Culture Defence Seminar – Lublin, 23–25 April 2026
Culture has the power to heal, to inspire hope, to build bonds, and to strengthen resilience in times of challenge. Yet it can also lead to burnout and intensify crises. It is therefore a force of immense potential—one that, when thoughtfully navigated, can support social change.On behalf of the European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029, we invite you to the interdisciplinary seminar Culture Defence / Kultura Ochrony, which will take place in Lublin from 23 to 25 April 2026.
Over the course of three days, the seminar will bring together the knowledge of researchers, the experience of artists, and the practice of cultural practitioners and public policy makers with experience in European Capitals of Culture. The seminar will become a space for the exchange of experiences, regeneration, and co-creation.
The central theme of the meeting is resilience in culture, explored in relation to health, community and creative work, team wellbeing, and information security. We will reflect on how resilience is understood differently depending on geopolitical context, and how its definitions can diverge in profoundly contrasting ways. The resilience we address is a constructive and critical potential that seeks to strengthen shared responsibility. Intertwined with culture, it forms a foundation that reinforces democratic resilience and social cohesion, supporting the pursuit of Re:Union, as outlined in Lublin’s ECoC application.
The seminar is co-organized in collaboration with the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology at UMCS. To ensure accessibility, participation is free of charge, and support will be provided for people with special needs. Registration for workshops will open soon; due to limited capacity, participation will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. The seminar will be held in Polish and English, with simultaneous interpretation provided. Selected lectures will also be available in Polish Sign Language (PJM).
For further information, please contact:
Marta Ryczkowska – marta.ryczkowska@lublin2029.pl
Culture Defence / Kultura Ochrony – Seminar Programme
The plenary sessions will take place at the Faculty of Psychology, UMCS (9:00–14:00), and the workshop sessions at the Faculty of Pedagogy, UMCS (15:00–18:00).
Thursday, 23 April 2026
9:30 – 11:10 | Culture as an Infrastructure of Care
Resilience is a critical force that not only ensures survival but also unlocks a system’s capacity for change. This module presents culture as a social foundation of resilience, offering hope in times of crisis. Examples are drawn from cities with experience as European Capitals of Culture as well as from cities affected by war, highlighting the complexity of building resilience through culture. The session will explore the relationships between culture, heritage protection, mental health, and democracy.
Speakers and plenary session: Iryna Polycharchuk (Artsvit, Dnipro), Angeliki Lampiri (Eleusis 2023), Nancy Braun (Esch-sur-Alzette 2022)
11:20 – 12:10 | Change from Within – Wellbeing and Cultural Management
Can we speak about the quality of culture without addressing the quality of management? This debate starts from the premise that the wellbeing of those working in cultural institutions is not a “soft add-on” but a foundation of their work. The discussion will focus on tensions between systems and everyday institutional practice: the responsibilities of the state and organizers, the real agency of managers, and the pressures faced by teams.
Debate: Hanna Wróblewska, Anna Długołęcka, Sławomir Księżniak
12:30 – 14:00 | The City as a Laboratory
Cities, including European Capitals of Culture, test mechanisms that strengthen resilience through culture. The city functions as a learning community, and moving away from the “trauma → growth” narrative towards care, regeneration, and co-creation allows for the development of formats that could be implemented in Lublin.
Presentations:
Edyta Ruta (Pasmo Foundation), Prof. Marcin Cabak (UMCS), M&E Team: Prof. Radosław Mącik, Dr. Andrzej Stawicki, Prof. Agnieszka Kolasa-Nowak, Dr. Małgorzata Dziekanowska, Dr. Monika Ratajczyk,
moderation: Aga Kozak
14:00 | Break
15:00 – 18:00 | Workshops and Meetings
Body and mind function on equal terms, the body is a source of knowledge and a site where strain accumulates. This module addresses the psychosomatic effects of project-based, activist, and curatorial work, as well as nervous system regulation and movement, somatic, and breathing practices as tools for regeneration. A set of simple, scientifically grounded techniques applicable in institutional settings will be developed.
