The project aims to create a multilateral training platform designed to enhance cross-border cooperation skills among cultural operators. It foresees the participation of cultural practitioners from Poland, Ukraine, EU countries, and the Balkans. A particular focus is placed on supporting Ukraine, addressing the needs arising from the war, while at the same time creating a favorable environment for networking, mutual learning, and experience exchange with partners from the EU (Belgium, Poland) and the Western Balkans.
Building on the 35 years of experience of the Marcel Hicter Association in running the European Diploma in Cultural Project Management training program, as well as previous successful collaborations between the project partners within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, the consortium will develop a two-stage training program. This program will be tailored to the realities of wartime Ukraine, the challenges of EU accession faced by the Western Balkans, and the needs of professionals from the culturally diverse landscape of contemporary Europe who seek to engage in cultural cooperation and exchange projects. Participants will be individuals actively seeking training that provides them with skills essential for career development, particularly in cross-border cooperation.
A group of cultural experts from across Europe – especially from Ukraine and Poland – will deliver training sessions focusing on the following issues:
Disintegration of the cultural sector – geographical, institutional, and emotional.
Professional burnout and loss of motivation – resilience, the need for regeneration, renewal, and rebuilding relationships.
Gaps in international cooperation and project development skills – particularly in terms of access to EU programs and funds.
Limited fundraising capacities.
Lack of tools and experience in inclusive and participatory practices – urgent need for training in cultural accessibility and community outreach.
Growing demand for ethical reflection and social responsibility, including labor rights, organizational culture, and audience engagement.
Rising awareness of ecological responsibility, also in the context of limited resources for implementing sustainable practices.
Imbalance between professional and private life, especially among women and caregivers balancing professional, personal, and social roles.
Linguistic and ideological tensions, intensified by the war, requiring new skills in dialogue, mediation, and trust-building.
Official project title: A New Perspective and Strengthening East–West Cultural Cooperation
Organizer: Marcel Hicter Foundation
Partners: Cultural Centre in Lublin, Institute of Cultural Strategy in Lviv
