The Department for Culture and Communication of the Institute for Development and International Relations organised a roundtable entitled “Small Markets, Big Stories – Film Industry in Small European Countries” on November 11, 2025, at the F22 stage of the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb. The roundtable was held as part of the CresCine project within the Industry program of the Zagreb Film Festival. The roundtable presented the key results of the research “Increasing the International Competitiveness of the Film Industry in Small European Markets” (CresCine) conducted within the framework of the Horizon Europe program (2023-2026). Participants discussed ways to increase the competitiveness of films from small countries, while special emphasis was placed on comparative insights from Croatia and Denmark. The roundtable participants were: Jakob Isak Nielsen, associate professor at Aarhus University, Denmark, Lars Bjørn Hansen, head of the Danish SF Production Office, Chris Marcich, director of the Croatian Audiovisual Center (HAVC), Martina Petrović, head of the DKE – MEDIA Office of Croatia, while the event was moderated by Jaka Primorac, scientific advisor from the Department of Culture and Communications of the Institute for Development and International Relations.

You can read the full report from the roundtable here.

The roundtable was attended by over 60 participants from the film sector and academia from Croatia and broader Europe. The roundtable was organised in partnership with the Zagreb Film Festival and the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb, and was part of the ZFF Industry program, which serves as a platform for education and networking of film professionals in the region.

A public debate on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) was organised by the Centre for Media Sociology and Digital Society (CEMEDI) of the Institute for Development and International Relations to create a participatory and inclusive exchange of knowledge on the possible implementation process of this regulation in Croatia. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND), the Croatian Journalists’ Union (SNH), the Croatian News Agency (HINA), Jutarnji list, Gong, Faktograf, the Ombudsman, the Agency for the Protection of Market Competition (AZTN), Croatian regulatory authority for network industries (HAKOM) and the Ministry of Culture and Media.

Dr Iva Nenadić, scientific coordinator of the Centre for Media Freedom and Media Pluralism (CMPF) of the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, gave the introductory presentation. She highlighted the broader European framework of the regulation, and the role of the Media Pluralism Monitor project. She concluded that EMFA is not a technical issue but a basis for the structural reform of media legislation and creating a framework for media and journalism in the service of public interest and democracy. In his presentation, Dr Paško Bilić emphasised that the problems of Croatian media policy result from long-term unplanned processes and that EMFA implies the creation of minimum standards in all EU members. By looking at the five selected articles (Articles 4, 5, 7, 18 and 22), he pointed out that there are either no similar standards in Croatian legislation or, in some important elements, they are below EMFA’s expectations.

In the ensuing discussion, stakeholders highlighted the problem of transparency of media ownership in Croatia, which stems from the company law that allows for secret owners, making regulation more difficult. The Agency for Electronic Media is developing a platform financed by the EU NPOO, but doubts are raised about the effectiveness of this platform, given that it will rely on already existing registers. The problem of unregulated state advertising was also highlighted. Additional challenges include the lack of oversight and sanction mechanisms for implementing media statutes and institutional support for implementing media statutes within individual media organisations. There was critical discussion about the insufficient implementation of existing laws, the independence of regulatory bodies and the financial stability of public media. According to EMFA, the public service broadcaster (HRT) and the media regulator (Council for Electronic Media) should be depoliticised, but there are concerns that political influence will be retained through formal changes. It is, therefore, necessary to discuss a model that can ensure real political independence. The need for a systematic approach was also highlighted, including tax policy reform, ensuring the financial independence of HRT and the protection of editorial freedom. Funding models for independent media, including potential digital tax revenues, should be planned to ensure pluralism and protection of journalism. The delay of Croatia, i.e. the Ministry of Culture and Media, in preparations and discussions on EMFA was criticised, and the importance of transparent management of the process and adequate legitimisation of the process through assessments of the effects of regulations on the market and human rights was highlighted to avoid formal implementation without real adaptation.

Towards the end of the discussion, it was emphasised that the academic community would continue to offer detailed analyses and interpretations of individual articles of the EMFA and possible implications in the national context. The need to maintain a broad perspective to understand all aspects of the information environment and political economy was also emphasised. Special emphasis was placed on the independence of financing of HRT and the Agency for Electronic Media, noting that the financing models of both institutions defined in the existing legislation must not be changed as this would undermine their financial independence. It was concluded that the implementation of the EMFA requires an active role of the Ministry of Culture and Media and broad cooperation of all relevant stakeholders while ensuring transparency and public debate to prevent negative consequences for media pluralism and democratic standards.

At the end of the discussion, Nives Zvonarić, the representative of the Ministry of Culture and Media, announced that it is planned to unify the Law on Media and the Law on Electronic Media and establish a single regulatory agency. At the same time, she points out that the key challenges are ensuring a flexible legislative framework, preserving existing reasonable solutions and solving the problem of ownership transparency in the media, where regulatory authorities currently do not have the mechanisms to investigate real owners. She points out that the analysis of the national legislation in the context of the EMFA will be completed within a few weeks, followed by an assessment of the impact of the regulations and the development of proposals for changes. A public presentation of the analysis results and consultation with stakeholders is planned. Given the short time frame, until EMFA comes into force in August, readiness for cooperation and appreciation of comparative analyses by the academic community and civil society was clear.