Facilitators:
15:00 – 17:00 Prof. Krzysztof Stachyra (UMCS) – Music in Action: Areas of Experience, Exploration, and Regulation
15:00 – 17:00 Anna Długołęcka – “Apparently It Can’t Be Done.” And Yet: How to Transform Cultural Institutions from Within into Better Workplaces (seminar room)
15:00 – 16:30 Konrad Kurowski – Starting from Care (dance studio)
15:00 – 18:00 Łukasz Radziszewski – A Jar of Sourdough as a Survival Tool (room with access to water)
15:00 – 18:00 Izabella Gawęcka – Finding Understanding: Effective Communication in Intercultural Environments (seminar room)
15:00 – 18:00 Magdalena Kosicka – From Frustration to Connection: How to Facilitate Dialogue in Conflict
Centre for Culture (Centrum Kultury)
19:00 Rima Sadurska – Sound Bath: Gong and Singing Bowl Concert
Friday, 24 April 2026
9:30 – 11:30 | Culture as an Infrastructure of Care
This module draws on examples from cities with experience in preparing and bidding for the European Capital of Culture title, highlighting the complex realities we face when speaking about resilience through culture. It explores the relationships between culture, heritage protection, mental health, and democracy.
Speakers: Julia Chomczyn (Lviv 2030 – candidate city), Rosella Tarantino (Matera 2019), Sara Vuletić (Novi Sad 2022), Felix Schartner Giertta (Stockholm, BSR Cultural Pearls)
11:40 – 12:40 | Acquiring Resilience
Artistic practices and intercultural animation function as a safe experimental ground where participants can learn collaboration, build relationships, and overcome fear—developing the capacity for instinctive and effective action in situations of real threat.
Presentations: Dr. Urszula Lewartowicz (UMCS), Prof. Andrzej Różański (UMCS), Prof. Katarzyna Klimkowska (UMCS), Marcin Skrzypek – Intercultural Animation and Crisis Resilience
12:40 – 14:00 | Culture, Security, and Information Resilience
This module explores how culture can strengthen critical thinking and the ability to recognize manipulation. We discuss mechanisms of disinformation, the role of cultural institutions as social mediators, and practical tools such as fact-checking, crisis communication, debate moderation, and conflict work.
Presentations and discussion: Bogna Świątkowska, Rafał Sakowski, Ada Florentyna Pawlak
14:00 | Break
15:00 – 18:00 | Psychosomatics and Affective Work: From Tension to Regulation
This module addresses the psychosomatic effects of creative work, nervous system regulation, and movement, somatic, and breathing practices as tools for regeneration.
Workshop facilitators:
15:00 – 17:00 Marysia Stokłosa – Movement Towards the Future
15:00 – 17:00 Karolina Pluta – Working in Culture Without Burnout? A Workshop for Cultural Practitioners
15:00 – 17:00 Izabella Gawęcka – My Boundaries: A Workshop on Recognising Personal Limits
Saturday, 25 April 2026
10:00 – 11:40 | Inclusive Communication and Intercultural Practices
This module focuses on cross-sector collaboration with migrant communities and on tools supporting inclusion and co-creation in culture. It emphasizes community-building within diverse teams, fostering belonging, trust, and shared responsibility.
Presentations and Discussion:
Jolanta Sienkiewicz-Prochowicz, Prof. Ewa Niesterowicz (UMCS), Prof. Margaret Ohia-Nowak (UMCS), Anna Dąbrowska (Homo Faber)
12:00 – 14:00 | Empowering Artistic Practices
This module demonstrates how artistic practices can strengthen resilience and the wellbeing of creators. It explores performative tools in working with young people, as well as the development of institutional resilience and the monitoring of the “health” of cultural institutions and art schools.
Presentations and Discussion:
Paulina Kempisty (The Grotowski Institute), Prof. Małgorzata Kuśpit (UMCS), Prof. Marta Bosowska (Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Fine Arts), Dr. Marta Ryczkowska (ECoC Lublin 2029)
14:00 | Break
14:30 – 16:00 | Psychosomatics and Affective Work: From Tension to Regulation
Body and mind operate on equal terms. This module includes movement, somatic, and breathing practices that support regeneration and help cope with overload in creative work.
Workshop facilitators:
15:00 – 16:30 Konrad Kurowski – Starting from Care (dance studio)
15:00 – 17:00 Agata Semplińska – Mindfulness Meditation (room with soft cushions, aquarium)
15:00 – 17:00 Prof. Marta Bosowska – Boundary Practices
