Participants in the “Eurocities Culture Forum” in Gothenburg discussed how cities can make use of the potential of art and culture to strengthen democratic resilience. Representatives from Lublin also attended the meeting.
The Eurocities Culture Forum is a space for exchanging experience among those who are responsible for culture in European cities – representatives of local governments, cultural institutions, organizations and the creative sector. The Eurocities network brings together over 200 cities from 38 countries, and Lublin has been a full member since 2004.
This year’s edition was held under the slogan “Freedom of expression in a new era: cities, culture & democratic resilience”. It focused on freedom of expression and the role of cities and culture in strengthening democratic values. Among other things, the participants debated on artistic freedom, cultural rights, access to culture and civic engagement. There was also an opportunity to have a conversation about the role of cultural institutions in protecting European values at a time when those values are increasingly being challenged or even threatened in many countries.
The Forum’s programme included debates and presentations on the experiences of European cities, study visits to Gothenburg’s cultural institutions, and meetings of Eurocities working groups that were dedicated to topics such as culture in public space, inclusion and cultural management.
For Lublin, the European Capital of Culture 2029, participating in the Forum was an opportunity to exchange experience with representatives of other European cities, establish new contacts and discuss cooperation on international cultural projects.
Beyond this, there was also another important aspect of the visit. Lublin plans to take steps towards organising the Eurocities Culture Forum in 2029, as a part of the celebrations of the ECoC. Therefore, this year’s meeting allowed us to directly examine the format of the event, its structure, the way in which sessions and networking meetings were conducted, the use of municipal cultural institutions and the presentation of the host city to the participants of the international event.
This year’s edition of the Forum took place from September 30th to October 2nd.
Translated by: Zofia Świerszcz
Proofread by: Aleksandra Górecka