On 28 January, senior research associate Dr Marija Brajdić-Vuković, head of the Centre for Research in Science, Work and Sustainability at the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb and principal investigator of the HRZZ of the RESETH project, held an invited lecture. The lecture title was Scientific Identity and the Role of Science – The Erosion of Identity in the Age of Social Crises. It was based on the results of two surveys conducted in 2024 on the Social Responsibility and Professional Ethics of Croatian Scientists (RESETH) research project. The project investigates what a socially responsible researcher is from the bottom up, that is, it investigates the meaning and content that comes from the scientific community itself through everyday research practice. It does this through the sequence of different research methods through which the essence of social responsibility related to the professional ethics of science is outlined through the values, attitudes and behaviour of researchers and the understanding of the identity of a socially responsible researcher. In her lecture, Dr Brajdić-Vuković referred to the first insights into the attitudes and behavioural patterns of Croatian researchers from all disciplines, that is, to insights related to the attitude of researchers towards some aspects of the scientific (academic) profession.

The 15th Annual International Small Cinemas Conference entitled Changing Policies, Transforming Audiences and Work Practices In-flux took place from November 5 to 7, 2024, at the F22 Hall in Zagreb. The conference was organized by the Department of Culture and Communication of the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) in cooperation with the Zagreb Film Festival (ZFF) and the Academy of Dramatic Arts (ADU), and was held as part of the ZFF Industry program. During the three days of the conference, experts and researchers from all over the world discussed the key challenges and prospects for development of the film industry in small countries. The conference program covered a wide range of topics – from discussions on the impact of global streaming platforms, issues of innovation in film production, distribution challenges, as well as on policies to encourage production in smaller film industries.

After opening words from the organizers, Jaka Primorac, President of the Programme Board of the Conference, Selma Mahadžić, from Zagreb Film Festival, Davor Švaić from the Academy of Dramatic Arts and Aleksandra Uzelac, Head of the Department for Culture and Communication at IRMO, the first day of the conference on November 5, 2024, was opened by Jakob Isak Nielsen from Aarhus University, Denmark, who gave a keynote lecture entitled Four Avenues for Small Film Ecosystems, in which he presented a comparative analysis of seven small European film ecosystems and highlighted four key strategies for facing the challenges of too small domestic market. The invited lecture was followed by a round table entitled Evidence-based Policy-making for Small Film Industries, in which researchers Ivana Kostovska (VUB Brussels, Belgium) and Jakob Isak Nielsen (Aarhus University, Denmark) and public policy stakeholders Christopher Peter Marcich (Director of HAVC and President of EFAD) and Krešimir Partl, State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia discussed the relationship between research data and public policy instruments and necessary strategic approaches to small film industries. The first session of individual presentations dealt with internationalization and challenges of production in small film industries, and was followed by a panel on the new law on audiovisual activities in Spain introduced in 2022 and its implications for small film communities – primarily on implications for linguistic diversity and gender equality in the audiovisual sector. The first day of the conference was closed with a panel on the role of clusters for the development of small film industries, where Romanas Matulis and Kestutis Drazdauskas presented the work of the Baltic Film & Creative Tech cluster, while award-winning Croatian producers Danijel Pek (Antitalent) and Zoran Vujić (Poster) commented on the possibility of developing a similar cluster in the Croatian context.

The second day of the conference, on November 6, 2024, was opened by the panel Approaches to Competitiveness in Small Film Industries, in which representatives of three Horizon Europe projects dealing with the international competitiveness of the European audiovisual sector, Anastasios Drosou (SCENE project), Antonios Vlassis (Reboot project) and Andre Rui Graca (CresCine project) talked about increasing the competitiveness of small film industries in Europe. This was followed by three sessions of individual presentations that dealt with distribution and cinema infrastructure, the impact of global streaming services on local markets and the reactions of small countries, diverse practices in film production and issues of film reception. The second day’s program ended with a round table organized with the support of DKE – MEDIA Office Croatia, which spoke about the challenges of the independent cinema network in Croatia. The round table, moderated by the Head of the CED-MEDIA Office Martina Petrović, was attended by representatives of the independent cinema network Maja Holek from the cinema  ‘Velebit’ in Koprivnica, Renata Kiršić Veselica from the cinema ‘Labin’, Goran Plantak from the cinema ‘Gaj’ in Varaždin, and Alen Munitić as a representative Mediterranean Film Festival Split (FMFS). The second day concluded with a party at the Tvornica kulture, jointly organized by the Zagreb Film Festival, the Sarajevo Film Festival and the Institute for Development and International Relations.

The third and final day of the conference on November 7th, 2024, was opened by Petr Szczepanik from Charles University in Prague, Czechia, with a lecture entitled Geography of the Streaming Economy: East-Central Europe as a Digital Periphery, in which he offered a detailed analysis of the impact of global streaming services on the markets of Eastern and Central Europe. The last two sessions of individual presentations dealt with technological innovations in film production and public policy and local industry actors’ responses to them, as well as the effects of incentive instruments for foreign productions and service productions themselves on small film industries in Europe. Performative panel How to Emancipate the Screen?, moderated by Boris Ružić, FFRI and performed by Dina Pokrajac from Dokukino, Marta Baretić from the cinema ‘Katarina’ and Karla Crnčević (cinema ‘Unseen’) opened a discussion on the emancipatory potential of film art, engagement of audience and the activist potential of small independent cinemas, which, with the final words from the organizers, closed the last day of the conference.

