While several steps have been taken, it is still challenging to make these projects horizontal, sustainable and participatory. Several so-called ‘dissonant entanglements’ impact on the emerging cultural relations.

Dissonant entanglements

Starting point behind the different sessions of the workshop will be the most-central ‘dissonant entanglements’ civil society actors encounter in their involvement in the EU Strategy for International Cultural Relations. During a series of interactive sessions we address the persisting power asymmetries between the different actors involved, and the need to move to more horizontal cultural relations. Moreover, we will focus on the unequal conditions of participation of those engaging in the programme and the need to move towards more fair and inclusive cultural relations. Finally, we will look at the need for more sustainable investments and the deficiencies of existing funding schemes. How to move towards cultural relations that is more sustainable and can fulfil long-term ambitions?

Future pathways to culture

During this workshop the main goal is to discuss future pathways to culture in international relations and to critically, but constructively, assess EU funded cultural initiatives beyond the EU. By means of an interactive exchange between non-governmental actors, civil society representatives, institutions and professionals from the creative and cultural sectors, the aim is to assess the potential as well as the challenges in this field of engagement and to use these insights to explore ways to better integrate civil society in EU investments in culture beyond its borders. We aspire to not only exchange experiences, but to also use this workshop to build new alliances, expand networks, and become inspired.

Key questions

Key questions to be addressed during the workshop are:

•  What can we learn from the several projects developed as part of the EU strategy for international cultural relations?
•  Which ‘dissonant entanglements’ can be discerned between the different actors involved in the projects?
•  How can these be successfully counteracted so that projects become more horizontal, sustainable and participatory?
   

ValEUs

The workshop is organised as part of the Jean Monnet Policy Network (JMPN), titled “ValEUs. Research & Education Network on Contestations to EU Foreign Policy.” This network, involving 20 partner institutions from 17 countries across five continents, focuses on scrutinizing the foreign policy of the European Union and the challenges posed to its values. One of the ambitions of this network is to initiate social debates and develop recommendations for both political actors and civil society. The workshop on future pathways for culture in international relations does this by gathering practitioners to reflect on EU investments in culture as part of its external policy.