KALLIOPE – Women in Society, Culture, Academia and Science
- increase (international) visibility of the important contributions that Austrian women have made and are making to cultural and social life by means of international cultural policy measures
- increased awareness for and stimulation of the discourse on the work and impact of Austrian women artists and scientists
- support of opportunities for contemporary women artists to present themselves abroad and make international contacts
The promotion of women’s rights and gender equality is a key target in all areas of activities of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs. “KALLIOPE Austria” is a new initiative that aims to support this cross-cutting international cultural policy focus on women over the 2015–2020 period that should be applied to all sectors of art and programme activities of Austria’s international cultural policy network.
KALLIOPE compiles 164 biographies of renowned Austrian women personalities, from the 18th century up to the present day, who shaped Austria and made history. Furthermore, it provides information on contemporary women artists and scientists supplemented by concrete project proposals aimed at presenting their work and impacting and stimulating debate on women’s contribution to cultural and social life. The KALLIOPE publication itself will be promoted throughout the international cultural policy network.
Furthermore, the project proposals will assist and support the individual bodies of the network (Cultural Fora, libraries, Austria Institutes, embassies and consulate-generals) in implementing the focus on women within their activities and developing projects adapted to local needs and contexts. Project proposals, including concepts, contact details, and – where applicable – rights clearance, range from film screenings in cooperation with international film festivals (e.g. the Vienna-based film festival “Tricky Women”, which focuses on animated films made by women), theatre performances by women or dealing with women’s issues (e.g. theatre formats on gender mainstreaming), book presentations and readings, talks with women architects, presentations of Austrian fashion labels, and cooperation opportunities with local fashion events.
The Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs implements around 6,000 projects in the fields of art, culture, and science every year abroad. These initiatives take place in more than 90 countries and ca. 2,700 locations. Around 4,500 partner institutions worldwide cooperate annually with Austria’s international cultural policy network. The Ministry is thus the largest and most diverse Austrian organizer of events outside Austria.
It is expected that the programmatic focus on women during the 2015–2020 period, supported through KALLIOPE in the area of international cultural policy, will lead to an increase in the number of implemented projects and events that:
- present and debate the work and impact of Austrian women artists and scientists
- involve contemporary Austrian women artists
The development of this initiative will be monitored (sex-disaggregated data on the number of artists and scientists involved in projects; projects per artistic discipline) and reported on in the Austrian International Cultural Policy Yearbook.
Funding: EUR 15.700,- (KALLIOPE publication and project proposals)
Funding for the implementation of KALLIOPE projects and other projects focusing on women by Austria’s international cultural policy network is provided by their regular programme budget.