Over the three days of the conference, more than a hundred participants from all over Europe gathered, including invited scientists, numerous domestic and foreign film professionals, members of professional associations, public policy stakeholders, students, and other audiences interested in an overview of the current state of the film industry in small countries as well as on discussions on the future of the film sector. Held as a part of the ZFF Industry program, the conference, through its format, which, in addition to scientific presentations, provided a series of panels and round tables aimed at film professionals, contributed to more intensive discussions during the conference and a richer exchange of knowledge between the industry and academia. The conference also emphasized the importance of small cinematographies in preserving local identities and in exchanging cultural values and highlighted the need for new approaches and policies that reflect the changes in the digitalized and globalized world.

The conference program is available at the following link.

Organized by the CULTURELINK Centre of the Institute for Development and International Relations and the Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo, as a part of the CULTMED project, an international memorial conference titled “Cultural Diversity, Networks, and Cultural Policies: The Legacy of Cultural Optimism of Biserka Cvjetičanin” was held on October 4, 2024, at the Kuća Europe in Zagreb. The conference was dedicated to this distinguished scholar, whose work in the field of cultural policies left a profound impact both locally and internationally. At the opening, speeches were delivered by the head of IRMO’s Department for Culture and Communication, Dr. Aleksandra Uzelac; Executive Director of the Miko Tripalo Centre, Vanja Mladineo; and the Minister of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, Dr. Nina Obuljen Koržinek. The panel discussions addressed topics that marked the scholarly work and interests of Dr. Biserka Cvjetičanin, bringing together numerous collaborators, colleagues, and friends from Croatia and abroad: Dr. Nada Švob-Đokić, Dr. Jaka Primorac, Dr. Ana Žuvela, Dr. Dea Vidović, Prof. Milena Dragičević Šešić, Prof. Raj Isar, Dr. Cristina Farinha, Mercedes Giovinazzo, and Janja Sesar.

A commemorative video, created by Biserka’s colleagues from IRMO’s Department for Culture and Communication, gave guests an opportunity to reflect on the rich and fruitful academic legacy of Biserka Cvjetičanin.
The video can be viewed at this link.

On the occasion of the launch of the Centre for Sociology of Media and Digital Society (CEMEDIG) as part of the CULTMED project at the Department of Culture and Communications, Institute for Development and International Relations, Professor Linnet Taylor from Tilburg University in the Netherlands held a guest lecture at the IRMO library titled “Beyond digital exceptionalism: integrating technology governance with democratic process”. In an interesting presentation, Professor Taylor spoke about artificial intelligence and technologies that are increasingly used in the public sector and the data protection problems that arise in this process. Organizing responses to the technologies that impact the public and representing the interests of people and groups in relation to datafied interventions are part of the democratic project. Yet, these public duties have been reframed as technical issues of expert-led governance and compliance. Professor Taylor’s talk explored the challenges that public and private algorithmic systems pose to the expert-led model of technology governance, and what alternatives might be possible that are better aligned with the democratic process Professor Taylor’s research brought together scientists from different fields, as well as the Dutch ambassador Charlotte van Baak, and aroused great interest, so after the presentation, an excellent discussion developed on the issues of data protection and technology management, as well as the protection of human rights in the process. As one of the biggest problems, the disparity between the speed of technology development and the speed of passing regulations on these technologies was detected, as well as insufficient education of representative bodies on these topics. 

IRMO’s Department for Culture and Communication in cooperation with ZFF Industry organized a round table discussion entitled ‘Big Challenges for Small Cinematographies’ that was held on the 18th of December 2023 in Cultural Informational Centre (KIC). The round table gathered participants of the Horizon Europe project ‘Increasing the international competitiveness of the film industry in small European markets’ (CresCine): Jakob Isak Nielsen from the University of Aarhus, Denmark and Ivana Kostovska from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium, and Martina Petrović, Head of the Creative Europe Desk – MEDIA Office Croatia. Jaka Primorac from the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) and the coordinator of the CresCine project team for Croatia moderated the discussion.

In the last couple of years, the film industry globally has faced a series of transformations at the level of production, distribution and consumption. The entrance of streaming services caused the most significant change in addition to the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially in the North American context, we have also seen the labour force resistance to these changes in the form of screenwriters’ and actors’ strikes. It was discussed what all these changes mean for the film industry in countries with small production capacities, as well as the main challenges of film production and distribution in so-called ‘small countries’. Speakers presented how public policies respond to dynamic changes in the audio-visual field. The round table also touched upon the role of the most important program for the audio-visual industry in Europe, ‘MEDIA’, and the obstacles faced both by small cinematographies and MEDIA beneficiaries when applying for the MEDIA funds.

You can download the entire report from the round table here.

The public lecture by professor David Nieborg from University of Toronto under the title ‘Next Steps in Culture, Platforms and Regulation’ was held from on 17^th of October 2022 at F22 Hall, Academy of Dramatic Arts, Frankopanska 22, Zagreb. The lecture was organised by the Department for Culture and Communication, IRMO in cooperation with the Academy of Dramatic Arts (ADU) in Zagreb.

