A panel on cultural democracy and the role of European policy making in support of cultural institutions to become more inclusive.
Projects like Training for the Contact Zone (TCZ) and the notion of cultural institutions as “contact zones” highlight the need to discuss what cultural democracy really means in practice. Beyond engaging more people to enjoy and participate in cultural life, they highlight the challenge of bringing together diverging and contested (hi)stories in a space of dialogue and dissent, as well as the ability to hold tension and create new narratives that we cannot yet fully comprehend.
The panel will discuss upcoming opportunities in policymaking and how inspiring practices across Europe — such as those developed through TCZ — can inform future policies and funding opportunities to support urgently needed transformations.
Moderated by Lars Ebert, Secretary General, Culture Action Europe
Panelists:
- Angelos Agalianos, Senior Policy Officer, European Commission (DG EAC)
- Alexandra Xanthaki, UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights
- Carmen González Gómez, Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU
- Barbara van Lindt, Director, KAAI Theatre
This opening panel explores cultural democracy and the role of European policymaking in supporting more inclusive cultural institutions. Drawing on experiences from Training for the Contact Zone (TCZ), speakers discuss how cultural institutions can become spaces where diverse perspectives, contested histories, and dialogue coexist. The conversation also examines future European cultural policy and funding opportunities that can support participatory cultural practices.
