Projects from the ‘Faktor K‘ funding scheme discussed preliminary results at the ‘Zukunftsforum’ 2025

How can arts and cultural activities strengthen participation and social cohesion in rural areas and what role can different actors play in this? What local conditions are favorable to this end?
These questions were discussed at the expert forum on the basis of seven different research projects and their results.

The project ‘KULT_Ressource’ focused in particular on the economic situation of artists and cultural professionals and asked what opportunities and challenges they face in rural areas.

The background to the expert forum was formed by the results of six nationwide research projects of the ‘Faktor K’ (Bule+) funding line, which organized the expert forum together with the ‘Dritte Orte’ (Third Places) funding program (NRW). In addition to the Thünen Institute for Rural Economics, the German Institute of Urban Affairs (difu), the University of Cottbus, the Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft e.V., the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL) and the University of Jena were also represented.

After an introductory impulse based on concise theses from the projects, the situation and the options for action of different cultural actors were discussed at alternating discussion islands. It became clear that artistic and cultural activities are often perceived as more of a hobby or voluntary commitment and that appropriate payment for artistic and cultural services is not a matter of course.

Contact: Dr. Gesine Tuitjer