Status report: The role and value of culture in European policies

Culture Action Europe has now launched its ‘State of Culture’ report – an independent research initiative that examines the role and value of culture in national and European cultural policies. The report is based on surveys, questionnaires and interviews with representatives from all 27 EU Member States (cultural organizations, public authorities, artists, etc.).

The report highlights the role of culture in society, explores its potential to promote resilience and change, and provides new ideas for advocacy and policy. The report offers insights on how the cultural sector can adapt to today’s changing social and political landscape.

Key observations raised by the report:

• There is a growing instrumentalization of culture where culture is seen as a means and not a value in itself
• The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence, forces us to ask critical questions about why we value human creativity
• The position of artists and cultural workers in the labor market continues to deteriorate across Europe
• Artistic freedom is challenged by polarization and a shrinking space for public debate in society
• We need to discuss the role of culture in times of crisis: war, climate change, inflation, etc., and how culture can be used as a democratic tool
• The EU’s role in cultural policy-making is limited yet crucial
• Culture is still not part of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, and is only mentioned as an indicator for a limited number of specific goals
• Nor is there any mention of culture in the State of the Union (SOTEU) speech by the President of the European Commission.

Are you interested in this topic? Join one of Culture Action Europe’s upcoming webinars where more space for discussion will be provided:

• November 12, 4-5pm ‘Instrumentalizing culture?’
• December 10, 4-5pm ‘Culture, Digital & Artificial Intelligence’
• January 14, 4-5pm ‘Autonomy and freedom of artistic expression’
• February 11, 4-5pm ‘Cultural Heritage: bridging past, present and future’
• March 11, 4-5pm ‘Cultural Democracy’
• April 15, 4-5pm ‘Culture & Sustainability’
• May 13, 4-5pn ‘Intrinsic value of culture’

For more information, to read the full report and watch the recording of the report launch here.

Culture Action Europe is a European network of organizations, artists, policy makers and others. Culture Action Europe is the political voice of the cultural sector in Europe, a platform for knowledge, information and debate on arts and cultural policies.

Image: Culture Action Europe