The winning logo was chosen by the public in an online poll which received more than 14,000 votes from 30 November to 31 December 2011.

Luncinda Creighton, Minister for European Affairs outlined some of promotional opportunities that the Presidency can create:

I am delighted that we now have a logo which forms an integral part of part of the development of a visual identity for Irelands Presidency. Work is underway on the development of the promotional aspects of the Presidency and securing the long-term benefits that can be accrued from getting this right.

To see the winning logo and to read the full official press release please click here.

Established in early summer 2011, the two-year mobility and artistic exchange dance programme E-MOTIONAL Bodies and Cities, supported by the EU Culture Programme 2007 - 2013, currently has an open call for mobility and networking grants. The E-Motional project aims to offer support to the development of new work by young and mid-career choreographers and is addressed to artists based in the 6 participating countries of the project: Romania, Cyprus, Ireland, Latvia, United Kingdom, and Turkey. and nbsp;

The project has now issued an open for appications for Mobility and Networking Grants:

Would you like to check out the local contemporary dance festivals in Bucharest, Dublin, Istanbul or London? Do you want to attend a dance platform in Riga? Would you care to discover the evolving Cypriot dance scene? Do you need money to visit a partner/ artist to start up a new collaboration? Do you want to learn more about the E-motional Bodies and Cities project and participate in the final festival/forum in Romania?

The grants are open to contemporary dance professionals from the 6 participating countries. Grants are intended to enable applicants to visit and attend specific events such as festivals, workshops, international seminars and network meetings taking place in the project countries. The deadline for applications is 29 February 2012.

Full details of the grants, including applications can be found here.

2012 is the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. Europeans are living longer and staying healthier than ever before - and the year seeks to address the opportunities that this represents.

Active ageing can give the baby-boom generation and tomorrows older adults the opportunity to:

• stay in the workforce and share their experience
• keep playing an active role in society
• live as healthy and fulfilling lives as possible
  

It is also key to maintaining solidarity between generations in societies with rapidly increasing numbers of older people.

The European Year seeks to raise awareness of the issues and the best ways of dealing with them. But most of all it seeks to encourage all policymakers and stakeholders to set themselves goals and take action to meet them. 2012 should go beyond debating; it should start bringing tangible results.

There are national initiatives planned in each country. You can read about the Irish initiative here.

You can visit the official website for the year here.

Under strand 1.3.5 the Culture Programme supports cultural cooperation projects aimed at cultural exchanges between the countries taking part in the Programme and Third Countries, which have concluded association or cooperation agreements with the EU.

The action must generate a concrete international cooperation dimension. The cooperation projects must and nbsp;involve at least three cultural operators, from at least three eligible countries and cultural cooperation with at least one organisation from the selected Third Country and/or involve cultural activities carried out in the selected Third Country.

Every year one or more Third Country(ies) is selected for that particular year.
The Third Country for the 2012 deadline (4 May 2012) is South Africa followed by Canada and Australia for 2013.

For more information on cultural cooperation projects with third countries, including guidelines and application documents please click here.

The second edition of the European Forum on Music and nbsp;entitled and quot;Transcending Boundaries - Building Bridges and quot; will take place from 19 to 22 April 2012 in Istanbul Turkey. Through workshops, plenary discussions and presentations, participants will explore the physical obstacles hindering musical exchange in Europe as well as discuss the role which music can play in overcoming borders - be it geographical, cultural or generational. The Forum will be an opportunity not only for dialogue and networking, but a chance for participants to be inspired by each other and by the vibrant city of Istanbul, with its diverse musical traditions.

Registration is open here.

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In 2007 the Ministry of Culture in China and the European Commission signed a joint declaration to reinforce cooperation in the field of culture. The first discussions began in 2008 and the decision to organise an EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue in October 2010 at an EU-China Summit.

The official launch of the Year will be held in Brussels on 1 February 2012. A one-day conference on cultural cooperation and intercultural dialogue with China will be organised on 2 February. Watch this space for further details.

While there will be no calls for proposals for financing events or initiatives, the EU Commission will mobilise internal resources. The Commission is also developing communication tools for the year: a website for the year will be launched and a logo has been designed and agreed on with the Chinese partner.

The involvement of cultural operators is seen by the Commission as crucial for the success of the year. The Commission will aim at giving extra visibility to relevant activities in the EU and/or China. This will be accomplished through labelling of events.

For more details on the year please visit the dedicated website for the year which will be live from mid-January: http://bit.ly/rOB8Fo