Ministry of Culture

Urban and Rural Development

The Spheres of Culture Project

I. Origin of the Project

Cultural foresight is very much shaped by the rooting of culture. With the core concept of "the greater the foundation, the greater the foresight” in mind, the Ministry of Culture (MOC) has constructed a forward-looking infrastructure development program defined by the tenets of rooting of history, locale and content. A special budget of NT $15.8 billion will be allocated over a four-year period between 2017 and 2021 under the urban-rural development project of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program to promote The Spheres of Culture Project. It is anticipated to construct spheres of culture through the preservation of culture and the enhancement of local cultural public services and drive urban and rural development through improved cultural governance.

II. Project Vision and Objectives

The Spheres of Culture Project will, based on the cultural characteristics within the spheres, start from the perspective of the re-use of idle space and activation of cultural resources, and then set about reinvigorating regional cultural heritage, upgrading cultural facilities and constructing Taiwanese art history; all of this is aimed at providing high-quality regional cultural services, realizing cultural equality and enriching the cultural lives of citizens.

III. Implementation Methods and Strategies

(1) Cultural Preservation:

Through the reconstruction of diverse historical memory, the Project intends to open up new links and dialogue with contemporary life to then mold awareness of the preservation of cultural heritage and achieve the objective of supplementing local cultural life, urban and rural appearance and economic development with culture at the core; expression will be given to historical fields and the four key concepts of Governance Thinking of Cultural Heritage Overall Strategy, Cultural Ecology Restoration Using Processes to Drive Facilities, A Citizen’s Cultural Heritage Movement and The Link Between Memory and Contemporary Requirements will be reconstructed.

(2) Rebuilding Taiwanese Art History:

Through nationwide survey, collection and reorganization, the history and archives of Taiwanese art that had been neglected in the past will be rebuilt. Drawing on the history of Taiwanese literature and historical experiences in everyday life built up by the government over a long period in the past, the histories of Taiwanese fine arts, visual images, crafts and music will be systematically reconstructed, to then conjoin these with local history and knowledge and revitalize the regions.

(3) Local Venue Upgrades:

On the basis of the Ministry of Culture's Joint Development Program of Museums, Local Cultural Centers and of Local Culture, the scope of guidance for museums and local cultural centers in the towns and counties across the island will be further expanded and their collections, services and sustainability enhanced. Space and function will be further improved according to the position and development needs of local art galleries; guidance will be provided for the establishment of a research mechanism for their collections, which will be combined with the promotion of local art education. Additionally, existing local arts and cultural exhibition venues will receive assistance to upgrade their equipment (processes and facilities) which will extend to the renovation and support of such town and county-based arts, cultural and performance venues. Additionally, assistance will be given for the development of local cultural characteristics and to jointly enhance the professionalism and sustainable long-term operation of museums. This is intended to deepen and implement equal rights for all citizens, thus enabling people to be part of an uninterrupted artistic and cultural experience.

(4) Cultural Activities with Local Characteristics:

Urban and rural governments will be assisted in shaping their local artistic and cultural characteristics and constructing international recognition value to cultivate a better appreciation of art and culture by the general public and arts professionals alike. Furthermore, multiple resources will be connected under the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, with the highlighting of local cultural characteristics as the central agenda. Various arts and cultural activities will also be promoted and the level of arts and cultural venues raised to further drive the rooting of culture and increase the momentum of the arts and cultural industries.

More information is available from the Executive Yuan's English site.