European Cultural & Creative Cities in post-COVID19 times: bouncing forward

The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted Europeans’ life, preventing much of the economic and social life happening in cities. In this context, culture and creativity have played a central role in enhancing people’s capacity to cope with the confinement. At the same time, however, the physical distancing measures imposed by the pandemic have exposed cultural sectors and jobs to an unprecedented shock, with many cultural institutions, companies and professionals struggling for professional survival.

How has the coronavirus emergency affected European citiesparticularly active in promoting culture and creativity? How are they responding to the pandemic?

To address these questions, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has carried out three main actions: (i) we have contacted the Mayors of nearly 200 cultural and creative cities in Europe to detect responsive cultural policies and transformative events’ practices; (ii) we have used one of our tools, Cultural gems, to gather more than 350 digital cultural initiatives in European cities and facilitate access from home; (iii) we have used pre-COVID19 evidence from the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor to identify the potentially most exposed cities to the socio-economic effects of the pandemic.

7th July, 11 CET | JRC webinar 'European Cultural and Creative Cities in post COVID-19 times: bouncing forward'. We will officially release JRC report making informed predictions about the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cultural and creative sectors and showing cities' transformative capacity. 2-5 cities will 'pitch' innovative approaches in cultural and creative sectors to foster exchange and peer learning. You will also find about the EU Culture from Home initiative gathering more than 350 digital culture actions across European cities. Opening by Prof. Pier Luigi Sacco, metaLAB at Harvard, and Catherine Magnant, Head of Unit, DG EAC.D1, Cultural Policy

To attend the webinar, register here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/CCities_post_COVID

Download the Programme of the event asPDF

Presentations

EU cultural and creative sectors policies in crisis times, C. Magnant, European Commission, Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC)

European Cultural and Creative Cities in COVID-19 times: Jobs at risk and the policy response, P. L. Sacco, metaLAB (at) Harvard

Cultural gems & EU Culture From Home, F. Panella, European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC)

Culture, cities and the COVID-19 pandemic: Initial measures and challenges ahead, J. Pascual, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)

Venue

Ispra, EU