Full report (in Croatian) from the event together with the gallery of photos is available at the following link: Izvještaj sa javnog predavanja Davida Nieborga ‘Sljedeći koraci u kulturi, platformama i regulaciji’ – platEU (irmo.hr)

Within the platEU project the round table discussion entitled ‘Creative Labour as Platform Work: Infrastructures and Interactions’ was held on the 6th of June 2022 at 20h in Filodrammatica Gallery in Rijeka. The participants of the round table discussion were Ana Alacovska, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, and Jamie Woodcock, The Open University, UK, while the moderator of the discussion was Valerija Barada, University of Zadar, Croatia. The introductory notes on behalf of the organizer of the Department for Culture and Communication, Institute for Development and International Relations were given by project coordinator Jaka Primorac. The round table gathered more than twenty cultural workers, artists, students and other interested citizens who actively participated in the final discussion. Before the beginning of the round table, the meeting of the Academic Board of the project was held at Drugo more premises, and the final programme of the events is available here.

The announcement of the round table together with speakers’ CVs can be found here.

The audio recording of the event is available at Mixcloud link.

Detailed report from the event can be found here (in Croatian only).

The Masterclass Lecture with Antonios Vlassis from the University of Liège, Belgium entitled ‘Online platforms, audiovisual industry and governance: lessons from the review of the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive’ was held in the hybrid format at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, F22 Hall, Frankopanska 22 in Zagreb and online on the 25^th of March 2022 from 17h to 19h.

The event was opened by the platEU programme coordinator Jaka Primorac from IRMO who was the organizer of the Masterclass, and by Davor Švaić, Dean of the Academy of Dramatic Art as the host and partner organization of the platEU project. The Masterclass was moderated by Jaka Primorac and the discussant of the programme was Paško Bilić from IRMO. The event was preceded by the meeting of the Organisation board of the project. The final programme of the events can be found here.

Video recordings of the Masterclass lecture and the discussion can be found at the following link. The report is available here.

Department for Culture and Communication at IRMO organized a round table entitled ‘Digital Cultural Politics: From Policy to Practice and Back’ as a part of the activities of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet project ‘EU Policies and the Platformisation of the Cultural and Audio-visual Sectors – platEU’. The round table was held on the 4th of March 2022 in the Multimedia Hall of the University of Zadar. Partners in the organisation of the event were the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar and the Zadar Branch of the Croatian Sociological Association (HSD).

The meeting was opened by Valerija Barada on the behalf of the Department of Sociology of the University of Zadar as the host and the partner of the round table. Head of the Department Barada stressed that she was pleased that the Department of Sociology could host a round table on digital cultural policies and media regulation, as cultural sociology is one of the focus of the Department’s work. Professor Barada then gave floor to Marija Šarić, head of the Zadar Branch of the Croatian Sociological Association. Dr Šarić stressed how she was glad that the partnership at this round table was the first activity of the Branch after a long time, and stressed the importance of the meeting in the current socio-political context. Šarić then introduced the project coordinator and the moderator of the round table Jaka Primorac, who gave the context for the organization of the discussion and introduced the speakers. She noted how the inspiration for the organization of the round table was the book ‘Digital Cultural Politics: From Policy to Practice’ by Bjarki Valtysson from the University of Copenhagen, to whom she then gave the floor. Valtysson presented the key points of the book, and opened a discussion on public policy changes in the field of culture and media due to the growth of platforms, which put the issues of convergence and converging regulation at the centre of discussion. He advocated for critical digital cultural policies that take into account the overall complexity of regulatory frameworks, and that should be able to promote different public goals in such a complex and layered environment.

The next discussant was Aleksandar Brkić from the Goldsmiths University, who, using examples of the emerging digital environment of the Metaverse, pointed out the complexities and problems that the possible regulation of the new digital environment brings. He also stressed that the key problem of the cultural policy lies in the fact that instead of compensating for market failures, it is becoming more and more market-oriented. Giving examples of the UK Parliamentary ‘white papers’ and proposals for possible regulatory frameworks for platforms, Brkić concluded that such activities, although limited, are still better than leaving the platforms to market regulation, as its’ concerns are not only the issue of economy but also of democracy, public policy and the social contract.

In the next presentation, Paško Bilić connected to the issues presented in the previous discussion by asking what is really new that platforms bring, and what is the continuation or repetition of known aspects of capitalism and market economy. As a basis for his intervention, he used the arguments from the book ‘The Political Economy of Digital Monopolies: Contradictions and Alternatives to Data Commodification’, which he co-authored with Toni Prug and Mislav Žitko. Bilić emphasized that it is necessary to move away from the discourse of platform exceptionality, which is often present through markers such as platform capitalism, etc. Bilić pointed out that the business model on which platforms are based is the commodification of data produced by user activity, no matter what the content is. As a consequence of such an orientation, there is the spread of hate speech and fake news on these platforms. Due to the public pressures caused by these issues, the digital giants have finally opened up to the regulation. However, this shifts the focus away from the critique of their business model, and thus the possibility of banning the commodification of data. In his concluding remarks, Bilić advocated for the concept of public wealth, which he develops in the book together with Prug and Žitko. Public wealth refers to a different model of dealing with issues of public interest and infrastructure protection such as public health, science and education. The presentation was followed by a discussion in which the complexity of the overall regulatory framework was highlighted, the black box policy of platform algorithms was discussed, and the continuous lagging behind of public policies behind the (technological) practices was emphasized.

After the round table, the meeting of the Academic Committee of the platEU project was held. You can find the entire program of events at the following link.

As part of the Erasmus + Jean Monnet project ‘EU Policies and the Platformisation of the Cultural and Audiovisual Sectors – platEU’, the Department for Culture and Communication at IRMO organized a round table entitled ‘Towards Critical Digital Cultural Politics? EU, Platforms and Converging Regulation’. The round table was held on the 3^rd of March, 2022 in the Council Hall of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. Partners in the organization of the event were: the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, and the Section for Sociology of Media of the Croatian Sociological Association (HSD).

