Policy Area Culture

Why?

The cultural and creative sector is a vital contributor to social and economic life in the Baltic Sea Region, yet it faces persistent structural challenges that limit its growth, sustainability and contribution to regional prosperity. Economic precarity, fragmented structures and under-recognition of the sector’s broader value weaken its capacity to act as a driver of development. Rapid technological and digital change, including AI and global competition, require adaptive strategies that many actors are not yet equipped to pursue. Limited entrepreneurial education and business capacity among artists and cultural professionals, misaligned and insufficient funding structures — particularly for micro-enterprises and freelancers — and fragmentation within the sector reduces its ability to engage in strategic policy dialogue and advocacy.

These challenges can be addressed by working toward a more cohesive, resilient, and globally competitive cultural and creative sector in the Baltic Sea Region. This will increase prosperity and strengthen regional competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global environment.

This Action calls for initiatives towards

• strengthened entrepreneurial, digital and business capacity of cultural professionals
• enhanced transnational cooperation, networks and initiatives within the Baltic Sea Region cultural and creative sector
• changes in funding and support structures that better reflect the needs and specificities of the cultural and creative sector
• greater attention to sustainability and green skills within cultural and creative sector development and support measures

Why?

The Baltic Sea Region is facing growing societal fragmentation, weakening democratic values and increasing environmental and psychological stressors that undermine regional cohesion. Low levels of citizen engagement reduce the connection between individuals and macro-regional cooperation, while the societal relevance of culture remains underrecognised regarding its societal functions and the cross-sectoral potential, leading to culture being frequently left aside in policy making and funding priorities. Cultural underfunding, unequal access to culture and growing threats to artistic freedom weaken culture’s contribution to democratic resilience, social inclusion and participatory engagement.

The se challenges can be addressed by connecting the people in the region and reinforcing a shared Baltic Sea Region identity by strengthening the societal role of culture, and supporting inclusive cultural participation. This directly contributes to the goals of enhancing regional cohesion, strengthening citizen engagement, and promoting a resilient and inclusive society.

This Action calls for initiatives towards

• more policies making use of culture to address societal challenges
• increased integration of culture into policies, platforms and initiatives connected with broader societal themes
• observable changes in cultural policies that consider the needs of youth and marginalised groups
• societal issues and culture as part of the new Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme
• macro-regional strategies to be more clearly addressed in centrally managed programmes such as Creative Europe or AgoraEU after 2027
• greater awareness of sustainability issues supported through cultural practices and approaches

Why?

Despite growing awareness of sustainability across policy fields, the cultural sector still lacks structured integration into sustainability frameworks. Cultural institutions and policies often overlook environmental considerations, while sustainability strategies rarely incorporate cultural perspectives. At the same time the cultural sector itself, in particular the Baltic Sea Region cultural heritage, is increasingly threatened by climate change, environmental degradation and geopolitical instability, placing both tangible and intangible assets at risk.

The main challenge is the weak connection between culture and sustainability, which leads to missed opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and climate-related contributions. Sustainability principles need to be stronger integrated into cultural policies and management, especially concerning cultural heritage.

Addressing these challenges requires approaches that align cultural policies and practices with sustainability objectives, improve cross-sector cooperation and strengthen the capacity of heritage actors to respond to environmental risks.

This Action calls for initiatives towards

• more policies integrating culture and sustainability
• igniting change towards more cross-sectorality and sustainability in common policies and/or actions on preservation of cultural heritage
• more transnational initiatives combining cultural heritage and innovation
• funding calls increasingly addressing the relationship between sustainability and culture
• more effective and integrated climate relevant actions connected to culture and creativity