BAM, Institute for visual, audio-visual and media arts

On Monday 17 December 2007 the IAK and IBK support centres for Audio Visual Arts, and Visual Arts respectively, will be launching a new merged support group in Gent:

In January 2007 Bert Anciaux, the Flemish Minister for Culture, Youth, Sport and Brussels –announced that the support centres for Audio Visual Arts and Visual Arts would be merged into one large support centre: BAM, Institute for visual, audio-visual and media arts. Armed with a new plan of action and a range of ambitious goals, the aim of BAM is to give a new impetus to the three visual, audio-visual and media arts sectors.

What is BAM?
The BAM institute is the Flemish support centre for visual, audio-visual and media arts. BAM acts as an intermediary structure between sectors and policies. BAM is an independent institute with a thorough knowledge of both sectors and policies. With this knowledge, it is able to provide information, promote development, co-operation and networking – both within the field as well as beyond borders reaching other disciplines and sectors – and creating dialogue with the different government bodies.
BAM is not a lobbying group and, unlike the government, it is not a channel for grants.

BAM informs, documents, stimulates and researches.
BAM provides knowledge and information to people and organisations to enable them to work professionally as well as documenting the different players and practices out in the field. In order to circulate this information and documentation as efficiently and as widely as possible, BAM works with the sectors building all sorts of instruments such as web platforms and online databanks.
BAM also encourages different debates on the subject of supporting creativity for instance, on positioning and shared networking or on the importance of memory and reflection. BAM encourages international co-operation and new possibilities for working on public and educational projects. And finally it creates a host of new opportunities for the arts by entering a dialogue on social themes such as cultural diversity and e-culture and with other sectors such as science and technology, education and economy.

In order to fulfil this role of pacesetter and catalyst, BAM carries out practical research into the different players and the roles they play. Research, analysis and dialogue thus help to keep the support going over the short and long term and to ensure the continued development of the different fields of work and policy as well as ensuring that these are socially integrated.

New themes and focuses
In BAM’s 2008-2009 policy plan, specific focus is laid on research and deliberation. BAM is preparing a series of new publications and research papers. The most important areas that will be covered are:
- International projects: initiatives to improve awareness of the Flemish arts scene internationally, to support Flemish creators and organisations through international networking, to discover the wealth of cultural exchange and to build up durable international contacts;
- Policy plan visual arts: an initiative of the Agency for Arts and Heritage in co-operation with the support centre to write an integrated account of visual arts, the different players and networks within and outside the sector. This project includes an analysis of the environment, a long-term vision and policy recommendations;
- AV mapping: a quality picture of the audio-visual arena in Flanders today and tomorrow. A research project that will be completed in 2008 and for which a paper will be published;
- Cinema in transition: a series of workshops and a reader with translated key texts about new forms of storytelling, new forms of distribution, new business models in cinema influenced by technology;
- BAM also plans to focus on a number of social themes such as cultural diversity, art and media, the relationship between science and technology, art and economy, etc.

New web platforms and databanks
In order to ensure efficient and wide circulation of information and documentation, BAM has built an extensive selection of instruments such as publications, databanks, web platforms and newsletters. The separate websites of IAK and IBK have been merged into a new portal site: www.bamart.be. In close consultation with the sector a number of new online initiatives have been expanded as well as platforms and databanks all of which should ensure improved distribution of information and documentation. Here are a few examples:
- AV Online, an online information and meeting platform for audio-visual professionals in Flanders. AV Online comprises a contact databank (AV Data) and a communal news platform (AV News);
- Digital Platform, a databank for media arts, has been completed and given a make-over. This databank is the basis for building an online community where the art, science and technology sectors can meet;
- E-culture weblog, an online information platform about e-culture with information, essays, practical examples and news about research and policy; in co-operation with the support centres for the arts, heritage and libraries.

BAM, new house style and website
Sara De Bondt was commissioned for the design concept of BAM. She had already worked on the creative concept for the Wiels arts centre among others.
The new portal site www.bamart.be was created by Système-D, who also created the new IBK site last year.
The new www.digitaalplatform.be site is a co-operation between BAM, Système-D and the KHLim, Media and Design Academy in Genk.
For the production of AV Online, BAM worked together with Ben Fenster and Rekall Design.

More information
For an appointment with Dirk De Wit, the speakers of the keynote speeches on 17 December (Peter Buckingham and Pascal Gielen) or for more information, please contact:

Eva Peeters
Tel 09/267.90.40
E-mail: eva@ibknet.be

Greet Halsberghe
Tel 09/267.90.45
E-mail: info@ibknet.be

BAM, Institute for visual, audio-visual and media arts
Bijlokekaai 7d, 9000 Gent
www.bamart.be
With the support of the Flemish Government