidente do Iniciativa Cultural, e coordenação de Dr. Lorraine Blakemore, da Universidade de Leeds, além de parceiros na China, Hong Kong, África do Sul e India (instituições culturais, cineastas e participantes da indústria cinematográfica).
Segue abaixo os principais objetivos da pesquisa, bem como as instituições e profissionais parceiros:
Research seeks to understand:
(i) the interactions of policymakers and practitioners in achieving soft power objectives;
(ii) how these actors negotiate artistic, economic and political networks.
The Principal Investigator is Arts Engaged Research Fellow for Government and Public Policy with participants to include senior and early career researchers, established and emerging professionals.
In the Chinese context, cultural industries are located at the forefront of discourses on ‘soft power’, which is an explicit element of the current (2012 start) Chinese government five-year plan. In the European Union, cultural policy has long seen film as key driver for transnational cultural integration. Research will consider Chinese policies (linked to UoL’s Confucius Institute) and use this knowledge to interrogate approaches both within Europe and emergent world players South Africa and Brazil. Collaborations will be proactively identified to take research in a significantly new direction via question formulation, network development and framing strategies.
Interaction will be underpinned by electronic communication. Programme development and dissemination will be through workshops, conference presentations, film showings, roundtables, public lectures and a policy report. Identification of areas for extended bids, planning joint publications, and realisation of film production has already been initiated.
The programme will mobilise existing research expertise in Chinese cultural policy and the application and architecture of soft power to contribute to an on-going concern among researchers in the global network with the ‘de-westernisation’ of soft power, public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy.
The programme will frame research questions in a comparative context which not only uses established models of soft power offered by the USA and members of the EU (representing dominant ‘western’ discourses), but also examines three of the BRICS countries (China, Brazil, South Africa) to understand how rising powers adopt, adapt or culturally-reinvent and localise soft power to realise their own strategic ambitions. In addition to the more theoretical dimensions, the programme will ask such questions as: To what extent is engagement by filmmakers in the soft power agenda of their country explicit or implicit? What are the relationships between film industries and aspiration/realistion to provide the basis for cultural branding? Given that modern communications technologies blur the distinction between domestic and international consumption, how might filmic narratives and depictions intended for an overseas audience differ from those for domestic circulation? How might governments and film industries evaluate the impact of their strategies, and especially resolve political and strategic ambitions with the aspiration to entertain, make an artistic product and/or make a profit? Are the film industries in countries investigated conscious or unconscious, willing or unwilling participants in a centrally directed soft power strategy, and what consequences might this have for the cultural industries?”.
Partner Institutions
Lead Institution: University of Leeds (UoL)
Dr Lorraine Blakemore – Arts Engaged Research Fellow for Government and Public Policy, SMLC/LHRI
Prof Paul Cooke – Chair in German Cultural Studies/ Director of the Centre for World Cinemas, SMLC
Prof Gary Rawnsley – Chair in International Communications/ Director Centre for Int. Communications, ICS.
Stephanie Dennison – Reader in Brazilian Studies, SMLC/ Centre for World Cinemas/ Director Graduate St.
Mr Simon Popple – Director of Research and Impact/ Deputy Director of CCI Hub
Ms Susan Daniels – Fellow in Arts and Cultural Education/ Chair International Regional Working Group China, PCI
Chinese University Hong Kong
Prof Anthony Fung – Chair in Film, Director of the School of Journalism and Communication
Nanjing University, China
Dr Lili Zhu – Associate Professor, School of Journalism and Communication
Cape Town University, South Africa
Dr Martin Botha – Associate Professor Film Studies/ Director African Film Unit, Centre for Film and Media Studies
Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil
Dr Alessandra Meleiro – Associate Professor, Department of Arts and Communications
Other Partners (Corporate, Government, etc.)
Dr Hinrich Voss – Roberts Academic Fellow, Deputy Director Leeds International Business Confucius Institute
Sumi Ghose – Director of Cultural Programmes, Asia House
Bill Lawrence – Reel Solutions, West Yorkshire
David Wilson – Director, Bradford City of Film
Nick Wild – Film Producer, 360 Media, Soho, London
Kathryn Penny – National Media Museum, Bradford
Richard Paterson – British Film Institute (BFI)
Veja a programação dos workshops “Film Policy, Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power” e “Soft Power, BRICS and World Cinemas” programados para ocorrer no Centre for World Cinemas, em janeiro/2015, na University of Leeds (UK).