The issue of cultural diversity – which at the international level has for years been an important point of reference in cultural policy debates – increasingly affects also German cultural policy as well as the work and future of German theatres. In the last 15 years, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has been successful at increasing pressure on nation states to dismantle so-called trade barriers and to further privatise public goods by concluding trade agreements such as TTIP. This has also affected the preservation of cultural diversity.
The ITI – German Centre represents the ITI World Organisation, which is the only international theatre NGO with the right to speak at the intergovernmental negotiation sessions of UNESCO at the meetings of the Intergovernmental Committee on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of UNESCO.
In various position papers, statements and reports with recommendations from civil society organisations, the ITI explicitly advocates for cultural diversity.
The German ITI centre is involved in both the Federal Coalition for Cultural Diversity, which is coordinated by the German UNESCO Commission, and in the German Cultural Council.
Forderungen des ITI zu den TTIP-Verhandlungen (2014) (ITI's demands on the TTIP negotiations, only available in German)
Global Report 2018 (periodic national report of UNESCO) on the implementation of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
UNESCO Report of Civil Society Organisations (2017), with the cooperation of ITI
UNESCO Report of Civil Society Organisations (2019), with the cooperation of ITI
Reader Kulturelle Vielfalt (Cultural Diversity, only available in German) of the The European Secretariat of German Culture NGOs (2005), released by the ITI – German Centre
Kulturelle Vielfalt in der Diskussion (Cultural Diversity in discussion, only available in German) (2015), continuation of the reader from 2005
World Performing Arts Capital is a title, bestowed by both UNESCO and ITI to a city in recognition of the quality of its programs to support and promote the performing arts and education in this sector. The designation runs for one year. The creation of the World Performing Arts Capital was approved by UNESCO during its General Assembly in 2013. In 2019, Shanghai (China) and Wroclaw (Poland) have been named as the first two Performing Arts Capitals.