Mere kultur og kreativitet i den grønne omstilling: Dansk Kulturinstitut skal stå i spidsen for nyt stort EU-program om bæredygtige byer
Overgangen fra lineær til cirkulær økonomi går for langsomt
Det skal en ny stor indsats omkring Østersøen gøre noget ved. Indsatsen kickstartes 1. november. Med programmet ”Creative Circular Cities” skal Dansk Kulturinstitut sammen med 14 partnere være med til at fremme cirkulær økonomi og cirkulær livsstil i seks udvalgte byer i Danmark, Estland, Finland, Letland, Polen og Tyskland. Creative Circular Cities er støttet af EU’s Baltic Sea Interreg program med fire millioner euro.
Det skal være slut med en brug-og-smid-væk-kultur. Cirkulær økonomi handler om at sikre, at materialer og produkter har værdi og er anvendelige og genanvendelige så lang tid som muligt. En nødvendig udvikling i den grønne omstilling– både på lokalt og globalt plan. Men der er endnu langt fra tanke til handling, og her kommer de kreative industrier ind i billedet.
Erfaringer fra mode- og designbranchen
I årtier har kreative brancher som f.eks. mode og design været billedet på forbrug og overproduktion, men i den kulturelle og kreative sektor ligger også en stor viden og erfaring, som kan understøtte og udvikle cirkulære forretningsmodeller og praksisser. Med deres innovative tilgange og stærke indflydelse på menneskers vaner og tankesæt byder de kulturelle og kreative industrier på et stort potentiale i at fremme en cirkulær livsstil. Det potentiale kommer nu i spil i programmet Creative Circular Cities.
Fra teori til praksis
Ambitionerne om en cirkulær omstilling fejler ikke noget, men der mangler fortsat helt konkrete værktøjer til at komme i mål. Der er brug for nye metoder og tankesæt, som er lette at tage i brug både som virksomhed, borger eller som kommuner. I Creative Circular Cities er målet at udvikle, afprøve og dele ”løsninger”, som byer rundt om Østersøen nemt kan omsætte til konkret handling.
Dansk Kulturinstituts adm. direktør Camilla Mordhorst om formålet og ambitionen med programmet:
”Klimaforandringerne er vores tids største udfordring. Det er nemt at føle sig magtesløs og rådvild. Men vi kan alle sammen gøre noget, og her bliver kultur og kreativitet afgørende. For vi skal til at ændre vaner, med andre ord kultur, og det arbejder projekter som Creative Circular Cities direkte med. Vi sætter myndigheder, erhverv og borgere i byer omkring Østersøen sammen om at skabe helt konkrete tiltag, så vi kan vise hinanden, hvordan vi opnår en mere cirkulær økonomi.”
Aarhus er testby
Transformationen fra en lineær til en cirkulær økonomi starter på lokalt niveau, derfor har programmet Creative Circular Cities sat sig for at igangsætte en proces, hvor seks udvalgte byer rundt om Østersøen i fællesskab skal udvikle og teste processer og forretningsmodeller, der fremmer overgangen til en cirkulær økonomi. En af dem er Aarhus, hvor Klimasekretariatet v. Aarhus Kommunes og Lifestyle & Design Cluster er partnere.
Head of Incubation v. Lifestyle & Design Cluster i Aarhus, Christian Chapelle om at være partner i programmet:
“Lifestyle & Design Cluster arbejder for at fremme innovation og bæredygtig vækst primært i de små og mellemstore tøj- og boligvirksomheder samt i de kreative brancher. Som partner i Creative Circular Cities (CCC) vil Lifestyle & Design Cluster identificere og teste nye cirkulære forretningsmodeller sammen med vores eksisterende og fremtidige lokale og regionale partnere inden for den kulturelle og kreative sektor og industri. Vores arbejde vil, i tæt samarbejde med Aarhus Kommune, være centreret omkring Aarhus og vores kommende cirkulære livsstilsinkubator i det centrale Aarhus. I Lifestyle & Design Cluster ser vi meget frem til at deltage i CCC sammen med danske og udenlandske partnere.”
Flere kreative cirkulære byer
I hver af de seks testbyer dannes der et netværk af lokale myndigheder, erhvervsstøtte organisationer og NGO’er, som har til formål at udarbejde et ”starterkit” med vejledninger til at understøtte og udvikle cirkulære forretningsmodeller, cirkulær livsstil og samarbejdsmiljøer og strategier, som også andre byer rundt om Østersøen kan implementere.
