Ministry of Culture and the OEI sign agreement to promote the creative economy

Santo Domingo.- The Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI) and the Ministry of Culture of the Dominican Republic have formalized a collaborative partnership to support the training of cultural managers. This initiative will be facilitated through the Ibero-American Institute of Training and Learning for the Cooperation of the OEI, fostering an exchange of experiences to enhance the cultural sector within the country.

The agreement, signed by the Secretary General of the OEI, Mariano Jabonero, and the Dominican Minister of Culture, Milagros Germán, at the General Secretariat of the organization in Madrid, outlines plans for cooperation. The focus is on supporting cultural managers’ education and exchanging experiences to bolster the nation’s cultural landscape.

The collaboration will extend to a proposal based on the Co.liga platform of the Roberto Merinho Foundation in alliance with the OEI in Brazil. This proposal aims to contribute to strengthening the creative economy and promoting social inclusion in the Dominican Republic.

Specifically, the agreement includes provisions for training young individuals facing economic and social vulnerability. Short-term self-training courses in five creative economy areas—heritage, music, visual arts, multimedia, and design—will be implemented. The objective is to develop transversal skills related to business initiative, cultural entrepreneurship, and the execution of cultural projects.

Additionally, the agreement entails the exchange of best practices and the mobility of authorities and technical teams from the Ministry of Culture. Their learning experiences will include studying inspiring museum practices in Brazil, such as those of the Rio de Janeiro Museum of Art (MAR), managed by the OEI since 2021. The initiative will also explore cultural spaces in Salvador de Bahía, such as the House of Music. This collaboration aims to establish networks that enhance cultural public policies, encourage artist exchanges, and support the creative community.

As part of the agreement, the OEI and the Ministry of Culture commit to collaborative efforts in generating shared knowledge. This includes preparing reports and studies, hosting forums and related events, as well as disseminating the acquired knowledge to benefit cultural development.