The 2024 ENCATC Congress, Culture that matters: Interdisciplinary Approaches for Sustainable Futures, took place in Lecce, Italy, from 18-20 September 2024, in partnership with the Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Economia and Scuola Superiore ISUFI of the University of Salento, and Tecnopolis PST.
Ah European gatherings, how much we missed you!
As summer came to a close, our calendar quickly filled with exciting new meetings and events. Last week was particularly intense for Materahub, as we participated in both the Creative Skill Week 2024 in Amsterdam and the annual ENCATC Annual Congress, the European Network on Cultural Management and Policy. Today, let me take you on a quick trip through the latter!
What happened during ENCATC
From September 18th to 20th, Lecce became the buzzing hub for hundreds of researchers and cultural organizations from every corner of the globe. The mission? Figuring out how cultural and creative industries (CCIs) can help save the planet. No pressure, right?
At the heart of this year’s event, there was the will to share practical solution and activate criticatal dialogue on climate action within the cultural and creative sectors. Committed to environmental resilience and restoration, ENCATC aimed to deepen awareness and knowledge of sustainability across disciplines, championing evidence-based projects and policies debate.
First day
The Congress kicked off with 50 presenters showcasing the latest research trends and developments, all under the theme “Culture for the Planet: Issues and Challenges for Research and Education in Cultural Management and Policy. It was a whirlwind of ideas, data, and inspiration.
Second day
The second day offered a seamless blend of theory and practice, continuing the reflection on sustainability. The day began with ENCATC’s Education and Research Session, which included seven parallel presentations. It then moved from theory to practical applications during the “Projects Showcase”, where we had the chance to learn about innovative projects tackling sustainability in the cultural and creative sectors.
During this session, Materahub presented one of its latest EU-funded initiatives, “GreenCIRCLE. Creative Climate Action: Bridging Creativity and Sustainability in CCIs” which, very very shortly, it aims to equip professionals in the cultural and creative fields to address climate change through a comprehensive support system that includes two key innovations: a new professional profile, the Sustainability Facilitator for CCIs, and the Green Tool, a diagnostic tool for measuring the environmental impact of cultural production and creative activities.
Final day
On the final day, the focus shifted to cultural policy. We dived into discussions connecting local insights with big-picture strategies. In the afternoon, we joined the Shaping the Future session, where ENCATC members laid out their visions for driving innovation, sustainability, and inclusivity in the cultural and creative sectors!
Materahub took the spotlight again during the Cultural Tourism session, where we presented two of our flagship projects, “TraCEs – Cultour Is Capital” and “COLTOUR Data. Supporting data-driven innovation for tourism SMEs in European Capital of Culture”.
CCI sector, a catalyst of change
These initiatives, both of which have been concluded with great success, aimed to offer sustainable alternatives to the growing issue of overtourism, which is placing increasing pressure on cities and regions, diminishing the quality of life for locals, and threatening cultural heritage. Both projects highlight the role of culture and creativity as catalysts for change, where values such as diversity, identity, and sustainability are inherently integrated into innovative processes.
Join us as we continue to work towards a more sustainable and inclusive future for the cultural and creative industries.
