UNESCO Chair in Cultural Entrepreneurship and Policy
The University of Antwerp (Belgium) and the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) are proud to announce the launch of a collaborative UNESCO Chair in Cultural Entrepreneurship and Policy.
A team led by Annick Schramme and Avril Joffe will bring extensive experience in research, teaching and policy advice in the cultural and creative sectors together. Their expertise spans entrepreneurship, cultural management, policy making and global economies.
This innovative Chair initiative aims to decolonize curricula and foster an inclusive exchange of knowledge and experience within the creative and cultural sectors of Flanders/Belgium and South Africa. It aligns with UNESCO's mission to support inclusive social development and intercultural dialogue. The chair will involve students and staff from both institutions, and will further collaborate with the broader Cultural and creative sectors (CCS) by developing educational activities and research that emphasizes lifelong learning, mentorship and leadership.
The Chair will explore the evolution of cultural entrepreneurship and policy in the global North and South and involve partners from various African nations in enhancing appreciation for UNESCO conventions and fostering a culture of shared learning and growth. All initiatives are also committed to gender equality and sustainable practices.
“The Twin Chair offers a unique opportunity to our students for internationalisation”, says Prof Annick Schramme. “A mixed group of students is going on an exchange during the Summerschool cultural policy in August 2024 to research amateur arts/community arts in both regions from a comparative perspective. This field research will lead to recommendations to the Flemish Government and the South African partners as well. We are going to collaborate intensively and will share knowledge and experiences, with a focus on the decolonisation of curricula in both our universities. The exchange is partially funded by the Flemish Department of Culture, Youth and Media.”
Annick Schramme
Annick Schramme is a professor at the University of Antwerp. She is responsible for the Masters’ program in Cultural Management and heads the Competence Center Cultural Management & Policy. Prof. Schramme's academic journey has been marked by a profound commitment to the fusion of theoretical knowledge with practical insights, focusing on (international) Cultural Policy and Governance, Cultural Entrepreneurship and the Ecosystem of Fashion.
Her achievements include launching an international Masters degree Programme in fashion management and an executive Flemish-Dutch leadership programme in Culture (LInC LL), supported by the Flemish Government. In addition she is a notable figure on various boards of directors within the cultural and creative sectors (CCS) in Flanders and Internationally, Prof. Schramme also contributes significantly to European expert groups and serves as an evaluator for Horizon Europe.
From 2013 to 2017, she chaired ENCATC, the European network for Cultural Management and Policy and she is the chair of the Strategic Advisory Council for Culture, Youth, Sports and Media of the Flemish Government and member of the Flemish Commission UNESCO in Belgium. Her research interests have recently concentrated on cultural governance and trust. This culminated in a global research project on governance across five continents, resulting in the publication "Cultural Governance in a Global Context: An International Perspective on Art Organizations" by Palgrave in 2019.
Avril Joffe
Avril Joffe is a Research Associate and former Head of Department for Cultural Policy and Management at the School of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand. With an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Sussex, she brings over thirty years of experience as a development economist specializing in arts and culture and the cultural and creative economies of Africa. As a dedicated educator and passionate lecturer her achievements include building the capacity of the Cultural Policy and Management department to offer courses and degrees at Honours, Masters and Doctoral levels in cultural entrepreneurship, cultural leadership, creative markets and audience engagement, and the complex intersection of culture, creativity and the economy.
Avril’s expertise extends beyond academia into policy development, organizational management, capacity building and evaluation of cultural and creative programmes. At Wits School of Arts, her research intersects the realms of cultural policy, cultural economy, informality, decent work and urban development across the African continent. Avril is a valued and recognized member of the UNESCO Expert Facility on Cultural Policy and Governance, the Global Creative Economy Council for the UK’s Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (the PEC) and the International Cultural Relations Research Alliance (ICCRA). She contributes significantly to international juries and adjudication panels and serves on the editorial boards of Public Humanities and the newly established African Journal of Creative Economy. She has served on the board of the National Arts Council in South Africa.
Throughout her career, Avril has been dedicated to understanding and enhancing the role of culture and creativity in socio-economic development, with a special focus on the intricate dynamics of urban environments, the informal cultural economy and cultural and creative work.
