Forward

The presentation of the Draft National Cultural Policy 2010 is a milestone for our society . The Policy
is based on a number of guiding principles . Foremost among these are the empowerment of people
to participate actively in the realm of culture, the provision of full accessibility, the mainstreaming
of culture in all relevant public policies, the creation of further opportunities for development and
sustainability, as well as the constant move towards the achievement of excellence in the Arts .

Defining culture is not an easy task . As Raymond Williams in ‘Keywords’ stated: ‘culture is one of the
two or three most complicated words in the English language’ . This document does not attempt to
give a definition of culture . It looks at the cultural sphere from many different facets . This policy is
addressed to all interested parties . Ownership must belong to all of them .

Our country’s greatest assets are its human resources, the innovation and creativity that have
given birth to a rich cultural heritage which has grown, over time, into an outstanding national
patrimony . In current times, there is a visible and tangible growth in the cultural sector, which is
also contributing to the growth of our economy .

This policy is not cast in stone . In itself it is a simple outline, based on guidelines that need to evolve
and mature. A great deal depends on the feedback of interested parties . It is this feedback that will
finally shape our National Culture Policy .

Hon. Dolores Cristina
Minister for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport