Culture and the SDGs: training and residency programme

The Culture and Sustainability Lab are calling for applications from young cultural and creative industries professionals for an online and in-person programme from August to September 2022. 

Culture and the SDGs: enhancing creative cross-sectoral collaborations is an experimental project that sits between an action research, capacity-building training and a creative residency. It seeks to raise awareness about the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) framework within the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), while simultaneously encouraging professionals from other sectors to engage more actively with the culture sector. 

The programme will bring together eight cultural and creative industries professionals and eight professionals from other sectors (such as education, environment and policy) to explore how creativity and culture can help shape the future of the planet.

There are two parts to the project: 

• Late August and early September 2022: An online programme with perspectives on creative cross-sectoral collaborations for sustainable development
• 12–16 September 2022: A five-day in-person residency programme for the selected participants to exchange and brainstorm on collaboration models

The participants must be:

• Emerging or mid-career professionals, aged between 25 and 40 years old 
• Professionals in the CCIs or preferably working in the sectors of education, environment or policy (participants from other sectors are welcome to apply)
• Familiar with the UN Sustainable Development framework
• Actively engaged in activities contributing to the SDGs
• Open and willing to address contrasting ideas and challenge traditional forms of collaboration
• Professionally proficient in English
• Able to commit to the online sessions (2–3 sessions, up to 3 hours/day) and the in-person programme (full day) 

Costs incurred

The Culture and Sustainability Lab will book and pay for travel to the in-person event, accommodation and any other incidental expenses during the programme. Participants may incur some costs based on the Covid-19 regulations, if unvaccinated.

Application guidelines 

Deadline: 26 June 2022

The project team comprises alumni of the EU-funded Global Cultural Relations Programme 2021, hailing from Slovenia, India, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, and Germany.