Cultural Diplomacy in Africa
Morocco: Culture Diplomacy Projects
FOLKLORE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Project Details
Country: Morocco
Telephone: +212 524 313572
Email: agamarrakech@yahoo.fr
Website: http://www.associationlegrandatlas.com/Index.php
Sponsored by: The Kingdom of Morocco Office of Tourism as well as other institutions and
Organisations (see below)
Organisation Description
The festival is organised in cooperation with many institutions from both the public and the private sector; such as the ‘Foundation of Banque populaire’. The Office of Tourism has also been heavily involved in the organisation, and since 1999 associations such as ‘Le Grand Atlas’, the CRT (Centre régional du tourisme), and the ONMT(Office nationale marocain de tourisme) have all been closely involved in organisation.
The association of ‘Le Grand Atlas’ is now the main organiser of the festival. It is the first and largest regional not-for-profit association, created by decree number 2.88.286 on the 13th of April 1985 in the city of Marrakesh. The members of this association come from different sectors; such as scientific, technical, administrative, legal, and entrepreneurial.
The Association has set itself a number of goals to achieve. Among them is the realisation and implementation of numerous cultural, social, and economic plans. On the one hand the association aims to maintain contacts with everyone who is interested in the development of the city of Marrakech and the region of Marrakesh Tansift El Haouz, so as to consolidate and encourage their efforts. On the other hand it facilitates the creation of new partnerships with associations in both national and international spheres which have the same goals. Since its creation, the association has greatly influenced the economic, social and cultural development of the region of Marrakesh in particular and that of Morocco in general.
Project Description
The festival of popular arts was created in 1956 by the King Mohamed V, and celebrated its 46th anniversary on the 29th of June 2011. The festival brings together many groups from different regions in Morocco and outside the country. During seven days, each group performs its piece of art in different places in the city of Marrakech, which provides a number of both historical and contemporary settings. The project includes a performance of the traditional music of Morocco in different places of the City of Marrakesh, and the Performance of traditional music of other foreign countries
Aims of the Project
The aim of the festival is primarily to highlight the Moroccan cultural heritage, and also to ensure its promotion worldwide.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
This project is a good example of cultural diplomacy in Morocco as it helps to promote Moroccan culture and traditions abroad. Moreover the festival opens dialogue between cultures, civilisations and religions by inviting other musical groups from different countries around the world. It also attracts foreign visitors from many countries.
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF MARRAKECH (FIFM)
Project Details
Country: Morocco
Telephone: +212 524 432 493/494
Email: ffifm@lafondation.ma
Website: www.lafondation.info
Sponsored by: The Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and private donors
Organisation Description
The International Film Festival Foundation works in cooperation with other ministries and companies from different fields (telecommunications, automobile industry and media corporations). The foundation of the International Film Festival of Marrakech was brought about by the King Mohammed VI, and established under the presidency of his brother Prince Moulay Rachid. The main functions of this foundation are the organisation of the festival and help in the development of the cinematographic art and industry in Morocco. This support is provided by giving the Moroccan actors and producers the opportunity to get in touch with many leading figures of the international cinema industry.
Project Description
The International Film Festival of Marrakech is the biggest event specifically devoted to Moroccan cinema, and was created in 2000 under the patronage of the Prince Moulay Rachid. The festival runs a jury, which is composed of writers, actors and other national and international personalities, who judge and reward the best Moroccan and foreign short films and actors.
Aims of the Project
The international film festival of Marrakech aims to bring people from all around the world together to share their experiments and present their work. It is also considered as a major annual event, highlighting the values of openness and tolerance, and creating a space for encounters and dialogue among various artistic and cultural trends.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
Film is a key vehicle for dialogue and the sharing of information. This medium is enhanced when the films are screened in public spaces, where the works have the potential to reach a greater variety of people.
LE RAID DES MAROCAINS DU MONDE
Project Details
Country: Morocco
Telephone: +212 537 737 573
Email: info@mcmre.gov.ma
Website: http://www.marocainsdumonde.gov.ma/
Sponsored by: The Ministry in Charge of the Moroccan Community Residing Abroad
Organisation Description
Le Raid des Marocains du Monde is organised by the the Ministry in Charge of the Moroccan Community Residing Abroad. This governmental department organises various social and cultural events, and assists Moroccan diaspora in administrative matters relating to trade and investment.