The meeting was opened by Helena Popović on behalf of the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences as the host and the partner of the round table. She pointed out that the issue of regulation is an old topic of media studies and media research, and that she hopes that the discussions during the round table will be more focused on a broader contextualization of the problems that the development of online platforms opens for the cultural and media sector. Popović then gave the floor to the project coordinator and the moderator of the round table Jaka Primorac, who gave the context for the organization of the discussion and introduced the speakers. She noted how the inspiration for the organization of the round table was the book ‘Digital Cultural Politics: From Policy to Practice‘ by Bjarki Valtysson from the University of Copenhagen, to whom she then gave the floor. Valtysson presented the key points of the book and opened a discussion on public policy changes in the field of culture and media due to the growth of platforms, which at the center of the discussion put the issues of convergence and converging regulation. He advocated for critical digital cultural policies that take into account the overall complexity of regulatory frameworks, and that should be able to promote different public goals in such a complex and layered environment.

The next discussant was Aleksandar Brkić from Goldsmiths University, who, using examples of the emerging digital environment of the Metaverse, pointed out the complexities and problems that the possible regulation of the new digital environment brings. He also pointed out that he sees how the key problem of cultural policy lies in the fact that instead of compensating for market failures, it is becoming more and more market-oriented. Giving examples of the UK Parliamentary ‘white papers’ and proposals for possible regulatory frameworks for platforms, Brkić concluded that such activities, although limited, are still better than leaving the platforms to market regulation, as its concerns are not only the issue of the economy but also of democracy, public policy, and the social contract.

In the next presentation, Paško Bilić connected to the issues presented in the previous discussion by asking what is really new that platforms bring, and what is the continuation or repetition of known aspects of capitalism and market economy. As a basis for his intervention, he used the arguments from the book ‘The Political Economy of Digital Monopolies: Contradictions and Alternatives to Data Commodification‘, which he co-authored with Toni Prug and Mislav Žitko. Bilić emphasized that it is necessary to move away from the discourse of platform exceptionality, which is often present through markers such as platform capitalism, etc. Bilić pointed out that the business model on which platforms are based is the commodification of data produced by user activity, no matter what the content is. As a consequence of such an orientation, there is the spread of hate speech and fake news on these platforms. Due to the public pressures caused by these issues, the digital giants have finally opened up to regulation. However, this shifts the focus away from the problematization of the basis of their business model, for example, the possibility of banning the commodification of data. In his concluding remarks, Bilić advocated for the concept of public wealth, which he develops in the book together with Prug and Žitko. Public wealth refers to a different model of dealing with issues of public interest and infrastructure protection such as public health, science, and education. The presentation was followed by a discussion in which the complexity of the overall regulatory framework was highlighted, the continuous lagging behind public policies behind the (technological) practices was emphasized, and the need for a stronger accent on the bottom-up changes and applications was highlighted.

Before the round table, a meeting of the organizing committee of the platEU project was held. You can find the entire program of events at the following link.

The international conference ‘Perspectives of National Cultural Policies Development in the EU Context: Critical Dialogues’ organized by the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) was held in Zagreb on May 17-19, 2017. The conference gathered cultural policy researchers, cultural professionals, cultural civil society representatives, policy-makers, students, and young cultural professionals from Europe and Croatia.

As an introduction to the main conference program (18-19 May), on the 17th of May 2017, two pre-conference activities took place, organized in cooperation with IRMO partners. The workshop ‘CAE Croatian Hub – Reflection exercise on the future of Europe’, was co-organized with the network Culture Action Europe within the framework of the project ‘EUROPE OF CULTURE: co-creating a cultural scenario’. Furthermore, in cooperation with the Academy of Dramatic Art, IRMO organized a pre-conference lecture by Ms. Corina Şuteu, cultural consultant, president of FilmETC, and former Minister of Culture of Romania.

The conference focused on the following themes:

• Cultural policies and the crisis in/of European Union – how to achieve sustainable cultural development?
• Strategies and tendencies of local cultural development in Europe: the role and impact of the European Capital of Culture project
• What kind of European comparative cultural policy research is needed today?
• National cultural policies in need of vision, innovation, and leadership.

‘’Culture is not simply a large and important sector of the economy, it is a ‘social software’ that is badly needed to manage the complexity of contemporary regional societies and economies in all of its manifold implications” said Professor Pier Luigi Sacco, from the IULM University in Milan during his keynote lecture ‘Making cultural policy matter in the EU agenda: key topics and perspectives’. The interesting lecture on the change that culture is undergoing, in the context of convergence, from Culture 1.0 to Culture 3.0 kickstarted the main conference program, set the tone for the next two days, and sparked interest for a lively discussion. In the course of the conference, the main speakers and participants reflected on how to make cultural policy matter on national or EU agendas, on the future of Europe and the place and role of culture in it, on prospects of achieving sustainable cultural development, etc.

