The word "multiculturalism" is used frequently by politicians, activists, commentators, and journalists, but with little agreement on how it should be understood and applied. The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is therefore pleased to announce a forthcoming evening event that will use the case study of The Swedish Year of Multiculturalism 2006 to explore the concept of multiculturalism and what it means in a globalised world.

Program

11:00		"The Swedish Year of Multi-Culturalism 2006: Aims and Review" (Presentation)
		Speaker: Yvonne Rock (National Coordinator for the Year of Multi-Culturalism 2006)
		Location: The ICD House of Arts & Culture
11:30		"Understanding Multi-Culturalism: Diversity in, and Access to, European Cultural Life" (Panel Discussion)
		Speakers: Yvonne Rock, Ulrike Holmgaard (Cultural Attache of the Swedish Embassy in Berlin), Mark Donfried (Founder & Director of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy), Karl-Erik Norrman tbc* (Former Head of Culture at the Swedish Foreign Office)
		Location: The ICD House of Arts & Culture

Background Information

The Swedish Year of Multiculturalism in 2006 was a government initiative that aimed to increase the opportunities for people of different cultural background and sexual orientation to participate in Swedish cultural life. The government initiative focused around ensuring that state-sponsored cultural institutions both reflected and represented the cultural diversity that exists in modern day Sweden.

Yvonne Rock, born in Stockholm, was one of the founders of Västanå Theatre (1979-1995) and the theater's administrative director. Following that, in 1995-1999, Mrs. Rock was one of the initiators of The Jewish Theatre in Stockholm and again worked there as an administrative director. She also was a consultant for Margot Wallström during her period as Culture Minister. Furthermore, Mrs Rock was the project manager for the opening of the "Holocaust conference" that was led by the Prime Minister Göran Persson, as well as "An evening for Anna Lindh" at the Stockholm City Theatre 2004, and the opening for "The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union" 2009. Currently Mrs. Rock is working as a consultant for the Stockholm City Theatre, by the Foundation of the Culture of the Future and by Region Värmland. Current commissions as board of directors include organizations as Västanå Theatre, Orion Theatre and Botkyrka Community Dance Theatre.

Ulrika Holmgaard, born in Eskilstuna, was the managing director of Scenit Production Company for arts and theatre projects and for independent groups of theaters that she started in 1994. Mrs. Holmgaard undertook the mission to create new youth activities at the Stockholm City Theatre, which resulted in Lava, opening in September 1996. Furthermore, Mrs. Holmgaard was the initiator of Backstage 1997, a side stage for a young audience at the Stockholm City Theatre. She was working with different stage-art projects before and during the Swedish Year of Culture in 1998 and was recruited to the Royal Dramatic Theatre in 2000. Mrs. Holmgaard went to the first "Women Leadership within Stage-art Education" which ran for a year, arranged by the Theatre Association and the Swedish Stage-art. Since 2007 she has been head of the culture department at the Swedish Embassy in Berlin.

For further information, please contact Event Coordinator Jonna Amanda Rock at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy under: rockculturaldiplomacyorg