Project Description
The ‘Raid’ is an annual event comprising a 2000km journey through various cultural attractions, finishing in a different Moroccan city each year. 2011 marked the 6th anniversary of the project, and took place from the 4th to the 9th of August. The ‘Raid’ journeyed through 11 cities, from the north to the south of the country, during which time the participants were re-introduced to the country’s ancient cultural diversity, as well as any new projects introduced by the King Mohammed VI. The journey also served to highlight potential investment opportunities to the participants.
Additional activities of the ‘Raid’ included conferences and discussion meetings with members of public and private sector companies, the distribution of educational resources and financial aid, and the provision of medical help by foreign doctors and dentists to local people.
Aims of the Project
The central aim of the project is to reinforce relations between Moroccan citizens and the diaspora, as well as promoting Morocco’s rich cultural and geographic diversity. In addition, the project serves to highlight investment opportunities for Moroccan diaspora, develop trade links, and ultimately improve Morocco’s international position.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
This project paves the way for dialogue and exchange between the diaspora and Moroccans living at home, forging ties of friendship, commerce and culture.
FESTIVAL MAWAZIN: RHYTHMS OF THE WORLD
Project Details
Country: Morocco
Telephone: +212 537 776 063
Email: via website: http://www.festivalmawazine.ma/en/contact.html
Website: http://www.festivalmawazine.ma/en/
Sponsored by: The government of the Kingdom of Morocco and numerous private sponsors
Organisation Description
The association “Maroc Cultures” in a non-governmental organization, created in Rabat in October 2001. The aim of the association is to organise and provide the population of the region of Rabat-Sale-Zemmor-Zaer with highly professional cultural events, the most important of which is the Festival of Mawazin.
Project Description
The Festival of Mawazin takes place every year in May, and transforms Rabat to a large-scale music venue. Artists from all over the world gather to celebrate the diversity of Moroccan culture, playing a selection of Arab and world music. The festival constitutes a number of different activities, such as concerts, street shows, workshops and exhibitions.
Aims of the Project
The project aims to gather people from all over the world to engage in cultural exchange via music. It also provides an opportunity for the creation of new kinds of music, performed by groups from different cultures and musical backgrounds. These activities are designed ultimately to promote Rabat as a city of culture, and Morocco as a country of tolerance.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
This festival is a strong example of cultural diplomacy because it opens a dialogue between cultures. Artists coming from different backgrounds, with different sensibilities collaborate to produce innovative artistic creations and positive memories for all those involved. Such cooperation serves to demonstrate tolerance, understanding and openness.
TANGIER INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
Project Details
Country: Morocco
Telephone: +212 539 939 146
Email: tangeregion05@yahoo.fr
Website: www.atrac.ma
Sponsored by: Association Tangier Region Action Culturelle
Organisation Description
The Tangier International Music Festival is organised by ATRAC – Association Tangier Region Action Culturelle. ATRAC was founded in 2003 in partnership with the Moroccan Government, with the aim of enhancing the socio-economic and cultural life of the city of Tangier. The organisation also aims to create links between various cultures both within Morocco and abroad.
Project Description
The 10th Tangier International Music Festival was arranged in partnership with ATRAC and the Moroccan Ministry of Culture between June 10th and July 4th 2010. The festival was conducted under the theme “the Night of the Mediterranean,” and was aimed at bringing together musicians from all over the region. Over a period of five nights, musicians from Morocco, France, Iran and India offered the audience a ‘musical odyssey,’ taking it ‚from Maghreb to Iran, Lebanon, Mali, and through Andalusia.
A variety of additional events were conducted to enhance the intercultural exchange between artists and audience, within the framework of the festival. These took the form of photo exhibitions, a space dedicated to the young regional music scene, and musical film screenings in partnership with the Cinémathéque de Tangier.
Aims of the Project
The main objective of the Tangier International Music Festival is to bring together audience and musicians under the banner of the meeting, exchange and interaction of people and cultures.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
The 10th edition of the Tangier International Music Festival shows how a particular city can employ the medium of music to enhance its intercultural ties with other communities and cultures. Thus, the festival offers a meeting ground for people as well as cultures, and in doing so makes an important contribution to the culturally diplomatic activities of Morocco.
THE MOROCCAN-AMERICAN COMMISSION FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE (MACECE)
Project Details
Country: Morocco/United States
Telephone: +212 537 764 109
Email: info@macece.ma
Website: http://www.macece.org/
Sponsored by: Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange, as
well as the governments of the Kingdom of Morocco and the U.S.
