1. Culture and Sustainable development
Mapping and future prospects
SEBA conference, Kaliningrad
Oleg Koefoed, director, Cultura21 Nordic

2. A new role for culture?
The economic model has changed
: from patronage to industries
Explosion of number of agents
: birth of the creative classes
Dismantling of disciplinary borders
: art in culture in neighbourhoods
in cities in projects – in policies?
How can culture lead transformations?
SurvivalKit, Riga
Avatar
Couros / Guimaraes 2012

3. Culture and Sustainable Development
– a flagship project in EUSBSR (2.0)
Culture is part of the sustainability agenda today
1987 Brundtland report: 3 pillars of sustainability – economic, social, environment
Culture as 4th
pillar?
…culture across borders, shaping standards and behavior
Growing attention from politics // business // cities // regions
But HOW – and what works?

4. EUSBSR strategy – priority area culture
Nordic Council of Ministers led flagship project
Mapping existing stakeholders, activities, interests and opportunities for cooperation
First step --- then:
Develop knowledge: Baltic Sea Region // impact of culture // sustainable development
// economic // social // environmental // cultural

5. Phase 1: Mapping stakeholders, activities, interests and opportunities for cooperation
Result:
“Culture and Sustainable development
-8 findings, a number of opportunities
and a way forward”
Dome of Visions, CPH

6. - The stakeholders
- Their current activities
- Their interests in engaging
⇒ opportunities for cooperation

7. Findings and opportunities…
The area of cultural collaboration and sustainability is rich and
complex
⇒ Stakeholders engage in many ways, for many reasons
⇒ A snapshot
⇒ Diversity // abundance // fragmentation
Not one identity but a number
⇒ Several vectors: Nordic-Baltic, Nordic-Russian, German-Russian
⇒ Bi-lateral linkages impact on activities of born-baltic institutions
⇒ Complexity can also be an asset = Diversity => innovation

8. Europe 2020 Strategy provides a launch pad for C&S
initiatives
⇒ Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive
⇒ Growth and development
Need for cultural stakeholders to engage beyond own
sphere and comfort zone
⇒ Culture can catalyse a shift away from sector-
based policy making
… if culture values are communicated and tailored to
meet also other objectives

9. Some challenges
⇒ Different approaches to culture and to sustainability
⇒ Different approaches to stakeholder engagement and
cooperation
⇒ Lack of knowledge on cultural drivers for sustainability
('proof of concepts’, practices and tools).
But BSR have opportunities to pioneer sustainable
development through culture
⇒ Urban Development
⇒ Creative Industries
⇒ Social Innovation (the social process of innovation +
innovation with social purpose)

10. Seek for solutions through complexity // diversity
⇒ Diverse histories, identities, social systems and approaches to
culture and sustainable development
⇒ Use diverse meshworks to increase awareness and cross-
fertilize efforts
There is an outspoken need for improved dialogue
⇒ Connect rich but fragmented activities and efforts
⇒ Engage stakeholders at different levels from within and
outside the cultural sphere
⇒ Focus on practical and concrete activities
• stories, practices, idea generation, anchoring, innovation

11.
Opportunities?
Reducing complexity to embrace sustainability
Culture as the transversal vector across sectors
Examples:
– innovation centres / hubs across art, gaming, social leverage
– frontrunners in sectors: business, art, science, urban planning, innovation, etc
– improving cross-fertilization
– transcultural // transdisciplinary // practical engagement
– renewing islands // sectors // regions // industries // communities
x

12. Summarizing findings..
A myriad of projects
Multitude of
approaches/methods
Lack of knowledge of
effects
Lack of visibility among
agents
Lack of cross-fertilizing
More transdisciplinarity and
transversality needed

13.
Findings and opportunities…
AHEAD: successful projects have a clear and understandable scope
→ Having a clear focus also implies some reduced complexity
→ Action-based and action-inviting increases motivation
→ High strategic ambitions attract attention and support
→ Joint knowledge building must be made an advantage

14.
Suggested focal areas
Creative industries
Urban development
Social innovation

15. THANK YOU!