In times of diverse, overlapping crises, calls for greater participation are growing louder both within and outside European societies. Polarization and radicalization are on the rise, giving rise to a persistent, group-centered, and exclusionary understanding of culture that raises crucial questions: Can the cultural sector help strengthen European democracies? How can it restore a broad consensus on shared democratic values in Europe? What mistakes and failures of the cultural sector must be acknowledged? How can we reformulate and strengthen the narrative of an open Europe in the future? What role can cultural and artistic practices play in these processes? And how can their spaces, as “third places,” facilitate meaningful dialogue and negotiation within society? These questions have guided the recommendations in this policy brief, which is intended to serve as a basis for the implementation of cultural policy at the local, national, and European levels.

This policy brief is based on a Chatham House workshop attended by twenty practitioners and researchers from seven European countries, with a specific focus on the Weimar Triangle. The workshop took place at the initiative and with the support of the ifa, the Genshagen Foundation, and the University of Hildesheim. It is available in English, German, French, and Polish.