EU4Culture holds conference on strategy empowerment for Odesa, Rivne, and Vinnytsia

On 12-13 March, the EU-funded EU4Culture project held an online Strategy Empowerment Conference for the members of the Regional Cities Network in Ukraine – Odesa, Rivne, and Vinnytsia.

Representatives of the three municipalities, the EU Delegation to Ukraine and ongoing cultural projects in the country, as well as field experts, attended the two-day event. The Conference aimed to provide a platform for the participants to share relevant updates and discuss new opportunities for developing local cultural and creative sectors.

EU4Culture is in its final year of implementation, and establishing new connections and partnerships will help the three Ukrainian cities to ensure the sustainability of their Cultural Development Strategies.

At the conference, representatives of Odesa, Rivne, and Vinnytsia updated the participants on the implementation process of their Cultural Development Strategies. They also discussed cooperation opportunities between cities, public-private partnerships and cross-sectoral collaboration, sustainability and the formalisation of the Regional Cities Network, and local tourism development with the cultural and creative sectors.

Representatives of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, House of Europe, ALIPH Foundation and RES-POL also presented ongoing projects and funding opportunities for regional cities in Ukraine.

The conference participants had the opportunity to learn more about the European Capitals of Culture initiative and the Culture Next network. The former provides cities with opportunities for regeneration, city image enhancement, and boosting tourism, among with other benefits. The Culture Next network supports European municipalities in joining and implementing the European Capital of Culture programmes.

“The three regional cities in Ukraine have made important steps toward supporting the advancement of the local cultural and creative sectors. This year, we are focusing on sharing the expertise about ensuring sustainability of their cultural strategies. The topics discussed during the online event are essential to ensuring that Odesa, Rivne, and Vinnytsia truly unlock the immense potential of their creative industries,” the Head of the EU4Culture project, Anatoli Beifert, said.

The EU has provided Odesa, Rivne, and Vinnytsia with €100,000 each to support them in implementing their Cultural Development Strategies. With these funds, Odesa is working on preserving and digitalising cultural heritage while redeveloping the city’s cultural identity. Rivne targets artists and cultural professionals and aims to create opportunities for generating and implementing innovative ideas in the city. Through inclusive dialogue with its stakeholders, Vinnytsia is focused on identifying priority areas for fostering self-expression, innovation, and economic development of the region.