Humak University of Applied Sciences

Humak as a Guest at Lund University – Promoting Sustainability in the Cultural Sector

Iloinen piirretty hahmo, jolla on monta kättä ja ne huitovat eri suuntiin.

Humak’s COSM study modules for cultural professionals were presented at Lund University in the frame of the Existential Sustainability panel. Our school as the place that offers education to the largest number of cultural management graduates in Finland feels responsible to re-navigate future cultural producers to the direction of sustainability-related values. Our Senior Lecturer Marcin Poprawski shared our students’ experiences and our future prospects with the audience of The Buzz of Europe conference in Sweden.

The prestigious event was a great opportunity for Humak to make connections and increase its international visibility. Humak was the only Finnish representative on the spot at the event held on April 29, 2022. In addition, Professor Anna Valtonen from Aalto University – former Vice President of Art and Creative Practices and Dean of the School of Art, Design and Architecture – gave a pre-recorded speech.

Culture, Organisation & Sustainability Management, COSM for short, is a series of courses focused on cultural management and organizational change regarding a wide range of sustainability values. COSM consists of three courses, each of which focuses on different aspects of culture and sustainability. The courses are closely connected by the central theme of developing new and sustainable processes for cultural management.

Alexandra Pool, a student of COSM, says that the course changed her view on cultural management.
Sustainable cultural management is a theme in Humak’s Master’s level COSM courses.

Humak Brings New Perspectives to Sustainable Cultural Management Through Practice

One of the perspectives shared at the conference was the testimony of Humak student Mayreth Wolff. Wolff used COSM in her work and confirmed that professionals in the cultural and creative industries can be key players in sustainability-oriented change by creating new narratives and stories to tell as well as developing new formats and horizons to reach silent and forgotten voices.

COSM courses focus specifically on how cultural producers can make our lives more sustainable, balanced, and responsible in their work. In addition, the aim is to reform the ecosystems of the cultural and creative industries by creating more functional and healthier work environments.

Six people are standing side by side on stage during a panel. The man in the middle is talking and the others seem to be listening. There is a slideshow in the background above them.
Humak’s Senior Lecturer Marcin Poprawski (third from the left) represented Humak in the Existential Sustainability -panel.

The same goals are included in Humak’s ideas for future projects that emphasize existential sustainability in the cultural industry. These were also discussed in the Existential Sustainability panel. One example was an idea for a pilot project combining the natural resources of the Turku archipelago and Finland’s largest rock festival, for which EU funding has been applied. “We try to find and experiment with new and cross-sectoral perspectives on sustainability in cultural professionals’ work, with practice as the essence,” said Poprawski.

Watch a recording of the event below – Humak’s part beings at 1:16:25.

The Buzz of Europe – A Day in the Spirit of Art, Culture, Science and Innovation

The Buzz of Europe event subtitled “A Day in the Spirit of Art, Culture, Science, and Innovation” was held on April 29, 2022. It was organized by the Collaboration Office at Lund University together with partners within a community called Creatives and Friends. The event integrated all faculties of the leading university in Sweden and international guests, bringing together representatives of companies, entrepreneurs and artists, researchers and universities, cities and regions, as well as politicians and officials.

Large, dimly lit conference room photographed from above. There are people on stage in a panel and a slideshow is in the background. Above the audience, large dimly lit chandeliers hang from the ceiling.
The Buzz of Europe is a prestigious event that highlights international and cross-sectoral dialogue and cooperation.

The program of the event included, for instance, discussions on the potential of the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI), recent investments, and European funding for the CCSI. Topics also included the emerging concept of ‘existential sustainability’, the innovation ecosystem for the CCSI, and the capacity to attract funding and investments in an ecosystem for the CCSI. There were also conversations about cross-sector innovation areas where the CCSI are driving change with examples in the fields of archeology, sustainable fashion industry, kitchen design, and professions defending democracy.

Text: Marcin Poprawski, PhD, Senior Lecturer

Editing: Mari Ervasti

2022-05-11 16:50:55