Organisation Description
Since 1982 the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (MACECE) has been facilitating academic and cultural exchanges through the awarding of study grants to Moroccan and American citizens. The MACECE was formed a result of a bilateral agreement between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America. The organisation is managed by a bi-national board of commissioners, appointed by the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and the American Ambassador to Morocco. The MACECE is primarily funded by the governments of the two countries. Since 1992 the Moroccan government has contributed $1m annually, which makes up about 70% of the Commission’s annual budget. The Commission also receives funding from private companies, adding up to around $1m over the years. The MACECE works in collaboration with the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (U.S. Department of State), the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), the Institute of International Education (IIE) and AMIDEAST.
Project Description
MACECE awards study grants for Moroccan and American citizens. Moroccan citizens can apply for four different grants depending on their degree of education: the Fulbright Study Grant for Moroccan citizens enrolled in the first year of a Masters program; the Fulbright Joint Supervision Grant for Moroccan citizens enrolled in a doctoral program at a Moroccan university; the Post-
Doctoral Research Grant for Moroccan citizens that hold a Ph.D., and; the FLTA Programs, that give Moroccan teachers the opportunity to teach Arabic in a U.S university. Citizens of the United States can apply for two grants; the Fulbright Study Grant, for students who are recent graduates or enrolled in a graduate program and; Senior Scholars for American researchers or lecturers.
Aims of the Project
– To promote ‚the spirit of traditional friendship between the peoples of Morocco and the U.S. through the facilitation of educational and cultural exchange.
– To deepen and maintain the original bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States of America.
– To foster enhanced mutual understanding between the people of Morocco and the U.S.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
The aim of the MACECE to promote friendly relations between people and cultures of two nations through educational and cultural exchange is a representative example of how cultural diplomacy can be facilitated through the academic sector.
THE 12TH FESTIVAL OF MEKNÉS VOLUBILIS
Project Details
Country: Morocco
Telephone: +212 537 209 494
Email: None listed
Website: http://www.minculture.gov.ma
Sponsored by: The Moroccan Ministry of Culture
Organisation Description
The Festival of Meknés Volubilis is organised annually by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Meknés region in the northern part of Morocco. The 12th festival to date was held between the 15th and 20th of July 2011. In recent years the festival has become increasingly international in scope, inviting over a hundred Moroccan and foreign musicians and artists. Countries represented in 2011 were, amongst others: France, Spain, Chile, Poland, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Jordan, India, Georgia, Korea, Egypt, England and Algeria.
Project Description
Throughout the week, participating artists treat a large and diverse audience to both modern and traditional musical genres from all over the word. Alongside these performances, a varied cultural programme is offered, including various film screenings and dance performances. Workshops are also held focusing on musical fusion, and specifically on enabling local youth groups to take ownership of urban public spaces in the outskirts of Meknés. The festival of 2011 also focused on strengthening Moroccan-Spanish relations through the promotion of mutual understanding of their common historical and cultural heritage.
Aims of the Project
– To work as an invitation for travel and discovery, targeting a local as well as an international audience;
– To serve as a vehicle for the preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage;
– To strengthen intercultural ties, tolerance and friendship between cultures and people.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
The Festival of Meknés Volubilis is an excellent example of cultural diplomacy, as it facilitates the spread of traditional and contemporary Moroccan culture as well bringing the international music scene to Morocco. Thus, the festival creates a meeting point not only for musicians, but also for different cultures and in so doing paves the way for enhanced mutual understanding between people from all over the world through the medium of music.
CASABLANCA INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR
Project Details
Country: Morocco
Telephone: (+212) 661 730 662
Email: moncef.everycome@gmail.com
Website: www.casafiart.com
Sponsored by: EveryCom, Moroccan Ministry of Culture, Office des Foires et Expositions de
Casablanca (OFEC), the Attijarlwafa Bank, Public Events and I HB Art Media
Organisation Description
The International Art Fair in Casablanca was first held in 2010, and serves as an intercultural art forum to allow art galleries, artists, art scholars, art students, and collectors from all over the world to meet and connect, with the aim of making creative and artistic work available to everyone. The event is organised by EveryCom, a Moroccan event marketing agency that specializes in artistic and cultural mediation, in collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, Office des Foires et Expositions de Casablanca (OFEC), the Attijarlwafa Bank, Public Events and IHB Art Media. The art fair was developed from the idea that art can be used as a tool for overcoming cultural tensions, and that art both has an inherent creative, as well as socio-cultural dimension. The art fair embraces the notion of cultural diversity and dialogue, and regards itself as a bridge-builder and venue for inter-cultural discussion and debate.
