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Commons Sense: Let’s Create a Bottom-Up European Democracy


In a frame of the Cultural and Creative Spaces and Cities (CCSC) project, we’ve organised along with the University of Antwerp, and a special contribution of l’Asilo, a digital co-creation lab Commons Sense: Let’s Create a Bottom-Up European Democracy. The digital event will take place on the 22nd and the 29-30th of June. The Co-Creation Lab is free, but we ask you to register here.

About the Event

In times of crisis, change is more likely to thrive. To make this change happen, investing in culture, as a tool for social transformation, is crucial. How can we make sure that the cultural sector enters the post-Covid-19 reality with a new, stronger voice?

We believe that the future of culture concerns Europe as a whole – where there is no culture, there is no Europe either. Let’s bring Europe closer to the very local experiences of cultural workers and to their local initiatives for solidarity in cities – let’s create a more just future of culture.

In this digital co-creation lab, we will explore new ‘homes of commons’, as spaces of encounter between EU and local level: how can the EU learn from local realities and how can local actors be empowered to take part in EU decision making?

Let’s build the cornerstones of our ‘homes of commons’: their participatory tools, their physical and/or digital spaces, their administrative structures.

Together we will explore the following challenges

1. The commons as ecosystems for culture after Covid-19How can the EU support commons as ecosystems for the growth and sustainability of cultural work, as the base of society? In the wake of Covid-19 crisis, Europe has the opportunity to act as a source of protection for cultural actors and cultural and creative spaces.

2. Co-creating cultural policies in cities to foster cohesion and inclusionHow can the EU  promote and empower ways of co-creation on cultural policies in cities?
How can the EU contribute to making cultural policies in cities more inclusive and equitable? And finally, how can cultural policies benefit from cross-sectoral approaches and from the cooperation with other areas (education, health, built environment, innovation, etc)?

3. Building spaces of encounter between local and EU levelHow can we design spaces of encounter – both physical and digital – where the EU can learn from local realities, accompany their participatory processes and involve them in decision-making?

Convinced on the necessity of working together in complete openness and cooperation on these topics, we invite you to join us in a 3-days co-creation lab: on the 22nd, 29th and 30th of June.

How will it happen?

22nd of June: introductory call

  1. Introduction to the CCSC, and explanation of the co-creation lab – by the CCSC partners and the event moderator

  2. Introductory and inspiration documents – by researchers. Participants will be provided with introductory and inspiration documents on the three main topics of the event. The documents will be co-written by interdisciplinary researchers, working on cultural policy, political science, political philosophy, economics, law.

  3. Introductory short speeches and webinars – by EU Commission, experts and the CCSC Urban Labs. Participants and researchers will delve into the topics of the event through webinars involving people from the EU Commission, experts in the fields of the CCSC project, and the CCSC Urban Labs. The webinars will be structured around a small intervention and Q&A sessions. They will be then uploaded on the CCSC website and participants will have access to them for the week in preparation of the co-creation lab

 29th-30th of June: co-creation lab

Participants will divide into groups between the 22nd and the 29th of June. During the co-creation lab, they will collaboratively work on one of the three challenges of the event and prototype solutions. They will be guided by a team of facilitators and trainers who will introduce collaborative online tools and co-working platforms to exchange and divide tasks.
The proposals will be uploaded on a platform accessible to all participants on the 30th of June.

Practical Details

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 20 June. Don’t hesitate to sign up though – the tickets are limited.

We will contact all participants on the 21st of June and will send you a link to the event.

If you have any questions about the registration to the CCSC Co-Creation Lab please contact Aiste at aiste@teh.net.

Register here.