The session provided a platform to examine the practical application of cultural rights in different contexts, including artistic freedom of expression, gender mainstreaming, climate action, cultural heritage, and decolonisation.

Discussions highlighted the vital dual role of cultural relations organisations: empowering rights holders, such as citizens and artists, in civil society while strengthening the collective capacity of cultural organisations as duty bearers.

Olaf Gerlach-Hansen from the Danish Cultural Institute opened with an introduction to the topic, defining the distinction between cultural rights and the cultural rights-based approach.

The first half of the workshop spotlighted initiatives and publications by EUNIC members that offer insights into applying the CRBA:
• Dr. Simone Inguanez, Diversity & Communities Executive, Arts Council Malta presented the Right to Culture resources initiative.
• Jane Evguenia Klementieva Holm, Strategic Adviser, Danish Cultural Institute presented the Cultural Rights Manual.
• Dr. Odila Triebel, Head of Section Dialogue and Culture and Foreign Policy Research, ifa, presented the Cultural Rights-Based International Cultural Relations initiative.

Rights are always about the application of them - it is all about practice and relationships between duty bearers and rights holders, because without that human rights cannot exist.

Jane Evguenia Klementieva Holm Strategic Adviser, Danish Cultural Institute

In the second half of the workshop was dedicated to smaller breakout sessions co-led by EUNIC members, featuring best practices and case studies across four thematic areas:
• Artistic freedom of expression – led by Maik Müller, Head of Martin Roth Initiative, plus ifa & Goethe-Institut
• Gender mainstreaming – led by Sarah Giles, Director, Culture Responds, British Council, and Jonathon Morley, Relationship Manager, Culture Responds, British Council
• Climate and environment: Politics of nature – led by Anders Hentze, Country Director, Danish Cultural Institute Brazil, with Goethe-Institut
• Cultural heritage, conflict, and decolonisation – led by Irena Kregar Šegota, Head of Sector for Cultural and Artistic Development, and Tatjana Horvatić, Head of the Movable, Ethnographic, and Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, both Croatian Ministry of Culture, alongside Tetyana Filevska, Artistic Director, Ukrainian Institute

The session closed with reflections on the next steps for EUNIC in embedding the cultural rights-based approach across its work. Discussions highlighted the need to further unpack and mainstream cultural rights within the network, offering valuable insights to guide collective action.

Catch up on the first part of the workshop here on this page.