London Festival Of Europe 2008

Download the full program pdf (841k)

Thursday, 6th of March

OPENING LECTURE: Bernard Stiegler

Towards a European Way of Life

Bernard Stiegler is a philosopher and director of the Centre for Cultural Development at the Centre Pompidou, Paris. He has written extensively about the importance of the arts in our mastering contemporary technologies, and actively campaigns for new forms of democracy.
The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception.
In collaboration with the Chelsea Critical Practice group

6.30pm / Free Lecture Theatre,Chelsea College of Art, 16 John

Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU

Friday, 7th of March

Visions Of Portugal

with the support of the Calouste Gulbenkian foundation

Fernando pessoa: European Modernist or postmodernist?

Mysterious Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa is one of the pivotal intellectual figures of the twentieth century. Celebrated translator Richard Zenith will lecture on Pessoa in the European context and recite selected poetry accompanied by a contemporary composition on the cello by Vicky Steiri.

Followed by the screening of a selection of contemporary video-art from Portugal and a reception.

Friday 7th March / 6.30pm / Free

St Peter’s Church, Vere Street (just off Oxford Street, Bond Street Tube) London, W1G 0DQ

Saturday, 8th of March

Slightly Smaller than indiana by daniel blaufuks

An artistic road-movie through Portugal, asking whether the contemporary landscape is becoming unrecognisable, as if it were a postcard. Followed by a debate on contemporary Portugal with the Director.

78 minutes, 2006

Saturday 8th March / 2.00pm / Free
St Peter’s Church, Vere Street (just off Oxford Street, Bond Street tube)
London W1G 0DQ

Sunday, 9th of March

Democracy in Europe at the 50th Anniversary of the European parliament

One year before European Parliamentary elections, and with the Reform Treaty proposing some changes to the democratic arrangements of the EU, experts on the state of democracy come together for a key-note debate.

Brendan Donnelly is Director of the Federal Trust for education and research
Maurice Fraser is 'a senior teaching fellow at the European Institute, LSE
John Palmer is a fellow of the Federal Trust, on the advisory board of the European Policy Centre, and former Europe editor at the Guardian In partnership with the LSE European Institute, the Federal Trust and the European Movement

Sunday 9th March / 8.00pm / Free

Old Theatre, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE

Tuesday 11th March

Jan patocka and the idea of Europe

A debate on the thought and legacy of Czech dissident Jan Patocka, the most important philosopher to have theorised the idea of Europe after the world wars, and founder of Charter 77.

Ivan Chvatik, Director Patocka Archives Prague
Ludger Hagedorn, Patocka research project, IWM Vienna

In collaboration with the Czech Centre London and the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies

Tuesday 11th March/ 6pm / Free
Room 347, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies,
16 Taviton Street, London, WE1H 0BT

Wednesday 12th March

Human Rights and Europe

In the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the year of the potential ratification of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights what is the status of human rights discourse in Europe? How is this discourse expressed in Europe’s international actions?

Roger Smith, Director of Justice
Gilbert Achcar, is a Lebanese-French academic, writer, and activist and current professor at SOAS
Oscar Guardiola-Rivera,is a social activist and theorist teaching at Birkbeck University

This event forms part of an ongoing project of European Alternatives.

In partnership with UCL European Society

Wendesday 12th March /7pm /Free
ROOM 106, Roberts Building at UCL, Malet Place (near Torrington Place) See map here.
Nearest tube stations: Euston Station and Euston Square Station.

View Map Click here

Friday 14th March

Mediterranean suggestions

A reading focussed on the reality of the Mediterranean by Maltese author Adrian Grima and Italian author Valerio Cruciani, Portuguese poet Casimiro De Brito and Moroccan poet Hassan el Ouazzani, accompanied by live music and followed by a reception. Don’t miss Mediterraneo: a sea that Unites, an exhibition by aritsts of the Mediterranean Coastal States at the Italian Cultural Institute until March 25th.

Full programme online: Click here

Support by the Arts Council of England / In collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute
Friday 14th March / 6.00pm / Free
Italian Cultural Institute, 39 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8NX

Saturday 15th March

Hungary Day : Revolutionary Poetry Reading

160 years ago the young poet Sándor Petőfi led the Hungarian Revolution.
A poetry recital and a celebration featuring Fiona Sampson, István Kemény, Tamás Jónás and Peter Zilahy.
In collaboration with the Hungarian Cultural Institute

Saturday 15th March / 5.00pm / Free
Hungarian Cultural Institute, 10 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden,
London WC2E 7NA

Saturday 15th March

European Feminist Summit

An international summit discussing the status of contemporary feminism,
the role of arts and media and the participation of women in business and politics. Participants include: Heleen Mees, Claire Fox, Peter Tatchell, Dominique de la Garanderie, Rosalind Gill, Claudia Pampinella, Producer, Member of L'Altravista, Rome and finally Mo Thorp, Subjectivity and Feminism group, Chelsea College of Arts

This summit is the launch of the European Alternatives Future of Feminism

Full programme online: Click here

Free and open to all

Hampstead Town Hall, 213 Haverstock Hill (Belsize Park tube)
London NW3 4QP
Saturday 15 March 2.30pm-5.30pm
Registration from 2pm, Reception to follow

Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th March

Making Europe Dream: A Cultural Congress

The European community will only be built as an imaginative community. The responsibility of the artist is to ensure this community maintains its openness and diversity, whilst still giving itself value. This congress brings to London writers, artists, musicians, philosophers, filmmakers and others to discuss the future of the arts in Europe.

Full programme online: Click here

Venue: Banqueting Hall, Chelsea College of the
Arts, 16 John Islip Street,
London, SW1P 4JU

Daytime Workshops

12.30pm – 4.30pm Saturday
1pm – 4pm Sunday
Including a special intervention coordinated by Critical
Practice group. FREE and open to all, registration required: Click here to email and confirm registration

Evening Debates

FREE and open to all, no registration required

Saturday 15th March

On the Idea of Europe in the Arts
Hans Ulrich Obrist chairs an open roundtable with several
artists and writers on their conception of Europe.
5.00pm / Free

Sunday 16th March

For a European Cultural Movement
Might a strong cultural engagement with the reality and future of Europe lead to a radically re-conceptualised understanding of the unification project?

With Gianni Vattimo, philosopher and former MEP, University of Turin
5.30pm / Free

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