The resilience of the Ukrainian cultural and creative sectors: A European workshop
In the wake of the war in Ukraine in 2022, the Cultural Relations Platform undertook a mapping and needs assessment of Ukrainian cultural actors. Additionally, a workshop held in Warsaw facilitated networking, knowledge sharing, and fostering connections between Ukrainian cultural stakeholders and EU representatives.
Building upon this groundwork, the Cultural Relations Platform – in collaboration with the Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC)– is set to host a workshop in Brussels on March 7th and 8th. On this occasion, we are inviting around 60 practitioners from the cultural and creative sectors of both the EU and Ukraine, along with EU officials and Ukrainian authorities. The event aims to explore strategies for enhancing collaboration between the EU and Ukraine while strengthening Ukraine’s cultural and creative sectors.
Over two days, attendees will engage in discussions exploring the pivotal role of culture in Ukraine’s resilience and recovery, with a keen focus on its cross-sectoral impact. Panels, presentations, and interactive sessions will explore critical thematic areas such as Human Capital, Regional Development, Social Cohesion, Economic Growth, and EU-Ukraine integration.
Preceding the event, an extensive survey was conducted to capture the evolving needs of cultural actors, with a particular emphasis on EU integration and the potential contributions of the cultural and creative sectors to the recovery process. Furthermore, two online consultations with Ukrainian stakeholders were schedule to assess the shifting landscape within the country, aiming at synchronising cultural actors with each other and with other stakeholders involved in the topic.
Our experts for this project
Anna Karnaukh specialises in designing and managing programmes for the development of the cultural and creative sector. She is the co-founder and director of Lanka.pro creative agency, whose activities aim to strengthen Ukraine’s cultural and creative ecosystem. From 2015 till early 2024 Anna led the creative economy portfolio at the British Council in Ukraine. In 2017-2020 she was the Programme Lead for EU-funded programme Culture Bridges. As a freelancer, she has collaborated among others with the European Commission, Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and Cultural Relations Platform. Currently she is a fellow of the Vidnova Lab programme focusing on prototyping solutions for the recovery of Ukraine, in which Anna’s theme is the cultural infrastructure at the local level.
Kateryna Kravchuk is a certified facilitator with an economics and cultural studies background. She had designed and co-authored a number of educational products and developmental formats for creatives in Ukraine. Kateryna is a co-founder of UA IDG Network and co-host at U.Hub Ukraine, focusing on fostering systems innovations and sustainable growth. As an independent expert, she has been engaged in the projects of the European Commission, British Council, UNDP, and others. After February 2022, together with other colleagues from the sector, she launched a creative agency, Lanka.pro, aiming to empower the role of cultural and creative actors in building the better tomorrow for all.