Large-scale demonstration: Free education for all!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 5 p.m. Unirampe Main University Vienna

__/Press release
__/Cultural Council Austria

Whose university? Our university! Art, culture and media professionals support protests for a good
education system! Education system!

http://kulturrat.at

Research and teaching, science and art are free - at least that's what the constitution says. It was never quite a reality. After decades of open formulation, however, it has now even reached the point of being openly contradicted: What is paid for is what is economically profitable. The rest is free - from financing.

It is no coincidence that the current protests started at an art academy. The effects of neoliberal transformations can be seen in a specific way in the cultural field, which is already an experimental field of increasing precarization. This is also the case in artistic education: The massive restrictions on freedom of establishment for artists and academics are one thing. The application of the so-called full legal capacity rules in the university organization laws is another. The responsible ministers have the law behind them: in the event of non-compliance or resistance to the government line, there is simply no money.

The government argues with the Bologna Process, whose actual goals are thwarted by the concrete effects of the "reforms" themselves. In fact, it legitimizes and accelerates the economization, hierarchization and precarization of those working at universities. At the same time, there will be drastic cuts in working conditions and wages throughout the entire education system - and not just here.

It is high time to fend off the attacks on public infrastructure that are being made with reference to the "crisis". It is high time for universities to achieve democratic self-government: Students, mid-level faculty, professors and non-academic staff should be able to decide together what happens at universities. We support the demands of the academy members, the Audimax occupiers, and in particular the feminist, anti-sexist Frauen-AG, and call for participation in today's demonstration!

__/ Large demonstration: Free education for all!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 5 p.m.
Unirampe main university Vienna

__/ Statement: General social and demands
http://www.malen-nach-zahlen.at/wp-content/uploads/SgEF_01.pdf
(Drafted and democratically voted on by teachers and students of the University of Vienna and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna on October 27, 2009.)

__/ Links
http://www.unsereuni.at
http://www.malen-nach-zahlen.at
http://www.freiebildung.at
http://www.unigrazgehoertuns.org

_______/ Supported by:

Depot - Art and Discussion
eipcp - European Institute for Progressive Cultural Policies
FOKUS - Research Association for Cultural Economics and Cultural Policy
Studies
IG Visual Arts
IG Independent Theater
IG Culture Austria
consortium.net.culture
Cultural Council Austria
Kulturrisse - magazine for radical democratic cultural policy
Bildpunkt editorial office
Secession
Translators' Association
Education and Future Association
World-Information Institute

_______/ Initiated by: Austrian Cultural Council

_______/ Contact

Cultural Council Austria
Gumpendorfer Str. 63b
A-1060 Vienna

contact(at)kulturrat.at
http://kulturrat.at