Cultural cooperation
Cultural cooperation between Italy and Venezuela is ruled by the Agrrement on Scientific Collaboration, subscribed on April 1st 1987, and the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation, signed on October 17 1990.
The Agreement on Cultural Cooperation includes intense collaboration in the artistic field among Institutes and Associations within the sectors of the music, dance, visual arts, theater, and cinema, through the development of joint projects, artists exchange and the reciprocal participation in shows, film reviews, and festivals. Within such framework there is the Italian Festival, promotional initiative organized by the Italian Institute for Foreign Commerce together with the Embassy of Italy and thanks to the support of the major Italian Enterprises in Venezuela. The Festival is composed by dozens of events, shows, art fairs, film reviews, fashion shows, wine tasting, gastronomic festivals, and scientific and entrepreneurial meetings.
Teaching of Italian language is guaranteed by the presence of a consistent number of private Venezuelan schools and institutions, where Italian language courses and Italian literature are active. Other similar courses are organized sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Associations.
Since 2002, the Italian Government has become the promoter for a provision which makes it mandatory to teach Italian as a second language in a consistent number of public and private schools within the Country.
Another objective of the abovementioned Agreements is the interuniversity collaboration. In fact, many conventions have been put forward for the cultural and didactic exchange among the main Venezuelan and Italian Universities (http://accordi-internazionali.cineca.it/).
The cultural activities are normally performed by the Italian Cultural Institute in Caracas, which works under the Coordination of the Embassy together with the cooperation of the Italian Institute for Foreign Commerce and the Consulates (for the accomplishment of cultural initiatives in favor of the Italian fellow countrymen in Venezuela).
For further and more detailed information see the Italian Cultural Institute website: www.iiccaracas.esteri.it
Italian Diplomatic Network
©2004