Deconfining Coffee Chat: Africa-Europe cultural relations
Join the next Deconfining informal coffee chat—a flexible and open format for connecting with cultural professionals from across continents. This session will take place on 11 April 2025, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm CET.
culture Solutions and the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) are collaborating on a research project funded by the Africa-Europe Foundation. Their work aligns with the goals and recommendations of the Deconfining project.
Discussion Focus:
Together, we will explore the challenges and opportunities in Africa-Europe cultural cooperation, with a particular focus on cultural ecosystems:
- What are the key ingredients for strong cultural ecosystems?
- How can Africa-Europe cooperation help strengthen them?
This conversation will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the Deconfining Policy Recommendations, “Building the Missing Links with Culture – An Optimistic (Policy) Vision Based on Good Relations!”, and to introduce key insights and recommendations from culture Solutions’ upcoming policy analysis on AU-EU cultural cooperation. Additionally, colleagues from the South African Cultural Observatory will share perspectives on how cultural ecosystems protect and adapt in response to disruptive digital transformations in the cultural and creative sectors. They will also present early findings from a survey on skills needed for sustainable careers in the sector.
Your insights, feedback, and perspectives will be invaluable to this discussion—we hope you’ll be able to join us!
Event details
Date: 11 April 2025
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm CET
Zoom Link: Join here
Meeting ID: 874 8456 5473
Passcode: 354492
No registration required—just mark your calendar! A final reminder will be sent a week before the event.
Guest speakers
Elise Cuny, Chair of culture Solutions
cS is a social innovation group founded in 2018 to monitor and inform on the central role of culture in the European Union’s external relations and to promote trust-building through international cultural relations.
Amy Shelver, currently with the UN Human Rights Innovation Hub and an Associate Researcher at SACO
The South African Cultural Observatory is hosted by Nelson Mandela University and a project of the South African Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
“Skills Foresight: The Creative Economy and Untapped Potential of Cultural Cooperation for Africa-Europe Youth” is a joint research project conducted by culture Solutions and SACO (2024-2025) and funded by the Africa-Europe Foundation as part of the call “Establishing an Africa-Europe Research Partnership”.
DECONFINING – Deconfining arts, culture and policies in Europe and Africa co-funded by the European Union (EU CREA-CULT-2021-101055965). This support does not constitute an endorsement of the contents of this document which reflects the views only of the authors. The European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.