The goal of Cultural ID is to depict you a direct and personal link to the arts and culture scene through the eyes of the interviewees. Each participant answers the same set of questions. In this way the blog invites them to share their experience and thoughts on the cultural scene in their city or country. Cultural ID gives you a sincere overview about the cultural identity of young arts and culture professionals from all over the world.
For the first Cultural ID we ask our friend Demetra Ignatiou (25) from Cyprus to tell her story and the ‘cultural reality’ in her country.
After receiving her bachelor in History and Archaeology at the University of Cyprus and participating in two erasmus programs, she moved to Maastricht (NL) for a Master in ‘Arts and Heritage’. Back to Cyprus she is currently working as Assistant Manager at Point Centre for Contemporary Art in Nicosia
How do you define yourself ?
As a grasshopper in the (cultural) field.
What does ‘culture’ mean to you?
Everything.
What kind of added value culture gives you?
None. I think that culture promotes, shifts, negotiates and questions value(s) rather than attributing or distributing it/them.
Being a cultural professional is
What is the role of culture in your country?
Very controversial and ambiguous since I live in a partitioned country. Over the years culture -every aspect of it- has been instrumentalised to promote conflicting nationalist historic narratives. The Cyprus Problem has been overshadowing and predominating all manifestations of human activity and production including cultural production and in many cases it still does.
Can you sketch the cultural scene in your city?
More and more young people chose to actively participate in the cultural field. Especially in terms of contemporary cultural production I think that great progress has been made in the last few years. The previously decaying historical walled centre of Nicosia is being redefined as a creative hub. Gradually some cultural institutions are focusing in the promotion of research within the cultural field, which was missing from Nicosia and Cyprus in general. Public space is becoming a pivotal element of cultural production while the social and educational engagement of culture is emphasized and promoted. New initiatives pop-up constantly from many levels and they are all driven by various, diverse aspirations and motivations. Nicosia is being reshaped, redefined and revitalized. (the above goes only for the part of Nicosia controlled by the Republic of Cyprus).
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How did you end up in this city? Why did you choose to work in this city?
Despite my lack of enthusiasm about Nicosia when I was a teenager and my eagerness to move as far away from it as possible, after having lived two years abroad, I realized how unique this city is. I love Nicosia. Nicosia is a queer city full of surrealism and controversies. Conflicting elements coexist in peace and create a unique atmosphere. But still, there are many things to be done towards a sustainable development of the city. [/ezcol_1quarter_end]
I wanted to be part of the peers working to accommodate this change and I believe that the best way to do it is through culture. Thus I decided to work here for a while, although it was very difficult to find a job in the current economic situation of the country.
How is it for you to work in this cultural scene?
Exciting, exhausting, frustrating, fulfilling, inspiring, intriguing, overwhelming, rewarding | never boring.
How can you define the position of the cultural professional in your city?
Ambiguous. There is so much to be done and so many inspiring individuals to work with but also the obstacles to overcome are uncountable. Very few people and actors appreciate the urgency for action and there is a lack of awareness about the role of cultural professionals. However, since the field is now starting to flourish there is plenty of “space” for the implementation of ideas, application of practices plus the possibilities opened are innumerous.
How do you see the future for yourself as a cultural professional in your city, are there any opportunities there? And why? Yes there are many things to be done and also there are inspiring people and institutions with admirable vision to collaborate with. However, the lack of funding and the economic crisis make it difficult for a person to survive doing exclusively this. I would love to work abroad in the future but I think that I will always come back to Nicosia.
Are there initiatives in your country that help cultural professionals/artists at the beginning of their career?
There are a few art patrons and some scholarships/awards and perhaps some foundations but there is a lack institutionalized or initiatives exclusively focused on the cultural professionals as far as I can tell.
Did you do residency/internship/studies outside of your country? If yes, what differences did you see?
The most striking differences I see is the very poor state support towards culture and cultural production in Cyprus. The inefficient and non-consistent public cultural policy and the lack of cultural education that keep the majority of the audience away from the arts.
What tips can you give to other young cultural professionals?
To be creative in everything you are doing and to wear sunscreen.
Thank you Demetra!
