About INVENT

European Inventory of Societal Values of Culture as Basis for Inclusive Cultural Policies

Aims of the Project

The project European Inventory of Societal Values of Culture as a Basis for Inclusive Cultural Policies in the Globalizing World (INVENT) was funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme. It aimed to strengthen the connection between state-of-the-art research on cultural participation and contemporary cultural policy needs by addressing gaps in understanding how Europeans engage with culture and how cultural practices and values are shaped by major societal transformations such as globalisation, European integration, migration, digitalisation, and rising social inequalities.

A Social Turn in Cultural Policy

INVENT adopted a broad and inclusive understanding of culture that extended beyond traditional arts participation to include popular culture, digital culture, and everyday cultural practices, both online and offline. Rather than focusing solely on participation in institutional cultural activities, the project examined how people across Europe understood, experienced, valued, and engaged with culture in their daily lives. Through this bottom-up approach, INVENT contributed to a “social turn” in European cultural policy by foregrounding citizens’ own perspectives on the societal value of culture, including its role in identity, belonging, inclusion, social cohesion, well-being, and democratic participation.

Comparative European Perspective

The project brought together researchers from nine European countries — Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom — representing diverse cultural policy traditions, social structures, media systems, and socio-cultural value orientations. This comparative design enabled INVENT to explore how different social groups across Europe perceived the impact of contemporary societal changes on culture and cultural engagement.

Research Design and Methods

Methodologically, INVENT employed a multi- and mixed-method research design combining quantitative, qualitative, and digital methods. The project included a large-scale cross-national survey, qualitative interviews, focus groups, social media and online content analysis, and innovative digital methods such as smartphone-based experience sampling. Particular attention was paid to how experiences and understandings of culture differed according to socio-economic background, age, gender, ethnicity, migration background, and place of residence.

Lasting Impact

By generating new empirical knowledge about cultural engagement and the societal values of culture, INVENT aimed to support the development of more inclusive, participatory, and socially responsive cultural policies for contemporary Europe. Although the project has formally concluded, researchers continue to work with the extensive data collected during the project, leading to ongoing publications and new research outputs.