Christian Chapelle
Head of Incubattion / Lifestyle & Design Cluster
Mobil: 2420 7207
christian@ldcluster.com
Anne Splittorff
Presse- og kommunikationsrådgiver
Telf: 2636 5775
as@danishculture.com
Om Creative Circular Cities
Creative Circular Cities (CCC) er et tværnationalt samarbejde, hvor seks byer i Østersøregionen i fællesskab vil udarbejde, teste og udbrede løsninger drevet af kulturelle og kreative sektorer og industrier for at understøtte overgangen fra lineær til cirkulær økonomi. Dansk Kulturinstitut leder CCC-konsortiet med 14 partnere fra Aarhus (DK), Kiel (DE), Gdynia (PL), Riga (LV), Tallinn (EE), Turku (FI). Herudover har programmet tilknyttet 23 associerede organisationer på tværs af Østersøregionen. Projektet er finansieret 80 % af EU’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region program med et samlet budget på ca. fire millioner euro.
Om Dansk Kulturinstitut
Dansk Kulturinstitut er en selvejende organisation, som har arbejdet for at fremme interkulturel dialog og forståelse på tværs af landegrænser siden 1940. Med afdelinger i bl.a. Brasilien, de baltiske lande, Indien, Kina og Tyrkiet samt aktiviteter i bl.a. Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova og Georgien er det instituttets ønske at bygge bro mellem Danmark og verden via kunst og kultur. Sammen med lokale partnere gennemfører instituttet mere end 100 kulturprojekter om året, der berører alt fra film, teater og musik til arkitektur, byudvikling og projekter, der fremmer demokratisk udvikling. Dansk Kulturinstitut er ledende partner i flere større programmer, bl.a. Det Ukrainsk-Danske Ungdomshus og Den Ny Demokratifond.
Læs mere på www.danishculture.com
Pivotal policy tools for circular transition formulated by CCC partners in Turku
From 10 to 12 April the city of Turku in Finland hosted the first workshop (Policy Lab) that focused on different policy approaches to involve the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI’s) in local circular transitions. Participants, representing the cities of Aarhus, Gdynia, Kiel, Riga, Tallinn and Turku, explored how cities can leverage policy tools to facilitate the transition to a circular economy, recognizing the pivotal role that local governments play in engaging CCSI’s to drive sustainable change.
In the opening speech, the Regional Director of the Danish Cultural Institute Lizaveta Dubinka-Hushcha pointed out that the circularity mindset, lying at the heart of the CCC project, aligns perfectly with the Nordic design principles of sustainability, minimalism, and functionality. “The Nordic countries have long been known for their commitment to sustainable design, and the Baltic Sea region stands as beacon of excellence in this regard,” said Dubinka-Hushcha.
The mayor of Turku, Minna Arve, delivered a powerful keynote speech that emphasized the city’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. For 2029 Turku has made two commitments – becoming a carbon neutral city and hugely investing in culture. “Culture gives pleasure, brings harmony, it brings issues forward for discussion, but it is also a very strong transformational power in city development,” Arve emphasized.
The dynamic three-day workshop was led by circular economy experts Vojtech Vosecky (The Circular Economist) and Marco Segovia (Circular Change), who delivered inspiring expert sessions and facilitated group discussions.
“Cities are at heart of what is driving the climate crisis, but also at the heart of solving it. […] The biggest challenge is about building the cities of the future because 7 billion people will live in cities in 2050. Imagine all the concrete, glass, steel, and plastic – all the resources that will be needed to accommodate the future generations. If we do it in the old way, we are not going to make it, the planet is not going to take it,” said Vojtech Vosecky highlighting the need for a change in approach towards circularity.
Discussions and activities at the Policy lab revolved around fostering effective cooperation, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and implementing circular economy principles within the CCSI’s. Taking inspiration from the expert sessions but also discussions amongst each other, participants were actively working on refining their citizens engagement and circular business pilots.
Through the lens of case studies like the Turku Circular Economy Roadmap and the Zero Waste Kiel strategy, attendees gained practical insights and best practices tailored to this field.
The CCC Policy Lab marks the beginning of an exciting journey, as it is the first of four labs scheduled to take place in the project’s participating cities. The following multi-day workshops will focus on business incubation, citizen engagement, and strategy development to involve the CCSI’s in the transition to a circular economy.
“Creative Circular Cities” is co-funded by the EU’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme to promote circular transition at local level by involving the culture & creative sectors and industries.
For more information about the project and updates on future events, stay connected through our website https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/ccc/ or reach out directly.
Riga, 11 June
CCC cities refine their business incubation pilots in Aarhus
From 4 to 6 June the municipality of Aarhus in cooperation with Lifestyle and Design Cluster hosted the second workshop of the “Creative Circular Cities” project – a Business Lab. During the Lab the six cities taking part in the project – Aarhus, Gdynia, Kiel, Riga, Tallinn and Turku – refined their business incubation pilots for facilitating CCSI-supported circular business models.
