Putting Culture at the Centre: The EU Culture Compass at SoAlive

The European Commission presents the Culture Compass for Europe—a new strategic framework to place culture at the heart of the European project. In this keynote Q&A, Commissioner Glenn Micallef outlines how the Compass will align policy and funding, improve consistency across EU instruments, and guide future initiatives that strengthen creativity, cohesion, well-being, and democratic resilience.

Moderator Ruth Koleva will translate the framework into practical implications for artists, venues, festivals, and intermediaries across the Balkans and wider Europe: coordination between programmes (e.g., Creative Europe, cohesion/RRP), fair remuneration and mobility, digital/AI transitions, sustainability, inclusion, and tackling geographic under-representation.