Project Description
The upcoming fair will take place between the 3rd and 10th of December 2011, at the Forum for Future in Casablanca. This particular fair is arranged under the theme “Art for Dialogue” and will bring together over 150 exhibitors from Morocco and abroad. Alongside the art exhibitions, children’s workshops, art projections, videoconferences, exhibitions of art publications and guided tours will be arranged. The fair is set to target over 20,000 Moroccan and foreign visitors, in particular art enthusiasts, artists, art critics, journalists, collectors and students. According to its commissioner, Moncef Andaloussi, the Casablanca International Art Fair been successful in its mission to promote the development of visual art in a spirit of openness, reunion and exchange, viewing contemporary art as a window to other cultures and civilizations.
Aims of the Project
– To bring together Moroccan and foreign art actors, allowing both professionals and
amateurs to make contact with each other.
– To encourage the promotion of domestic and foreign art works and support the development for artistic activity.
– To participate in the enhancement of artistic heritage.
– To strengthen the interactive links between artists and the public, and to further develop networks of artistic and cultural mediation.
– To strive towards the creation of an intercultural crossroads.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
In its use of an art exhibition as a vehicle for creating inter-cultural mediation, the Casablanca Art Fair works as a melting pot for the exchange of ideas, cultural heritage and various artistic expressions. The fair targets a large audience from many cultural as well as professional backgrounds, widening its scope as a vehicle for cultural diplomacy.
FOUNDATION ESPIRIT DE FES (THE SPIRIT OF FEZ FOUNDATION)
Project Details
Country: Morocco
Telephone: +212 535 740 535
Email: contact@fesfestival.com
Website: www.espritdefes.com
Sponsored by: The Spirit of Fez Foundation, The Moroccan Ministry for Tourism, Ambassade de
France au Maroc, Attijariwafa Bank and BMCE Bank, the Caisse de Depot et de Geston, Embajada de España Rabat, Accor, Instituto Italiano de Cultura Marocco, SagatOur, PosteMaroc and Toyota
Organisation Description
The Spirit of Fez Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in September of 2005, with the aim of contributing to the initiation and support of any activity, programme or event that will promote the city of Fez as a centre for inter-cultural dialogue between civilizations. The foundation works in partnership with: The Moroccan Ministry for Tourism, Ambassade de France au Maroc, Attijariwafa Bank and BMCE Bank. Additionally the foundation is sponsored by the Caisse de Depot et de Geston, Embajada de España Rabat, Accor, Instituto Italiano de Cultura Marocco, SagatOur, PosteMaroc and Toyota. The foundation is built on the viewpoint that the city of Fez has the opportunity to use cultural exchange and cultural tourism as an engine of sustainable development and dialogue. Another objective of the foundation is to contribute to teaching or training in cultural- and project management, as well as diplomacy and intercultural governance, either directly or in partnership with schools or other training institutions.
Project Description
The Spirit of Fez Foundation organizes several music festivals annually, most notably the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music and the Fez Jazz in Riad Festival. These festivals gather both musicians and audiences from various cultural and religious backgrounds, in a bid to encourage Muslims, Christians and Jews to act together for brotherhood and peace.
In addition to music festivals, the Spirit of Fez Foundation supports other artistic and scientific projects, such as the Festival of Amazigh Culture and the Festival of Culinary Arts. As an example, the Foundation states that the Festival of Culinary Arts is a great example of how Moroccan cuisine can enable the audience to build bridges through the tool of traditional stoves in Fez.
The Spirit of Fez Foundation organizes various annual forums and conferences, for example The Forum of Fez on the Alliance of Civilization and Cultural Diversity and the Forum of Fez on the Mediterranean Union. In the execution of these programmes, the Foundation invites both local and international academics and researchers with the aim of enlightening the public on the issues of plurality and identity in Morocco, as well as issues of cultural heritage. As a result of these forums and conferences, relevant publications are distributed in Arabic, English and French.
Aims of the Project
To promote inter-cultural dialogue through a variety of vehicles such as the culinary arts and music.
Relevance as Cultural Diplomacy
In its mission to promote the city of Fez as a centre for peace, dialogue and intercultural understanding, the Spirit of Fez Foundation exemplifies how a region can contribute to Cultural Diplomacy on a local level. Furthermore, since the Foundation attempts to enable intra-cultural dialogue, it works as a Moroccan contribution to the peaceful understanding of diversity and pluralism.
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