By bringing into dialogue past experiences with present and future challenges the conference discussions tried to put in focus relevant questions that cultural policy must address in order to ensure an emancipatory and sustainable culture. The international conference “Perspectives of National Cultural Policies Development in the EU Context: Critical Dialogues” was attended by 110 participants – cultural policy researchers, cultural professionals, cultural civil society representatives, and policy-makers in the field of culture from Croatia and 16 European countries. This diversity of participants contributed to the widening range of the discourses and contributed to the breadth of discussions raised by the conference. The conference showed the key aspects of the changing cultural and media landscape today and how new approaches in cultural development and, thus, cultural policy, need to be made, which would take into account emerging concepts such as Culture 3.0, algorithmic culture, participatory cultural governance, and cultural power. The discussions and contributions of the participants who represented most domains of the cultural sphere – from artists and practitioners to researchers, executive managers, and political decision-makers – demonstrated not only awareness but also the ambition to (re)shape cultural policy in order for it to be able to respond to upcoming challenges.

Detailed CULPOL Conference Report (in English), List of participants, and participants’ reflections (in English and Croatian) are now available on the CULPOL website.

Other conference materials:

Programme-Culpol-conference-2017

CULPOL-Conference-Reader-2017-

Within the Third Stakeholders Group Meeting of the Jean Monnet project ‘EU Competencies and National Cultural Policies: Critical Dialogues’ (CULPOL), Dr Paško Bilić from the Department for Culture and Communication, IRMO and Dr Krešimir Krolo from the Department of Sociology, University of Zadar held an interesting lecture and discussion entitled ‘Internet Monopolies and Redistribution of Digital Wealth’ at the Multimedia institute MaMa in Zagreb on 24th May 2018.

The video lecture is available on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aaocPF9Ct4

The lecture was organised by the Department for Culture and Communication of the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) in cooperation with the Media Sociology Section of the Croatian Sociological Association within the Jean Monnet project ‘EU Competencies and National Cultural Policies: Critical Dialogues’ (CULPOL).

From September 11th to 15th 2023, the Political Economies of the Media summer school was held at the Inter-University Centre (IUC) in Dubrovnik, jointly organised by the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) and the University of Ljubljana.

The aim was to explore traditional (e.g. ownership, production, content, consumption, operation, regulation) and contemporary (e.g. algorithms, platforms, data, artificial intelligence) approaches to media. It questioned how capital and states control, regulate and shape media (from traditional print to algorithms and software) in societies shaped by social inequalities. Geopolitical, transnational, national and institutional processes, structures of the public sphere and conditions that shape the use of media and software in everyday life were analysed.

Presentations were held by eight lecturers: Christian Fuchs and Thomas Allmer from the University of Paderborn in Germany, Benjamin Birkinbine from the University of Nevada in the USA, Toni Prug from the University of Rijeka, Kylie Jarrett from the University of Maynooth in Ireland, Jaka Primorac from IRMO, Jernej Amon Prodnik and Sašo Slaček Brlek from the University of Ljubljana and Paško Bilić from IRMO. Twelve PhD students from different countries participated in the summer school, including the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and Greece.

More information is available on the website of the summer school: http://poleconmed.net/

The postgraduate course ‘Platformisation of cultural and audio-visual sectors in the European Union: new policies for new stakeholders’ was held at the Interuniversity Centre (IUC) in Dubrovnik, Croatia from 9-14th May 2022. The postgraduate course was organized as a part of the activities of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet project entitled ‘European Union Policies and the Platformisation of Cultural and Audio-visual Sectors – platEU’ that is been executed by IRMO from 2020-2022.

Questions that the course tackled were: How can we interpret changes in EU policies relating to online platforms and cultural and audio-visual sectors? How are they balancing market competition with cultural diversity and pluralism? Can we talk about European digital cultural policies and what they entail? What new stakeholders are emerging and what new policies are created? What new types of creative labour practices are brought about by online platforms? What theoretical frameworks would be best suited to interpret these changes?

This interdisciplinary international course gathered twenty participants from Croatia and abroad, while the course lecturers were: Valerija Barada, University of Zadar, Croatia; Paško Bilić, Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), Croatia; Lilian Hanania, Hanania Consulting and Sciences Po Paris, France (via Zoom); Ole Marius Hylland, Telemark Research Institute, Norway; Kylie Jarrett, Maynooth University, Ireland; David Nieborg, University of Toronto, Canada; Jaka Primorac, Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), Croatia; Aleksandra Uzelac, Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), Croatia and Bjarki Valtysson, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Within the programme, doctoral students presented drafts of their doctoral theses, and within the final day of the programme PhD workshop was held where doctoral candidates also had the opportunity for knowledge exchange with lecturers and their peers. This intensive course also included research visits to Art Workshop Lazareti and places of platform work in Dubrovnik.

The programme and the reader of the course are available at the following link.

Zagreb, Croatia, 3-4 June 2013

Organizers: Culturelink Network / Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) and Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo, in cooperation with the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (Venice) and the Croatian Commission for UNESCO

Framework: UNESCO / Culture: A Bridge to Development Initiative

Participating Countries from SEE: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania, Turkey

Others: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada

Experts/Participants: 2005 Convention national focal points, Ministry and National Commission representatives, civil society, NGOs, cultural entrepreneurs, European experts, Culturelink Network members from the region and beyond

The „Cultural Diversity, Civil Society, and International Cultural Cooperation“ conference held in Zagreb, Croatia, on June 3-4, 2013, aimed to address the growing importance of cultural diversity in the face of globalization, migration, and digital advancement. Organized by Culturelink Network / IRMO, and the Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo in collaboration with UNESCO, the conference  gathered 55 participants from 16 countries across Southeast Europe and beyond, including government representatives, civil society actors, NGOs, cultural entrepreneurs, and experts. The conference emphasized the need for integrated approaches to cultural policy-making, recognizing cultural diversity not only as a heritage to be preserved but also as a resource for sustainable development and peace-building. Discussions revolved around strategies for integrating cultural diversity into development plans, promoting cultural policies through information exchange and awareness-raising, nurturing creativity in cultural expressions, and enhancing mobility and engagement of civil society.

