Robert Kieft is Programme Manager for European Spaces of Culture at EUNIC. EUNIC — EU National Institutes for Culture — is Europe’s network of national cultural institutes, with 39 members from all 27 EU member states and the UK and Ukraine. At a local level, EUNIC members join together in 140 clusters worldwide to collaborate on common projects and programmes and to promote the role of culture in the EU’s internal and external relations. The EUNIC office coordinates the network from Brussels. 

At EUNIC Robert manages the European Spaces of Culture project. This project is testing innovative collaboration models in cultural relations between European and local partner organisations in countries outside the EU. At the heart of the project lies a new spirit of dialogue, in which equality, mutual listening and learning and fair collaboration represent the core values that help build trust and understanding between peoples. By doing this, the project contributes to the implementation of the EU strategic approach to international cultural relations.