Culture: the Compass for Europe’s Future. Cultural Deal for Europe Annual Policy Conversation took place on February 4 2025
14 Jan 2025
2025 marks a critical year for the European Union and its strategic direction. The Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture & Sport will lead the creation of a new strategic framework called the ‘Culture Compass,’ “to guide and harness the multiple dimensions of culture”. If culture is Europe’s guiding star, where will this new strategy take us?
At the same time, all the Commissioners are spotlighting the upcoming Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) — the EU’s new seven-year budget. They are framing it as a “simpler, more focused, and adaptable long-term budget” with the potential to bring about significant changes. Given culture’s importance to Europe, how will it fit into this crucial budget?
This year’s Cultural Deal for Europe policy conversation – took place on February 4 2025 – did tackle these questions by focusing on three main topics:
1. How can culture and cultural heritage take a leading role in shaping Europe’s future?
2. How can they foster a shared European sentiment and a common public space?
3. What steps can we take together to support a democratic, diverse, and peaceful Europe?
This is a timely conversation aligning with the start of the new European Commission and ahead of the European Parliament’s debate on the MFF. It will help prioritise culture in the EU’s legislative agenda as Europe grapples with war, division, and polarisation. For culture and cultural heritage stand as Europe’s greatest assets and are great tools to help us envision better futures for our continent. This is why Europe needs a bold new direction – a Cultural Deal for Europe.
A multidisciplinary performance, entitled Democratic Body, was part of the programme. It featured dancer Leander Kämpf and poet Sam Alekksandra.
Leander Kämpf began dancing at a young age. He studied Urban Contemporary dance and choreography at the Academy for theatre and dance in Amsterdam. He worked with renowned choreographers on stage and on film, danced in and choreographed music videos, and collaborated independently with artists from various disciplines. His vision is to create bridges between people, disciplines and cultures. Sam Alekksandra is a multidisciplinary poet from Malta whose practice spans objects, performance, poetry, installation, and video. Her work is contemporary, memory-driven, and raw, exploring fragmented personal philosophies.
The speakers
With the participation of key policymakers from across Europe, including Glenn Micallef, the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Marta Cienkowska, Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage in Poland, Nela Riehl, Chair of the Culture and Education Committee of the European Parliament, Nicolas Schmit, (S&D, former European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights), MEPs Hannes Heide (S&D, CULT Committee), Zoltán Tarr (EPP, CULT Committee), Laurence Farreng (Renew, CULT Committee), Helder Sousa-Silva (EPP, BUDG Comittee) and representatives of the wider cultural and cultural heritage community, as Annete Christie, Deputy Mayor of Glasgow this event was an invaluable platform for conversation and policy dialogue.
The organisers
Culture Action Europe, Europa Nostra, European Cultural Foundation, the three initiators of the Cultural Deal for Europe, and our partner for the event, Centre for Fine Arts Brussels – Bozar.