Read our special focus on COP15 in Copenhagen!

On December 7th – 18th 2009 the United Nations Summit on Climate Change (COP15) will take place in Copenhagen. To contribute to this some of the world's most influential cultural networks, organisations and leaders will get together in Copenhagen for the Culture|Futures symposium (December 7th - 9th).

Why?

Because culture interconnects with the reality of climate change and ecology. Consequently Culture|Futures will aim to establish a set of common understandings and definitions, and to identify important perspectives for cultural strategies for sustainable development.

Already by now cultural activity is bringing about some of the changes necessary for an ecological age, drawing on evidence and material from existing cases with the future ambition of developing and extending the material into a comprehensive and dynamic reference source. But when the world’s most influential cultural networks, organizations and leaders get together in Copenhagen they will discuss a number of other possible areas for action for the cultural sector - emphasising that cultural action is a priority as an independent domain.

The cultural sector includes people, institutions and enterprises in art, design & architecture, film & media, cultural heritage, sport, education, leisure, communication and many more areas. In diverse ways they express identity and communicate and bring alive their perspectives through practice.

• The cultural sector can provide leadership for an ecological age
• The cultural sector can lead through its good relations with citizens
• The cultural sector can develop sustainable best practices and in doing so
• The cultural sector must establish collaborations with other sectors to enable the cultural transformation to an ecological age

What will Culture|Futures actually do?

Culture|Futures will provide the global platform for communication and dialogue between cultural actors. It will encourage cooperation between leading cities on ways to develop comprehensive cultural actions as the world’s population becomes increasingly more and more urbanized. And finally, Culture|Futures will engender a collaboration between research centres and networks supporting the creation of an evidence base of best practice to support the work of cultural practitioners.

International and national organisations involved

Culture|Futures is the brainchild of the Danish Cultural Institute and Arup, having been first presented at the Poznan COP 14 in December 2008.

International and national organizations involved in Culture|Futures include:

• the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA)
• European Union Network of Institutes of Culture (EUNIC)
• Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF)
• Arup
• Danish Cultural Institute
• British Council
• Goethe Institute
• Italian Cultural Institute
• European Cultural Foundation
• Cultura21
• Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
• Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP)

Culture|Futures is convened and coordinated by Mr. Olaf Gerlach-Hansen, Danish Cultural Institute in cooperation with all the collaborating organizations.

> For more information: www.culturefutures.org

This article is part of our special focus COP15 / Copenhagen in cooperation with Culture|Futures.
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