Brussels hosts European Culture Forum on 19-20 April

The European Culture Forum, a biennial flagship event organised by the European Commission to spark the debate on EU cultural policy and initiatives, will take place on 19-20 April 2016 in Brussels. The Forum will be opened by Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, and Silvia Costa, Chair of the Culture and Education Committee at the European Parliament. Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, will make the concluding remarks. Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra, will take part in the flash session ‘Our Future European Cultural Heritage: Engage, Share, Co-Create’ on the afternoon of 19 April. The entire event will be live streamed online.

This year’s Forum will reflect on the contribution of the cultural sector to the European Commission’s priorities such as innovation, jobs and growth; the digital single market; social cohesion and intercultural dialogue; and Europe’s position on the global scene. The event will include larger plenary sessions focusing on the main aims of the European Agenda for Culture, as well as smaller, technical sessions on the work of the EU.

The plenary sessions will revolve around the following questions: Can culture help to overcome the fragmentation of society? Can culture help to re-launch economic growth? Can culture improve Europe’s standing in the world?

For more detailed information about the programme and the speakers, please visit the European Culture Forum website.