The goal of Cultural ID is to give you an impression of the cultural identity of young arts and culture professionals from all over the world. Each participant answers the same set of questions. In this way the blog invites them to share their experience and thoughts on the cultural scene in their city or country. Cultural ID provides a direct and personal link to the arts and culture scene through the eyes of the interviewees.
For the first Cultural ID we ask our friend Demetra Ignatiou (25) from Cyprus to tell her story and the ‘cultural reality’ in her country. After receiving her bachelor in History and Archaeology at the University of Cyprus and participating in 2 erasmus programs, she moved to Maastricht (NL) for a Master in ‘Arts and Heritage’. Back to Cyprus she is currently working as Assistant Manager at Point Centre for Contemporary Art in Nicosia How do you define yourself ? As a grasshopper in the (cultural) field. What does ‘culture’ mean to you? Everything. What kind of added value culture gives you? None. I think that culture promotes, shifts, negotiates and questions value(s) rather than attributing or distributing it/them. Being a cultural professional is
What is the role of culture in your country? Very controversial and ambiguous since I live in a partitioned country. Over the years culture -every aspect of it- has been instrumentalised to promote conflicting nationalist historic narratives. The Cyprus Problem has been overshadowing and predominating all manifestations of human activity and production including cultural production and in many cases it still does. Can you sketch the cultural scene in your city? More and more young people chose to actively participate in the cultural field. Especially in terms of contemporary cultural production I think that great progress has been made in the last few years. The previously decaying historical walled centre of Nicosia is being redefined as a creative hub. Gradually some cultural institutions are focusing in the promotion of research within the cultural field, which was missing from Nicosia and Cyprus in general. Public space is becoming a pivotal element of cultural production while the social and educational engagement of culture is emphasized and promoted. New initiatives pop-up constantly from many levels and they are all driven by various, diverse aspirations and motivations. Nicosia is being reshaped, redefined and revitalized. (the above goes only for the part of Nicosia controlled by the Republic of Cyprus). [ezcol_3quarter id=”” class=”” style=””] [/ezcol_3quarter] [ezcol_1quarter_end id=”” class=”” style=””] How did you end up in this city? Why did you choose to work in this city? Despite my lack of enthusiasm about Nicosia when I was a teenager and my eagerness to move as far away from it as possible, after having lived two years abroad, I realized how unique this city is. I love Nicosia. Nicosia is a queer city full of surrealism and controversies. Conflicting elements coexist in peace and create a unique atmosphere. But still, there are many things to be done towards a sustainable development of the city. [/ezcol_1quarter_end] I wanted to be part of the peers working to accommodate this change and I believe that the best way to do it is through culture. Thus I decided to work here for a while, although it was very difficult to find a job in the current economic situation of the country. How is it for you to work in this cultural scene? Exciting, exhausting, frustrating, fulfilling, inspiring, intriguing, overwhelming, rewarding | never boring. How can you define the position of the cultural professional in your city? Ambiguous. There is so much to be done and so many inspiring individuals to work with but also the obstacles to overcome are uncountable. Very few people and actors appreciate the urgency for action and there is a lack of awareness about the role of cultural professionals. However, since the field is now starting to flourish there is plenty of “space” for the implementation of ideas, application of practices plus the possibilities opened are innumerous. How do you see the future for yourself as a cultural professional in your city, are there any opportunities there? And why? Yes there are many things to be done and also there are inspiring people and institutions with admirable vision to collaborate with. However, the lack of funding and the economic crisis make it difficult for a person to survive doing exclusively this. I would love to work abroad in the future but I think that I will always come back to Nicosia. Are there initiatives in your country that help cultural professionals/artists at the beginning of their career? There are a few art patrons and some scholarships/awards and perhaps some foundations but there is a lack institutionalized or initiatives exclusively focused on the cultural professionals as far as I can tell. Did you do residency/internship/studies outside of your country? If yes, what differences did you see? The most striking differences I see is the very poor state support towards culture and cultural production in Cyprus. The inefficient and non-consistent public cultural policy and the lack of cultural education that keep the majority of the audience away from the arts. What tips can you give to other young cultural professionals? To be creative in everything you are doing and to wear sunscreen.