The dynamic three-day workshop was led by sustainable business advisor Jasper Steinhausen and along with the director of the partnership “Trace” Anette Juhl, behavioral scientist Pelle Guldborg Hansen and the leader of the association “Rethink Human Being” Christian Dietrichsen, they delivered inspiring keynotes and expert sessions.
“If you want to create impact, solve business problems,” Jasper Steinhausen said about the essential mindset regarding circular economy. He further stressed the importance of collaborating and helping companies in reframing their approach to become greener.
Despite Denmark’s many circular efforts, Denmark is just 4% circular so far, said Anette Juhl, the director of the partnership Trace which brings together 90 public and private institutions and companies to work on common projects with focus on circular economy in the plastics and textile industries. Anette shared her insights about leading the partnership, emphasizing the importance of finding synergies across different projects and “playing with the ones that want to play with you”.
Pelle Guldborg Hansen introduced the participants to behavioural insights and nudging approaches and advised them “not to create behavioural change through forcing anyone”, but rather through different forms of signaling. If we want to influence people’s behaviour, we need to identify behavioural patterns and find “small things where people could do something different”, said Pelle.
Christian Dietrichsen gave insights to the concept of “inner sustainability”, emphasizing that external changes require an internal transformation, and challenged the project partners in questioning the business incubation pilots’ core values as a means of specifying the business plan.
During the Lab local actors from Denmark, that focus on circular solutions, showcased their ideas, products and business models, one of the highlights being a dress from milk yarn designed by Amalie Ege. Project partners from Gdynia, who are working on a bulk waste collection platform, could get inspired from “The Upcycle” – a platform matching industry with excess materials to companies that can put them to use. The project partners could also learn about the Reusable Cup solution – a deposit system for coffee cups, that is currently being tested in Aarhus.
The company “Noeje”, present at the Lab, showcased their design furniture that is produced in collaboration with local craftsmen and suppliers, but “I tråd med Verden” shared their social business model – they produce clothes and accessories from textile leftovers and employ women who have suffered from depression and want to make their way back to the job market.
“Creative Circular Cities” is co-funded by the EU’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme to promote circular transition at local level by involving the culture & creative sectors and industries.
For more information about the project and updates on future events, stay connected through our website https://interreg-baltic.eu/project/ccc/ or reach out directly.
Riga, 9 November
Making cities more sustainable by involving the creative sector: new project launched in the Baltic Sea Region
An international consortium led by the Danish Cultural Institute has launched the project “Creative Circular Cities” (CCC). Within the project, six cities in the Baltic Sea region – Aarhus (DK), Kiel (DE), Gdynia (PL), Riga (LV), Tallinn (EE), and Turku (FI) – will jointly develop, test, and promote solutions driven by cultural and creative sectors and industries to support the transition from a linear to a circular economy.
The project consortium involves 14 partners – municipalities, business support organizations, NGOs’ s from the involved cities, and transnational network organizations.
The regional director of the Danish Cultural Institute in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Lizaveta Dubinka-Hushcha, on the purpose and ambition of the project:
“Circular economy is above all a philosophy, a lifestyle based on the shared belief in the added value of human co-creation. The road to a sustainable circular society begins in the minds and hearts of its members, where culture is a catalyst of creativity and a conductor of ideas. Our aim is to bridge the gaps between decision-making, business and art, connecting them together in a circular and sustainable system.”
For decades, creative industries such as fashion and design have been associated with consumption and overproduction. Still, the cultural and creative sector also holds significant knowledge and experience that can support and develop circular business models and practices. With their innovative approaches and strong influence on people’s habits and mindsets, the cultural and creative industries offer great potential to promote a circular lifestyle. This potential is now being harnessed in the “Creative Circular Cities” project.
The ambitions for a circular transition are not lacking, but concrete tools to achieve them are still missing. New methods and mindsets that are easy to implement for businesses, citizens, and municipalities are needed. In “Creative Circular Cities”, the goal is to develop, test, and share “solutions” that cities around the Baltic Sea can easily translate into concrete actions.
The project will be implemented from November 2023 to November 2026. It is 80% funded by the EU’s Interreg Baltic Sea Region program with a total budget of approximately four million euros.
The CCC project will be led by Indra Levite who will join the Danish Cultural Institute team on 1 December. Indra works at the Ministry of Climate and Energy of Latvia on municipal and regional level climate change issues as well as the development of the national Climate Law.
Prior to that, she was based in London working on the C40 Cities’ climate action programme. Indra holds a BA in Geography and an MSc in Environmental Technology.