Key themes of the conference included the integration of cultural diversity into sustainable development policies, the exchange and dissemination of cultural information, nurturing creativity in cultural expressions, and promoting mobility and civil society engagement. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities in implementing UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, emphasizing the role of civil society in fostering cultural dialogue and cooperation. The conference highlighted the need for continued collaboration and innovative approaches to address the complex issues surrounding cultural diversity in the region and beyond, aiming to foster mutual respect, understanding, and sustainable development through cultural cooperation and exchange.

Zagreb, Croatia, 13-15 November 2009

Organizers: Culturelink Network / Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO)

With the support of: UNESCO Office in Venice – UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (BRESCE); Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (Hivos); Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Croatia; Ministry of Culture, Croatia

The Third World Culturelink Conference held in Zagreb from November 13 to 15, 2009, brought together around 130 participants from around the world to discuss the evolving aspects of culture in the 21st century, with a focus on networking. The conference marked the 20th anniversary of the Culturelink Network, established in 1989 by UNESCO and the Council of Europe, and aimed to investigate the role and relevance of cultural networks in contemporary cultural development. Over the course of the event, four plenary sessions were held, addressing topics such as the history and current trends of cultural networking, the effects of ICT and digital culture on networking dynamics, cultural networks and cultural policy, and the evolving networking culture.

Presentations and discussions highlighted the challenges and opportunities posed by cultural networking, including issues related to evaluation, sustainability, and the changing nature of cultural practices in the digital age. Participants explored the impact of new technologies on artistic creation, communication, and cultural interaction, emphasizing the need for adaptation, education, and regulation. The conference concluded with calls for action to address key issues such as trade in cultural goods and services, the implications of the Internet for culture and development, and media concentration. Overall, the event underscored the importance of cultural networks in fostering dialogue, cooperation, and innovation in an increasingly interconnected world.

Palace Hotel, Zagreb, Croatia, 20-21 November 2008

Organizers: Culturelink Network / Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO)

The international round table on “Intercultural Dialogue and Digital Culture,” held in Zagreb, Croatia in November 2008, brought together over forty participants – cultural researchers, policy experts, and practitioners from various regions to discuss the intersection of digital culture and intercultural dialogue. Organized by the Culturelink Network and supported by UNESCO-BRESCE, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, and the Department for Culture Education and Sports of the City of Zagreb, the event was Culturelink’s contribution to the 2008 – European Year of Intercultural Dialogue and aimed to explore the potential of digital culture in fostering intercultural understanding. Key themes addressed included the evolution of intercultural dialogue in a globalized context, challenges such as prejudices and Islamophobia, and the role of digital technologies in facilitating communication and collaboration across cultural boundaries.

Throughout the sessions, speakers emphasized the transformative impact of digital culture on communication practices and societal norms. Discussions ranged from the changing dynamics of cultural identity in the digital age to the ethical implications of technology-mediated interactions. Participants highlighted the need for updated cultural policies and educational initiatives to address the evolving landscape of digital culture and promote inclusive dialogue. Despite acknowledging the benefits of digital technologies for intercultural exchange, concerns were raised about issues such as information overload, surveillance, and the persistence of the digital divide. Overall, the round table underscored the importance of rethinking traditional notions of culture and embracing innovative approaches to intercultural dialogue in an increasingly digitalized world.

Zagreb, Croatia, 14-15 June 2007

Organized by Culturelink Network / Institute for International Relations

In partnership with UNESCO Office in Venice – UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (BRESCE)

With the support of: Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Croatia; Ministry of Culture, Croatia; City of Zagreb Office for Education, Culture and Sports; Zagreb Tourist Board; Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall; Dekod telekom; Event

The international symposium on “Virtual Culture and Its Impact on Cultural Tourism: Experiences from South-East Europe,” held in Zagreb, Croatia in June 2007, aimed to explore the influence of digital culture on cultural tourism development. Supported by various governmental and organizational bodies, the event focused on measurable methods of cultural institutions’/organizations’ virtual presence impact on cultural tourism development, aiming to offer exact data on the usage websites by tourists using the on-line sales technology of tickets/souvenirs/venue rentals/downloads etc. The symposium featured presentations of best practices from countries in South-Eastern Europe, including Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Albania, Montenegro, and Macedonia, highlighting the diverse approaches to utilizing online platforms for cultural promotion and tourism enhancement. The Symposium gathered tourism, culture and ICT sector representatives either from the public, private or civil sphere with a total of 79 participants.

The thematic sessions of the symposium delved into specific aspects of virtual culture’s impact on cultural tourism, including the role of music institutions, festivals, museums, and theaters’ websites. Participants discussed the need for a common research structure to analyze the digital culture chapter in national cultural policies, acknowledging the varying levels of digitalization and internet usage across different countries. Proposals were made to divide future research into two parts, with the first part focusing on common aspects such as digitization overview and internet user statistics, and the second part tailored to countries practicing or not practicing online sales and bookings. The symposium concluded with the recognition of the potential economic opportunities arising from the collaboration between the cultural and tourism sectors, highlighting the need for continued funding and support for research and initiatives in this field.

