Partners

Danish Cultural Institute (DCI) is a self-governing institution with its own board.  Since 1940 we have been engaged in creating mutual understanding between people.
 
Together with partners, we develop international activities that push boundaries and create opportunities, which provide mutual value and inspire.

Our vision is to show that the exchange of arts, culture and knowledge can contribute to handling the challenges of globalization and further the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It is even more true when it comes to equal rights, education, sustainable development, democracy and active citizenship which are important values in the world and in Denmark.
 
Currently Danish Cultural Institute has offices in Beijing, Brussels, Copenhagen, Riga, Rio de Janeiro, St. Petersburg, Warsaw and New Delhi. Main office is in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Contacts: Simon Drewsen Holmberg, Director of Danish Cultural Institute in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Project Manager of UrbCulturalPlanning
Danish Cultural Institute
Vartov, Farvergade 27 L 2
DK – 1463 Copenhagen
Riga office:
Room 625, Mūkusalas 3, Riga
Latvia, LV 1048

Metropolis is an artistic platform for the development of the creative city. Københavns Internationale Teater is the organisation behind Metropolis, an initiative that exits the theatre and enters the city to create art, life and debate. The objective is to break the established notions of the art, and in particular the traditional image of the performing arts. Metropolis has formed connections with local/international, public/private institutions and businesses, just as a number of Danish and international artists, architects and city planners have all been invited to influence the development of Metropolis.

Metropolis takes an active role in initiating and producing projects. This takes place through Metropolis Laboratory, where artists, architects and city developers are provided broader scopes in which to collaborate in new constellations. It is an international platform where artists, architects, city planners and theoreticians can meet the common challenge: how to create more living, fair, inspiring and cohesive cities. The Lab intends to create dialogue between artistic and theoretical approaches to the use and planning of the city – and values creation of new constellations between art, theory and practice dealing with the city. It is a forum for sharing knowledge, collaboration and developing projects across disciplines, habits and prejudices – in a dialogue with the public.

Contacts: Trevor Davies, Project Consultant of UrbCulturalPlanning
Metropolis c/o Københavns Internationale Teater
Refshalevej 163A
1432 København K

Riga City Council City Development Department (CDD) is the leading department in Riga City Municipality in charge of urban and spatial planning. CDD is developing and monitoring planning documents such as Sustainable development strategy until 2030, Development programme 2014-2020 and City Masterplan (zoning plan) 2030.  Department has been operating since 1994 in its current organisational and legal format, but the history of its functional predecessors' dates to 1970s. 
CDD's mission is to ensure balanced development of the city and one of the main objectives is to implement Sustainable development strategy until 2030, which has set the goal for Riga to become a Northern European metropolis grounded by quality of life, an innovative economy, smart and resource-saving administration, and modern management combined with the active participation of inhabitants.  
Besides fulfilling its main functions in urban and spatial planning, CDD is leading large projects concerning public space improvements, social planning, ecosystem services, sustainable water management.  
Contacts:  
Jānis Ušča, Project Manager of UrbCultural Planning in The Riga City Development Department 
janis.usca@riga.lv 
Amatu iela 4, LV-1050 
E-mail: pad@riga.lv  
Phone: (+371) 67 012 947 

The Baltic Sea Cultural Centre (The BSCC) in Gdańsk is a public cultural institution of Pomorskie Voivodeship (regional authority) established in 1992. It promotes local culture and develops partnerships abroad, especially with the countries situated in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR).Our projects include exhibitions, concerts, conferences, and literary sessions.
The BSCC is a member of many European networks such as Culture Action Europe (CAE), River Cities Platform (R//C), Stage Network Europe and the Anna Lindh Foundation.
The BSCC has realised several big innovative and inspiring international projects. Among others, in July 2011 in Sopot the BSCC organized an official cultural program for Polish EU presidency. entitled “Open Culture Spa”. In the years 2011-2014 the BSCC coordinated a part of the Art Line project a collaboration of 14 partners from around the Baltic. In 2015 we carried out the project “The Baltic House LAB 2015: a City Closer to Water” in which we combined contemporary art with vital ecological and social issues. Another project, Shared History (2016-2018), brought together newly arrived and established artists across the Baltic Sea region, a sea of (dis)-connections. We are currently involved in the Creative Europe’s “Memory of Water Project”, while our active participation in the Culturability BSR project (Culture for Sustainable development in BSR, 2013 – 2015), resulted in our partnership in the ongoing UrbCulturalPlanning.
The BSCC emphasizes a lot the importance of the heritage preservation. This interest is well motivated: the Centre’s both seats are historic monuments. The first is the 16th century Old Town Hall, which is one of the few Renaissance buildings that have survived the war damage in Gdansk. Our second venue, Gothic St. John's church, has been reconstructed with our help and now accommodates St. John's Centre vibrant with various art activities.

