Creative4democracy. A European project on participation and community work in the cultural area. This is the title of the trinational project funded by the European Commission, in which three renowned European cultural institutions from Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany will be working together in 2023-24: The Fondazione Feltrinelli from Milan, the De Balie from Amsterdam, and the Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin with its partners at the Humboldt Forum, particularly with the Humboldt University of Berlin and in collaboration with the Humboldt Forum foundation. The core of the cooperation is the cross-border exchange about how participatory work with communities in the cultural sector can be successful.

Exchange on Questions of Community Work

First and foremost is the exchange on questions of community work on a professional level between the staff of the institutions. What is the value of participatory cultural projects and community work for one’s own work and cultural products? Where are obstacles, and are there potentials for improvement? What experiences have the institutions made in their different contexts in working with marginalized or persecuted communities? What are the best-practice examples, and what are the different (historical, political, social, and cultural) conditions for such projects in the three European countries? And finally, how can institutions learn from each other or even cooperate closely in this field?

The Project and Collaborative Efforts

The one-year project includes a close professional exchange between the partners, with joint workshops and exchange projects, as well as consultation with a renowned and international advisory board. In addition to the development of guidelines for improved community work, which will have an impact on other institutions, the project also envisions jointly developed participatory cultural projects. Accordingly, the understanding that European democracy thrives on the creativity of its diverse societies and communities.