Shaping Cultural Policies in Europe for Free and Democratic Societies

Europe faces significant challenges: the evolving East-West relationship presents a multitude of perspectives that require fresh solutions, with diverse international voices within and outside our societies increasingly calling for greater participation. The security policy needs for a united Europe are growing, while divisive tendencies that challenge the European idea and democratic values are intensifying, leading to fragmentation and polarisation across the continent.

Right-wing populist parties, in particular, are gaining in importance and forming networks. Alongside this shift there is an unwavering, group-centred, exclusionary understanding of culture, prompting crucial questions: How can the cultural sector contribute to the strengthening of European democracies? What past failures and errors need to be acknowledged? How can cultural venues, as third places, contribute to fostering the process of cultural negotiations? The planned dialogue forum – which is organised in cooperation with the UNESCO Chair ‘Cultural Policies for the Arts and Transformation’ at the University of Hildesheim and the ifa - Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen – aims to promote the networking of European cultural professionals, facilitating collaborative efforts to find democratic solutions to the challenges arising from ongoing transformation processes.

Partners: University of Hildesheim – UNESCO Chair “Cultural Policies for the Arts and Transformation”; ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen