Syndicate: Stockholm fragment 2: The Partnership for Culture Plan (TM)

[Tapio Makela <tapio@projekt.net>]

text narration: Andreas Broeckmann & the helping hands
delivery: Melentie Pandilovski


The Partnership for Culture Plan (TM)

This is a first draft of the Partnership for Culture Plan (TM). It is not a
product that will guarantee immediate return, but a concept and a series of
suggestions that we believe can pay off in the long term.

We are interested in developing a partnership with the most able players in
the market for cultural domination in the Baltic region. This plan contains
proposals which we would like to develop further with potential partners so
that they can be tailored to the needs and strengths of these Partners for
Culture (TM).

The main question behind this plan is something that should be the central
concern of our prospective partners. The question is, how to achieve
cultural supremacy in the Baltic Region.

This draft covers four main strategic areas - the mythology, politics,
economics and the cultural strategies of our Partnership for Culture Plan
(TM).


Mythology

First of all, you have to define an exportable national mythology.

It is of highest importance that you and your home population firmly
believe in this national myth, and that you are chauvinistic about it.

Use a symbolic language that is identifiably unique to your own cultural
context.

Rewrite the history of the region, and construct a joint history and
cultural heritage for the Baltic Region. Recover and invent old folk
customs. Create special funds that support research and performance
opportunities for the common heritage and folk culture of the Baltic Region.

Consider the definition of strong new enemies that binds your Partners for
Culture together.

We thought about the possibility of renaming the Baltic Sea into the
Danish, Lithuanian, or Swedish Sea, depending on who our partners are
eventually going to be. But we decided that it will be more effective to
change the name of your own country into The Baltic Republic, which can
thus become the model name and body politic for the entire region.


Politics

Harmonise your strategies on the economic, cultural and potentially
military field. Some of these harmonisation efforts can be supported by
corporate sponsorship, because your corporate partners will have the same
interest as you have.

Organise training courses to bring organisation and planning skills in the
region up or down to your own standards.

Make sure that you are in control of the conspiracy theories that circulate
about your activities.


Economy

Create the illusion of an improvement of the general standard of living
that is viewed as a result of your investment and generosity. One way of
doing this is creating economic incentives for flashy shops and the large
national retail chains to set up large shops in prominent locations all
over the region.

Use existing economic enterprises, especially your major national
companies, in your expansionist strategies.

Increase the open aggressiveness of your economic behaviour. Don't try to
be too nice al the time, it is mostly a sign of a lack of determination.


Culture

Create cultural centres all across the Baltic Region which not only
function as cultural centres, but which can also be useful in gathering
information and for economic representation in the different parts of the
regions.

Train cultural workers in military schools and introduce them to the basic
ideas of strategic warfare. Consider the integration of your military
bodies into the cultural industry.

Create a Trans-Baltic university that has its headquarters on your home
territory.

Pay great attention to the development of linguistic supremacy. One way of
doing this is to organise language courses in the region. Another important
strategy is the curroption of other languages through the introduction of
words and concepts that only exist in your own language.

When inviting your partners, make sure that they have a good time and get
drunk at the party. Generosity gives you high returns in the long run.

Last but not least, organise a series of large conferences for artists and
intellectuals from the whole region and make sure that the main idea of
your cultural mission is communicated to these ambassadors of your cause!


Contracts

We are selling this plan as a 50 year lease, after which period there is a
chance for renegotiating the terms of the agreement.

We guarantee the exclusivity of contracts in any one region within the term
of the lease.

This plan has been developed on the basis of the existence of a democratic,
pluralist and republican constitution. It is possible to adapt it to the
needs of partners who favour monarchic political structures, but we have
found that democracy is much easier to sell when you are looking at open
market models like our's.


If any of you are interested in entering negotiations about this plan,
please contact us after the end of these presentations.

Thank you for your attention.



Tapio Mäkelä
writer, critic, researcher, producer, X
Projektnet Ab Senior Project Manager <tapio@projekt.net>
projektnet www: http://www.projekt.net
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Address: Lapinrinne 4 D 30, 00180 Helsinki, Finland
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