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How COVID-19 Pandemic influenced Cultural Workers in Southeast Europe – Part 1
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an economic and social crisis that has both revealed and exacerbated already strong trends in many areas of society, while also creating new spaces for reflection and questioning. What are specific trends in the cultural sector that are being exaggerated by the COVID-19 pandemic? What did it mean to go digital for art and cultural
Switzerland may have to leave the Schengen area: How freedom of movement could redefine European culture
The first social impression of the Covid-19 pandemic was the restriction of movements. Suddenly, we realized that we couldn´t leave our homes, and eventually, our neighborhoods and cities. Two years later, we continue to find ourselves with situations where tickets to certain countries are canceled or where it is difficult to return home due to the emergence of new variants.
The European Year of Youth – A British Snapshot
At the end of 2021, the European Commission announced that 2022 would be “The European Year of Youth” (defined as people between the ages of 16 to 25). As Mariya Gabriel, commissioner for invocation, research, culture, education and youth, explained, this decision was motivated by “the importance of putting young people in the spotlight and celebrate their resilience after two
Town twinning: municipalism toward cultural openness
The INVENT project is analysing the general trend towards more cosmopolitan values and tastes that affect cultural consumption and favour greater cultural openness. In this blog, we delve into the phenomenon of ‘twinning’ between cities or municipalities. The practice was born in Europe after the Second World War in order to create links between different European cities or towns with
Symbolic conflicts in Serbia: Novak Đoković and the Australian Open
The contemporary Serbian society is deeply divided over the question of what and what kind of culture can and should have the status of legitimate – “valuable”, “true”, and “morally correct”. Conflicts over the “right” worldview have taken the form of Culture wars. The multitude of “Serbian divisions”, with the inevitable simplifications, summaries and generalizations, can be reduced to the
The precarity of the cultural sector: Should we reconsider the status of artists and cultural workers in Europe?
Across Europe, cultural sectors en large and the people working in fields related to art and culture were hit especially hard during the 2020 and 2021 COVID pandemic. Many cultural venues were closed, and programmes were cancelled (or weren’t initiated at all). Many artists and cultural workers fell deeper into precariousness and poverty than before COVID. Many were driven out
Reimagining Europe through culture: Should the EU place culture as one of its priorities?
Should we have a cultural deal for Europe and put culture as one of the top EU priorities? Many cultural professionals, scientists and policymakers think that European Union needs a deep and thorough reimagining of its cultural policies and that the matter is pressing. The growing precarity of the cultural sector in Europe presents an additional urgency to the issue.
Initiative ‘Kapsalon theater’ offers theater performances while getting your haircut, to raise awareness for the struggling Dutch cultural sector.
After a month of ‘heavy lockdown’, last week Friday the Dutch government announced that it was once again possible for certain sectors to open up with Covid safety precautions set in place. Many people were pleased as this would mean that services like hairdressers and nail salons would open their doors again; however, theaters and other cultural venues remain closed
How do Europeans feel about culture two years into a pandemic?
In February 2020, the INVENT project commenced having planned out the multiple interdisciplinary research queries set to be conducted over the course of the project. Not long after, the Covid-19 pandemic introduced itself as an unforeseen factor and formidable force that has gone on to interlace itself throughout nearly every stage of the project thus far. What Covid has brought
Have you heard of ‘booktowns’? A new literary initiative in the town of Calonge, Spain receives funding
During the Covid-19 pandemic many Europeans have (re)discovered a passion for reading books. When presented with an array of items and asked whether these “belonged to culture”, 80% of Europeans in the INVENT survey voiced that they regarded ‘literature’ as definitely belonging to culture. It is not surprising therefore that ‘access to public libraries’ and ‘being able to attend literary
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 870691