The University of Oviedo holds today and tomorrow a European Conference on Culture and Development, which brings together, at the Historic Building, experts in cultural management and economics for analyzing the potential of the economic development of the cultural industry and its equipment.

The Vice-Rector for University Extension and Communication, Vicente Domínguez, and the Professor and coordinator of the conference, Juan Prieto-Rodríguez, opened this morning the international encounter, which counted, besides, with the broadcasting of a video with support messages from the Members of the European Parliament, Antonio Masip and Salvador Garriga.

Vicente Domínguez stated that "in times of economic crisis, which usually entails a crisis of values, it urges that the public institutions organize cultural activities". For his part, Juan Rodríguez showed his gratitude for the work and efforts taken by all members of the network and highlighted the importance of the European funds in cultural activities.

The conference will developed as part of a European projects led by the Asturian academic institution and entitled Evaluation of efficient tools for improving cultural participation, which aims to apply methodologies and strictly economic thesis to cultural management. It is a collaboration with the Trinity College of Dublin, the University of Catania, the University of the Basque Country and the Free University of Brussels, under the coordination of the University of Oviedo.

Each of these members has added to the project a cultural institution from their geographical area such as the Cultural Municipal Foundation of Avilés, the Contemporary Art Museum of Navarra MUN, the National Library of Ireland, the Assoziacione Culturale Zo de Catania and the music festival Ars Musica of Belgium.

The conference will include two lectures on tourism and culture. In the first one, Tiziana Cuccia, from the University of Catania, will analyze the tourist impact of the recognition as World's Heritage of specific monuments. Concertta Castiglione, from the Trinity College of Dublin, will analyze how tourism is attracted by cultural activities. A third lecture will deal with creative clusters and will be given by Karol Borowiechi, from the Trinity College of Dublin.

Likewise, the sessions will include round tables. The first one, entitled "Developing new public for the cultural sector" will count with the participation of the General and Artistic Director of The Opera of Oviedo, Javier Menéndez; Sydney Borjas, from the SGAE; Jorge Otero, from Stormy Monday, and Dusty Roses Productions.

The second round table will be entitled "Culture and urban development" and will count on Beatriz Plaza-Inchausti (University of the Basque Country), Fernando Morollón (University of Oviedo), Luis César Herrero Prieto (University of Valladolid) and Benjamin Weil (Director of Laboral Art and Industrial Creation Centre).

For 15 years, a research group of the Faculty of Economics and Business has worked with the analysis and study of the management in the cultural sector for making it more efficient and effective economically speaking.