This Ukrainian-language episode focuses on how art and culture can help preserve memory, humanity, and solidarity in times of war. Since 2021, the European Union’s Concept on Cultural Heritage in Conflicts and Crises has recognised cultural heritage as a key driver of peace, democracy, and sustainable development. In Ukraine, this principle takes on a concrete meaning every day, as cultural workers, artists, and communities face the ongoing consequences of Russia’s invasion. In this episode, Daryna Zhyvohliadova, a collaborator with culture Solutions and coordinator of the Heritage Ukraine project at KU Leuven, speaks with Cuba and Alaska, two Ukrainian frontline combat medics whose extraordinary courage and friendship have made them emblematic figures of resilience. Both women have served on the front line since the early stages of the war, risking their lives daily to evacuate and treat the wounded under fire. Their story, defined by sacrifice, solidarity, and a disarming sense of humour, inspired the creation of the documentary Cuba and Alaska. Also featured in the episode are Yegor Troyanovsky, the film’s director, and Olha Bregman, its producer. The discussion offers a look at life on the front line, where courage, exhaustion, and dark humour coexist, and explores how documentary film can help preserve truth and collective memory in the face of destruction. It also highlights the role of cultural cooperation, as the film was co-produced by 2Brave Productions (Ukraine), Clin d’Oeil Films (Belgium), and Tag Film (France), and presented at Sheffield DocFest and BRIFF.

This English-language episode focuses on how art and culture can help preserve memory, humanity, and solidarity in times of war. Since 2021, the European Union’s Concept on Cultural Heritage in Conflicts and Crises has recognised cultural heritage as a key driver of peace, democracy, and sustainable development. In Ukraine, this principle takes on a concrete meaning every day, as cultural workers, artists, and communities face the ongoing consequences of Russia’s invasion. In this episode, Daryna Zhyvohliadova, a collaborator with culture Solutions and coordinator of the Heritage Ukraine project at KU Leuven, speaks with Cuba and Alaska, two Ukrainian frontline combat medics whose extraordinary courage and friendship have made them emblematic figures of resilience. Both women have served on the front line since the early stages of the war, risking their lives daily to evacuate and treat the wounded under fire. Their story, defined by sacrifice, solidarity, and a disarming sense of humour, inspired the creation of the documentary Cuba and Alaska. Also featured in the episode are Yegor Troyanovsky, the film’s director, and Olha Bregman, its producer. The discussion offers a look at life on the front line, where courage, exhaustion, and dark humour coexist, and explores how documentary film can help preserve truth and collective memory in the face of destruction. It also highlights the role of cultural cooperation, as the film was co-produced by 2Brave Productions (Ukraine), Clin d’Oeil Films (Belgium), and Tag Film (France), and presented at Sheffield DocFest and BRIFF.

On the 22nd of September, culture Solutions hosted the webinar EU’s International Cultural Relations: Reality Check, welcoming Mafalda Dâmaso, coordinator of the recently published and important handbook The EU as a Global Cultural Power, along with four contributors: Avril Joffe, Matina Magkou, Alessandro Lamonica, and Andrew Murray.

The webinar offered a timely opportunity to assess where the EU currently stands in international cultural relations (ICR), the gaps that persist between ambition and implementation, and how culture can act as a strategic tool in today’s rapidly evolving global landscape. It also provided a necessary reflection on the nine years since the 2016 Joint Communication towards an EU ICR.

The handbook discussed during the event is a must-read for anyone curious about, committed to, or passionate about international cultural relations. Its foreword provides a valuable historical context for European cultural policy — shaped by the rise of global cultural exchanges. It also highlights the EU’s internal and external ambivalences in its cultural approach — shifting from a focus on promoting cultural values to seeking economic justification, from soft power to what some now call “enabling power,” and dealing with the challenge of making its own cultural sector more competitive.

In this podcast, we selected key moments from the webinar where panellists and the audience explored several critical themes:

• EU–Africa cultural relations

• Cultural relations in the Mediterranean region

• The absence of theory in international cultural relations

• The rise of digital cultural movements

• The call for a strong community of practice
  

Enjoy the podcast — and we’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Let’s continue to engage and grow this community of practice together.

This French-language episode is part of a series dedicated to the role of art and culture in the face of crises and conflict: their capacity to support communities, foster dialogue, contribute to conflict resolution, and assist in both material and psychological reconstruction.

