Culture as a Force of Resilience
International Seminar Culture Defense in Lublin
On April 23–25, 2026, an international, interdisciplinary seminar Culture Defense / Kultura Ochrony will take place in Lublin. The event is organized by the European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029 in cooperation with the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology at UMCS.
The seminar addresses one of the key challenges of our time: resilience in culture—understood as the capacity for regeneration, adaptation, and responsible responses to social, political, and psychological crises. In times of increasing tensions, culture can both support well-being and build community, as well as lead to overload and burnout. This tension will serve as the starting point for shared reflection and practice. We focus on how the European Capital of Culture format, planned as a long-term process, can contribute to strengthening resilience and reorganizing working systems in the cultural sector.
The three-day program will include:
• plenary sessions and expert debates,
• presentations of international practices (including from European Capital of Culture cities),
• psychosomatic and skills-based workshops,
• activities supporting the well-being of cultural sector workers.
The seminar will bring together artists, researchers, cultural managers, and public policy makers from Poland and abroad. Participants will include experts such as: Nancy Braun (Esch-sur-Alzette 2022), Rosella Tarantino (Matera 2019), Sara Vuletić (Novi Sad 2022), Irina Polycharchuk (Artsvit, Dnipro), Angeliki Lampiri (Eleusis 2023), Yuliia Khomchyn (Lviv 2030), Bogna Świątkowska, and Hanna Wróblewska.
Topics will include culture as a care infrastructure, well-being in cultural management, information resilience and countering disinformation, and artistic practices as tools for regeneration and community building.
Morning sessions (9:30–14:00) will take place in the Aula of the Institute of Psychology at UMCS (Building B, 45 Głęboka Street), while the afternoon program (15:00–18:00), including meetings and workshops, will be held at the Institute of Pedagogy (23 Głęboka Street).
Participation in the seminar is free of charge; registration is required. The seminar is part of the European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029 program and develops the idea of Re:Union—building a community based on co-responsibility, care, and solidarity.
Key Information
Event name:
Culture Defense / Kultura Ochrony
Date:
April 23–25, 2026
Location:
UMCS Campus, Lublin
(Faculty of Psychology and Pedagogy, 43 Głęboka Street)
Organizer:
European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029
Partners:
UMCS – Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology, Centre for Culture in Lublin, Workshops of Culture, Volvo, Kultura Enter
Participation:
Free (registration required); workshops have limited capacity
Languages:
Polish / English (simultaneous interpretation provided)
Selected events interpreted into Polish Sign Language (PJM)
Accessibility:
Support available for people with special needs
REGISTER NOW
Registration form
Team
Curator and Content Coordinator:
Marta Ryczkowska
Production:
Jagoda Valkov, Izabela Raszewska
Host:
Aga Kozak
Media Contact:
Marta Ryczkowska
International Relations and Research Manager
European Capital of Culture Lublin 2029
+48 601 947 590
marta.ryczkowska@lublin2029.pl
