In times of growing polarisation, declining public trust and waning civic engagement, the question of the role of culture and the arts in building democratic societies is being raised with increasing frequency. Can artistic activities encourage participation in public life? Do local cultural initiatives help to strengthen social bonds and the resilience of communities?
It was precisely these issues that were the focus of the international conference ‘From Stage to State: The Role of Art in Shaping Democratic Spaces’, which took place in Kraków. The event was attended by representatives of the Institute of Public Affairs: Dr Kacper Dziekan, Dr Sonia Horonziak and Dr Grzegorz Makowski.
The conference forms part of the “Democracy in Action” project, carried out under the Horizon Europe programme. Within the project, the Institute of Public Affairs is responsible for developing research tools to measure the impact of artistic and cultural activities on civic engagement and the functioning of democracy. The research carried out as part of the project aims to provide a better understanding of when and how culture becomes a space for dialogue, participation and shared responsibility for public affairs.