Contact:
Magdalena Zakrzewska-Duda
Senior Specialist on Strategic Partnerships
The Baltic Sea Cultural Centre
ul. Korzenna 33/35
80-851 Gdansk
+48 58 326 10 22 / +48 604 944 646

Pomorskie Voivodeship – one of sixteen regions of Poland with democratically elected authorities and Marshal as head of its executive body. Regional selfgovernment is an independent legal entity with its own budget and extensive powers in the area of regional development. Among its main tasks are: formulating and implementing strategy for regional and spatial development, economic development, transport, education, culture, social welfare and education of regional scope, environmental issues, international co-operation and management of European Union funds. Baltic Sea Region is our main area of cooperation and concern. Baltic Sea Culture Centre is our main partner in Baltic Sea affairs.
In Pomorskie current Regional Development Strategy we strive for creative, mobile, active and healthy citizens who can enjoy rich cultural and tourism offer as well as for a region which is environmentally friendly and economically developed, innovative and modern.
Solidarity in all its dimensions is of prime importance for us.

Contact:

Krystyna Wróblewska
Head of the International Cooperation Bureau
Office of the Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship
ul. Okopowa 21/27, 80-810 Gdansk, Poland
phone + 48 58 32 68 701,
e-mail: bwz@pomorskie.eu

The project company Kiel-Gaarden GmbH is a non-profit organization that is wholly owned by the city of Kiel. We have long-term experience in initiating and accompanying development projects in the districts of Gaarden, Ellerbek, Wellingdorf and Neumühlen-Dietrichsdorf. All four districts are located on the east-side of the fjord and face several societal challenges.
The aim of the organization is to provide new impulses for the development of the four districts as well as to activate and support citizen-driven activities. Furthermore, we want to enhance the dialogue between citizens and public authorities by interfacing between the two groups.
During the last years, we planned and implemented a variety of participation processes. They have been carried out in the framework of urban planning measures and as soft measures. The demonstrator project within “UrbCulturalPlanning” is carried out in the neighborhood of Gaarden by the “Büro Soziale Stadt Gaarden”, one of the district offices run by the project company. It offers the opportunity to view the neighborhood from a different perspective - putting culture into focus - as well as to gather experience in different participation processes.
Contacts: Lea Lükemeier, Project Coordinator of the Local Demonstrator project within UrbCulturalPlanning
Projektgesellschaft Kiel-Gaarden GmbH
Vinetaplatz 2
D – 24143 Kiel

INN University was established 1 January 2017 after a merger between the former Lillehammer University College (est. 1970) and Hedmark University of Applied Sciences (est. 1994).

Contact:
Anders Nordby
Assistant Professor
GameSchool – Dep. of Game Development
AMEK / Faculty of Audiovisual Media and Creative Technologies
anders.nordby@inn.no
Office: +47 625 17 784
Cell-Phone: +47 92 25 97 01
Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
Campus Hamar
Norway

INN University have approximately 13 000 students and 952 employees. INN University offers 35 one-year study programmes, 52 Bachelor programs, 31 Master programmes and 4 PhD programmes (plus one in cooperation with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology) in addition to a number of Teacher education and further education programs.

Our academic offer covers a vast number of subject areas: ecology and agricultural sciences, psychology, sports, law, music, pedagogy, health sciences, social sciences, teacher education, language and literature, biotechnology, film, TV and culture, tourism, animation and game sciences and economics.
The most important research infrastructure is the INN library, offering high-quality services to researchers (e.g. search and open repository). The library’s collection includes approximately 300,000 volumes and 35,000 printed and electronic journals. The library actively collaborates with other national research libraries, giving the research staff access to national library resources. In addition, participation in international networks gives staff access to library resources from all over the world. INN Research data management service provides assistance to develop research data management plans in line with the FAIR-principle (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable). INN IT-service also support for collection, secure sharing and secure storage of research data, as well as good computing resources and licenses for software for survey -, data sampling - and analysis purposes. INN University also gives access to administrative personnel and back-up scientific personnel for the project.
INN through Department of Game Development, Game School, is member of the business cluster VRINN and the ICT-center PARK, www.parkhamar.no. VRINN is a cluster of businesses working within VR, AR and gamification in Norway. The cluster exists to create major international innovations, helping the businesses market, grow and develop themselves and fuel the future of work for organizations and businesses. The main focus areas within the VRINN cluster is “immersive learning” – how to use “immersive” technologies like VR and AR in learning, training education and knowledge transfer in general and work within a wide range of disciplines including the health care sector, crisis management, decision making and operational support. (www.vrinn.no)
PARK house studios for new technology (AR and VR and Motion Capture), INN’s education in VR and AR (add-on program), and companies working with technology, like Hamar Game Collective with 13 game companies, EON Reality (one of the leading companies within AR and VR in the world with a huge global network, Making View (VR and 360 videos), Collaborative workplace (management training with VR and games) with new education in AR and VR, showroom and equipment for AR and. VR in collaboration with both public and private sector. This is build up as a trippel helix in close collaboration to get new innovations and business growth.

