On Thursday 28 April, from 10 am to 4 pm CEST, EPALE will be hosting an online discussion on Culture in a situation of crisis.

The written discussion will be introduced by a live stream (10-10.40 am CEST), with invited experts sharing their perspectives and experiences: Daryna Zhyvohliadova (PhD researcher and cultural policy-maker from Kyiv, Ukraine) and Julie Ward (Culture Action Europe), moderated by Gina Ebner and Christin Cieslak (EAEA).

The live stream will be followed by a moderated written discussion, hosting the contributions of our EPALE community members.

We will discuss whether culture and art are perceived differently in times of crisis and if so, how? What do we mean when we speak of “culture in a situation of crisis” and what kind of scepticism one might have to face when talking about culture during times of seemingly more pressing issues?

Our guest speakers will provide insights into the policy, praxis and personal aspects of the topic. We will also have a look at the cultural scene in Ukraine and will explore whether and how the EU currently supports the persistence of Ukrainian culture. We will discuss what practice examples can teach us about increasing the resilience of cultural endeavours during times of crisis; not lastly, supporting cohesion in Europe.

Guiding questions will be:

• How did perception of culture and art change in Ukraine over the course of the last weeks?

• What does culture in a situation of crisis mean?

• How can we assure the preservation of culture and cultural activities during a crisis? 

• Is culture exercised during a crisis a luxury or a necessity?

Photo by Jachan DeVol on Unsplash