Dubrovnik, Croatia, 20-22 October 2006

Co-organized by the Culture.mondo and Culturelink network

The 2nd Culture.mondo International Roundtable, held in Dubrovnik, Croatia in October 2006, was co-organized by Culture.mondo and Culturelink network, focusing on the theme of “Cultural Portals: A New Era of Cooperation.” With the rapid expansion of the internet, the cultural sector has been prompted to adapt to emerging changes and evaluate new virtual structures and collaboration models. The event aimed to foster synergy among cultural portal experts worldwide, sharing expertise and experiences in digital culture. Over 50 participants from various cultural portals from all parts of the world, from Europe and the USA to Canada, Latin America, Africa, Asia and Australia, globally convened, facilitating productive exchanges and discussions on topics such as Web 2.0 technologies, virtual cultural networks, and the evaluation of portal activities.

Discussions revolved around the impact of Web 2.0 technologies on cultural portals, highlighting the need to balance new possibilities with editorial policies and the role of cultural institutions. Around 50 participants explored concrete examples of technological advancements, organizational methods, and information organization within portals. While the internet offers vast opportunities for information sharing and exchange, actual cooperation among portals and their partners remains limited, requiring changes in working practices. Additionally, sessions addressed the evaluation and measurement of success for cultural portals, identifying editorial, marketing, and financial perspectives. Despite financial challenges faced by many portals, the event emphasized their growing significance in cultural tourism, underscoring the need for continued knowledge exchange and community development within the Culture.mondo network.

Organized by the Institute for International Relations, Zagreb and Culturelink Network

Supported by the European Cultural Foundation, ECF, Amsterdam

Dubrovnik, 8-14 May 2006

Partner Organizations

UNESCO Chair Program at the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Philosophy in Rijeka, Croatia

Department for Visual Communication Design, Arts Academy University of Split, Croatia

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zadar, Croatia

Inter-University Centre (IUC), Dubrovnik, Croatia

From 2001 to 2006, the Institute for Development and International Relations organized a series of yearly postgraduate courses that addressed topics of cultural transition, cooperation, and cultural identity. The postgraduate course on “The Creative City: Crossing Visions and New Realities in the Region” held in Dubrovnik from 8th to 14th May 2006, was supported by the European Cultural Foundation (ECF) and organized by the Institute for International Relations (IMO) in Zagreb. This was the sixth installment in a series of courses focusing on cultural transitions in Southeastern Europe (SEE). The course aimed to explore the impact of creative industries on urban cultural development models and policies, with presentations on case studies from cities like Zagreb, Tirana, Budapest, and Belgrade. Key themes included urban cultural identities, city growth, alternative cultures, cultural policies, and city regeneration strategies. The course brought together 39 lecturers and postgraduate students for lectures, workshops, project presentations, and visits to cultural sites in Dubrovnik.

Through presentations and discussions, participants highlighted the diverse challenges faced by cities in SEE, such as inadequate cultural policies, lack of coordination between local governments, and limited resources for cultural institutions. Despite these challenges, there was recognition of the potential of creative industries to drive urban regeneration and the need for innovative approaches to cultural development. However, it was noted that responses and efforts in this area were often inadequate, highlighting the need for more professionalized policy responses that move beyond a purely instrumental view of culture in city development. Overall, the course provided a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge exchange to address the complex dynamics of cultural transitions in SEE and explore strategies for fostering creative cities in the region.

Zagreb, Croatia, 9-12 June 2005, Mimara Museum

Organized by:

CULTURELINK Network/IMO, Croatia

Supported by:

UNESCO; Council of Europe; Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia; Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Croatia; City of Zagreb

In partnership with:

CIRCLE – Cultural Information and Research Centres Liaison in Europe, The Netherlands

Centro de Estudios Europeos, Universidad de Navarra, Spain

CICIBA – Centre International des Civilisations Bantu, Gabon

OCPA – Observatory of Cultural Policies in Africa, Mozambique

Cátedra UNESCO de Derechos Culturales y Intelectuales, Argentina

Fundación Libre, Paraguay

APRCCN – Asia-Pacific Regional Centre of Culturelink, Korea

The Second World Culturelink Conference, held in Zagreb in June 2005, convened 150 participants from 37 countries, representing diverse cultural organizations and institutions. The conference explored the impacts of globalization on cultural dynamics, highlighting shifts in roles from national states to local authorities and professional organizations. Discussions revolved around the challenges of decentralization and regionalization in cultural development, as well as emerging intellectual and technological borders such as the digital divide. New actors in cultural life, including local communities and civil society, were emphasized, with calls for shared cultural policies involving state, private sector, and civil society collaboration. Additionally, sessions focused on cultural diversity, affirming multiculturalism and interculturalism, and addressing issues like indigenous peoples’ rights and legal regulations to promote cultural diversity.

Furthermore, the conference delved into new modes of communication and cooperation, particularly the impact of the internet and digital technologies on cultural exchange and participation. It highlighted the proliferation of cultural portals and digital art forms, underscoring the need for cultural policies to adapt to these emerging trends. Special sessions commemorated Culturelink’s 10th anniversary, reflecting on its growth as a facilitator of international cultural cooperation and research hub on cultural policies and identities. Overall, the conference fostered open dialogue and collaboration, and it provided a collection of papers for further dissemination of the valuable insights shared during the event.