17/04/2026 - Culture of Foresight, Culture as Foresight, Foresight for Culture?

Culture has gained new prominence on the EU agenda, both as an object of policy and as an instrument, as illustrated in the recently released strategy Culture Compass for Europe. Culture is presented as both a purpose and a means of European public action. Its mission is to make the EU more competitive, but also to gain market share worldwide, deliver public goods to citizens, and reinforce European soft power and identity.

However, this 'mainstreaming' of culture comes with some caveats. In an uncertain world, the ability to predict future events and needs has become a mantra at all levels of governance. This is particularly true of forward-looking European institutions that are more concerned with innovation than tradition. Cultural actors are enlisted to produce future scenarios through participatory democracy and funding programmes. In return, they must comply with foresight policy requirements and adapt their creative work in response to deliverables, timelines, and threat and opportunity assessments.

Programme of the workshop

Register