33rd ENCATC Congress - The Future Is Cultural: Policy, Practice, and Education

As the world looks beyond 2030, the urgency to align culture with sustainable development has never been greater. Under the theme The Future Is Cultural: Policy, Practice, and Education, ENCATC Congress 2025 will explore how cultural policy, practice, and education can form the foundations of regenerative futures.

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This year's Congress invites reflection on the strategic role of culture not only as the backbone of well-being for individuals, communities, and organisations, but also as the backbone of society itself. In a time of global transformation, how might a deeper integration of cultural values and systems serve as a guiding framework for more inclusive, resilient, and equitable development?

This unique gathering brings together scholars, cultural professionals, educators, and policymakers to examine how culture acts not only as a driver of well-being but as a structural condition for inclusive, resilient, and just societies.

With a strong focus on the power of education, the Congress emphasises the vital role of cultural educators in shaping civic imagination, fostering critical reflection, and promoting systemic thinking. ENCATC advocates for transformative learning—education that integrates heart, mind, and action—to empower the next generation of cultural actors as agents of societal change.

Organised in partnership with the Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, and the Espronceda Institute of Arts and Culture, the Congress will feature scholarly panels, policy dialogues, workshops, and vibrant project showcases.

This is more than an academic event—it is a living lab for rethinking cultural management and policy in times of uncertainty. Join us in Barcelona to connect, co-create, and lead the way toward a future where culture is not peripheral—but central—to sustainable development.

The future is cultural. Be part of shaping it.