Culture Meeting Point

International Centre for Composers. In the last few years, we have seen the re-establishment of contact between neighbouring countries in many different areas, including politic, in trade and industry, tourism, environmental matters and education -and not least, in the newly-created cultural exchanges.

In 1996, the Gotland School of Music Composition organised a week of composition called "Young Composers in the Baltic Region" in which representatives from all Baltic countries participated.

One of the principal ideas was to discuss questions concerning composers, and to put the spotlight on new music. Another aim was to discuss establishing an "International Centre for Composers" a meeting-point for composers in the Baltic Region. In November 1999 Visby International Centre for Composers was officially established.

Visby International Centre for Composers (VICC) aims to:

• be a place of work as well as a place of meeting for composers,
• work in the field for Contemporary Music via concerts, conferences, seminars, educational and co-operational projects,
• make a fruitful resource for schools of Music Composition and other institutions and centres in the field of art.,
• within its activities be responsible for the Electro-Acoustic Music Studio in close co-operation with schools of Music Composition on Gotland,
• support the creation of an international Score-& Phonogram Library. Please visit: www.centreforcomposers.org

BAC. The Baltic Art Centre in Visby started up its activities from this year, with support from the Swedish Ministry of Culture and the Gotland Municipality.

There is a long-term goal to establish the Gotland Island as a cultural meeting place in the Baltic region. In the harbour area of Visby especially there has been large-scale development for the new Gotland University College and a number of cultural and educational institutions.

The Centre has been involved in the UBC project N.E.W.S. and the final exhibition in Visby this summer.

Since the Baltic Art Centre this year is waiting for its premises to be renovated, the main part of its activities has been done in collaboration with, or "c/o" other institutions.

The Baltic Art Centre co-operates with the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators and the Visby International Centre for Composers as local hosts for an EU conference in March 2001 about Artists living conditions in Europe. Please visit: www.balticartcenter.com