Establishment of structures in the Ministry of Culture and Sports in 2014 which take into account the Convention and its objectives

In August 2014, the new organogram reformed the structures in the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. As regards contemporary culture, the competent General Directorate reorganized. Some of the changes favor, inter alia, the promotion of cultural diversity as they facilitate the development of vertical activities/policies in the whole spectrum of contemporary culture.  It is noteworthy that, in the new organogram, the 2005 Convention is clearly mentioned and its implementation has been assigned to two General Directorates: the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, in concert with the General Directorate of Contemporary Culture. In this way, the protection and promotion of cultural diversity is pursued through the cooperation between cultural heritage and contemporary culture, primarily with synergies and integrated policies in the cultural and creative sectors.    

The Ministry of Culture and Sports/Department for Regional Cultural Policy and Festivals has developed a digital platform, where the cultural activity of municipal and other cultural agencies across the country is promoted, articles and studies concerning cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue are posted, and a database of the festivals (cultural, scientific and more) taking place each year in Greece is available.  Future plans for the above platform include making it available in more languages.

Also, in 2011, the Hellenic Ministry of Culture established the “Cultural Operators Portal", an online source of information about cultural operators across the country, including statistical data on their profiles, activities, base of operations, legal status, employment status, geographical scope, etc. Thus far, 1686 cultural agencies from all over Greece have been registered, submitting their profiles and possible requests for funding.