There is no recovery or future for Europe without culture. Europe needs a new Cultural Deal, a transversal, overarching framework that should demonstrate the EU’s political commitment to place culture at the heart of the European project.

Culture is what brings us together. It is at the basis of the European project and determines the future of our societies. The gravity of the Covid-19 crisis proved again that culture is not a luxury, but a necessity to build cohesive, equal, sustainable and free societies. A Cultural Deal for Europe is a call from a wider European cultural community to acknowledge the pivotal role of culture in shaping the future of our lives.

The European Cultural Foundation, Culture Action Europe and Europa Nostra (representing the European Cultural Alliance) jointly proposed a Cultural Deal for Europe framework. This overarching strategy aims at placing culture at the center of the European project and mainstreaming it across all policy fields: from the green transition to Europe’s geopolitical ambition and from the digital shift to a value-driven Union. It focuses on both facilitating the contribution of culture to Europe’s sustainable development and providing the sector with the credibility and resources for realising its full potential. By bundling together both short and long term objectives, Cultural Deal for Europe is envisioned as a roadmap towards a more balanced, more comprehensive, and more inclusive European development model.

Cultural Deal for Europe is jointly developed by the European Cultural Foundation, Culture Action Europe (CAE) and Europa Nostra, also in its capacity as coordinator of the European Heritage Alliance.

Together with Culture Action Europe (CAE), Europa Nostra, also in its capacity as coordinator of the European Heritage Alliance, and in partnership with the Rebuilding Europe with Culture Campaign and Friends of Europe, we hosted the Annual Policy Conversation, A Cultural Deal for Europe!

This cultural event focused on the contribution of culture and cultural heritage to Europe’s recovery, and to its green, more sustainable and inclusive future through the European Green Deal, the Conference on the Future of Europe and the New European Bauhaus, of which the three hosting organisations are official partners. The aim of this policy conversation was to inspire and engage the wider European community of artists, cultural workers, creative industries and heritage stakeholders in building a future that is more resilient and sustainable for Europe and its citizens.

You can watch recaps of the event in the video playlist below.

In an opinion piece in Dutch daily Trouw ECF director André Wilkens claims there can be no recovery after the pandemic without respect for culture and the role of the artist. That 2% of the European Recovery Fund should be allocated to culture – as intended by the European Parliament – could be the start of a creative healing process, at the heart of Europe’s transformation. The Netherlands must not be left out.

In the run up to the Dutch Paradisodebat on the post-pandemic future of the Dutch cultural and creative sectors various Dutch prominent opinion leaders spoke out in favour of the Cultural Deal campaign, urging the Dutch government to dedicate at least two percent of the RFF funds to culture. The open letter is an initiative by the Dutch Europa-platform and is open for endorsement. With financial aid from the national rescue packages stopping per October, the sector needs your support now. Please sign the open letter!

In the days prior and following the Dutch debate on ‘How to make the cultural and creative sectors even better?’ newspapers published stories. Here’s the article from Parool, click here for the report in NRC. The event itself took place on August 29 and was live-streamed. In case you missed it, the video is still available on the site of Kunsten ’92. They also shared a report. Click button below for the report by our advocacy team.

With opening remarks by European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and the European Parliament CULT Chair Sabine Verheyen, the second “La Rentrée” event took place online on 18 November 2020 3 pm – 5 pm CET. It was organised by Culture Action Europe (CAE), European Cultural Foundation, and Europa Nostra, founder and coordinator of the European Heritage Alliance.

This year’s debate asked critical questions about culture in Europe’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of Europe.

The online debate reflected on critical questions about the role of culture for Europe’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and, more widely, for the future of Europe, involving the European Commissioner in charge of Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel, the European Parliament CULT Committee Chair Sabine Verheyen, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune, as well as other MEPs, representatives of Member States and of other European institutions, as well as a broad range of stakeholders and civil society actors. A video contribution by the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli opened the meeting, and the conclusions were made by the President of the Committee of the Regions Apostolos Tzitzikostas.  The debate was moderated by Dharmendra Kanani (Friends of Europe). Visual storytelling was provided by the artist Menah (Marleen Wellen).

Introduced by Tere Badia, Secretary-General of Culture Action Europe, in conversation with the EP CULT Committee Chair Sabine Verheyen.

Illustrations by Menah

Introduced by André Wilkens, Director of the European Cultural Foundation, in conversation with the EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel.

Illustrations by Menah

Introduced by Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic, Secretary-General of Europa Nostra, featuring a video message from the French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune.In conversation with Luca Jahier, former president of the EESC and Guilherme d’Oliviera Martins, Calouste Gulbekian Foundation. Reaction from Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the Committee of the Regions

Secretary-General of Culture Action Europe Tere Badia, Director of the European Cultural Foundation André Wilkens and Secretary-General of Europa Nostra Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic. The high-level event “A Cultural Deal for Europe”, co-organized by Culture Action Europe, the European Cultural Foundation, and Europa Nostra, coordinating the European Heritage Alliance.

Illustrations by Menah

The initiators summarized the debate in this report.