In 2021, the European Union adopted a concept on the protection of cultural heritage in times of conflict and crisis, recognising cultural heritage as an important driver of peace, democracy, and sustainable development. What can artists and cultural actors do to rekindle dialogue, preserve memory, and build peace? What role can the European Union, as an international player, take in defending endangered cultural heritage? What concrete initiatives have already been implemented, with what outcomes, and in collaboration with which partners?

In this episode, Lilian Richieri Hanania, a collaborator with culture Solutions, speaks with Fady Jeanbart, a Lebanese opera singer who has conducted significant archival work related to Lebanon’s cultural memory. This interview was conducted during the period of Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon, followed by incursions by the Israeli army into Lebanese territory, between September and October 2024. These attacks, occurring in the context of the conflict between Israel, Gaza, Hamas, and Hezbollah, caused serious damage to Lebanon’s cultural heritage.Speaker bio, references and transcript: https://www.culturesolutions.eu/podcast/building-lebanese-cultural-memory/

In this third episode of the (Re)generating trust podcast series on the links between youth and culture, Elise Cuny exchanged with four artists from Kenya, Somalia and Italy, who took part in the ArtXChange project, a result of the AU-EU youth cooperation hub.

We explore how they experienced co-creation, how creative directors supported them in residencies and exhibitions, and what they learned from international cultural relations. “This is what it feels like to be alive. I didn’t know, but now I know”, shared a participant, pointing to the life experiences behind strategies.

More about the artists, sources of inspiration, and transcript on our website: https://www.culturesolutions.eu/podcast/au-eu-youth-cooperation-breaks-barriers-through-art/

Musical creation credits: Stéphane Lam Songs: Mana y’i Rwanda, by Kaya Byinshii, and Freedom, by Liboi

After exploring the various understandings of the concept of international cultural relations in different geographical contexts, we now look at the relationship between diverse world regions and the dynamics that have emerged in recent years between and within the North and the South, the East and the West.

We round up with a series of recommendations based on contributors' professional practices, linked to cherishing and preserving local cultural expressions, promoting intercultural exchanges and mainstreaming cultural policies.

Speakers' bios, quotes and transcript: https://www.culturesolutions.eu/podcast/cultural-relations-a-fairer-way-to-engage-between-continents/

Musical creation credits: Introduction and closing by Stéphane Lam; Nature by MaxKoMusic; Borrow the Happiness by Kabbalistic Village

The second episode of the Regenerating trust podcast mini-series, focusing on youth and culture, features Nicky Alonga, a trailblazer in the fields of art and education in Rwanda. Nicky is a visionary entrepreneur in the creative sector who established a publishing house in Rwanda - Imagine We Rwanda - specialising in children's books with narratives from Rwanda and Africa.

In her interview with our research collaborator Elise Cuny, Nicky shares her insights from participating in the Global Cultural Relations Programme (GCRP), a two-week training funded by the EU and organised by the Cultural Relations Platform. She participated in the programme's second edition held in Istanbul. The programme brought together youth from around the world to brainstorm on the future of the cultural sector, considering both local perspectives and global challenges such as equity in international cultural relations.

Tune in to the episode to learn more about Nicky's experience and the reflections arising from this international programme.

Bio, sources of inspiration, and transcript on our website: https://www.culturesolutions.eu/podcast/youth-mobility-to-end-racism/

Musical creation credits: Stéphane Lam

International Cultural Relations (ICR) theory and practices are usually framed from a Western perspective that conditiones their design and interpretation. There is a need for a more inclusive ICR framework, founded on open dialogue and attentive listening, embracing diversity of voices and perspectives, and engaging with a variety of stakeholders.

It is time to ask ourselves: is ICR a purely Western concept? Does it have the same meaning in non-Western European contexts? This podcast episode gives voice to experts in various geographical settings with a view to contributing to the recognition of the myriad of understandings, reasonings, and realities that coexist within the realm of International Cultural Relations.

Speakers' bios, references and transcript on our website > https://www.culturesolutions.eu/podcast/cultural-relations-perspectives-beyond-the-european-union/

Musical creation credits: Introduction and closing by Stéphane Lam; Nature by MaxKoMusic; Borrow the Happiness by Kabbalistic Village