Welcome to the inaugural ACORNS for 2017! While we were away, there were a number of new appointments in the sector: the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture has announced Mrs Rima Mismar as its new Executive Director; Kristjan Thor Júlíusson has taken office as the Minister of Culture, Iceland; the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Philippines has announced the appointment of poet, literary historian and National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario as its new Chairperson; and in Romania, Ionut Vulpescu has been appointed Minister for the new Ministry of Culture and National Identity.

For those seeking fresh adventures in 2017, there are a number of international opportunities that could make for an interesting and productive year. Acción Cultural Española are calling for applications to their visitors programme which invites professionals and programmers in the fields of arts and culture to Spain to establish networks and experience the sector first-hand; the Ministry of Culture and Communication in France are calling for applications for their upcoming seminar designed to develop professional networks between France and other countries; and if you are after a more cerebral adventure, ENCATC are seeking submissions for the 7th volume of their Journal of Cultural Management and Policy, which stimulates debates on topics of cultural management and policy among scholars, educators, policy makers and cultural managers.

As always, if you have resources or news stories that should be shared with the IFACCA network, send your suggestions to [email protected].

Read the full newsletter

ACORNS is our bilingual digest of the latest arts and cultural policy news. Each fortnight, we publish the editorial section online. For ACORNS direct to your inbox, just subscribe.