The Baltic Branch of the State Museum and Exhibition Centre “ROSIZO” (National Centre for Contemporary Arts until 2016) is a major museum, exhibition and research organization in Kaliningrad working in the field of contemporary arts since 1997. It is a part of a federal public cultural institution with a network of branches in major Russia’s cultural centers such as St.-Petersburg, Nizny Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Vladikavkaz, Tomsk, Samara and Yekaterinburg. The activity of the Centre evolves in close cooperation with artists and independent experts in the sphere of contemporary art, culture and various organizations, such as museums, research institutions, public organizations, both in Russia, and abroad.
Based in Kaliningrad, the Westernmost region of Russia, The Baltic Branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts (now the Baltic Branch of the State Museum and Exhibition Centre “Rosizo”) has implemented over 300 projects in Russia and abroad focusing not only on visual art, but also sound art and experimental music, art and science, public space, heritage in contemporary context and education. In 2003 and 2006 the Baltic Branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts received the tower and part of the attic of the barracks Kronrpinz in Kaliningrad into operation. Сurrently under reconstruction, this mid- 19th century monument of architecture shall become an exhibition, cinema, concert and education venue for contemporary arts, culture and local community.

Contacts: Yulia Bardun, Vice-Director
Project Manager of UrbCulturalPlanning
Baltic Branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts - ROSIZO
P.O. Box 1582
23600 Kaliningrad, Russian Federation
+7 40 12 604 326
ybardoun@yahoo.com

Pori is the 10th biggest city on the west coast of Finland with a population of 85,000 people. In culture we are bigger than our size: we host internatiolly relevant music festivals and also have a thriving underground scene in music along with visual arts, performing arts and film. We are a little strange but very focused!

In UrbCulturalPlanning project we have two demonstrator projects: one focusing on the City Centre and it’s empty spaces and sifting the feeling of apathy to empowerment. The other demonstrator focuses on our beautiful green and blue sites and strenghtening their use and appreciation.

Contacts:
Kati Fager, Project Coordinator of UrbCulturalPlanning
kati.fager@pori.fi

Harri Sippola, Producer of UrbCulturalPlanning
harri.sippola@pori.fi

The Faculty of Creative Industries, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University is established in 2012. With three Bachelor programs (Creative Industries, Entertainment Industries, Event Engineering) and two Master programs (Communication of Creative Society, Communication of Innovation and Technology), the Faculty provides studies for more than 700 students (while the number of the students at the university is 9.600). Equipped with a Laboratory for Creative Industries, in a strong cooperation with the Linkmenu Factory (a hub for creative production), and in cooperation with the social partners, the Faculty of Creative Industries provides a platform for learning and creative production in photography, video, communication technologies and more. The Faculty takes an active part in Erasmus students exchange program, also cooperating with 36 non-EU partners. The study programs are designed to balance theoretical knowledge with a practical approaches. During the studies students are encouraged to develop their individual and collective projects. The Faculty of Creative Industries seeks to provide a platform for meeting and cooperating with the practitioners from various fields, and is open for cooperation with social partners from the field of Creative Industries. The members of the Faculty manage a number of scientific journals (Creativity Studies among them), hold biannual interdisciplinary international conference "Visuality" and curate annual week for urban research and interventions in public spaces "priARTink!" (pARTicipate). With the competences of its researchers in participatory culture, social innovations, participatory arts practices, communication with communities, the Faculty seeks to be a mediator in participatory planning processes that makes cities better places. 

The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a catalyst for green visions and projects, a think tank for policy reform, and an international network. The Böll Foundation of Schleswig-Holstein is an agency for cross-party and independent political education. Its aim is to foster democracy and participation among citizens. Within the project, the Böll foundation organizes the first conference on "Urban Transformation through Art and Culture” (www.cultural-planning-kiel.de) in order to increase institutional knowledge, connections and communication on Cultural Planning in the region, hosts artistic and creative residencies and organizes two urban labs in the city of Kiel.
 
 
Andrea Cederquist
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung SH
Heiligendammer Str. 15
24106 Kiel
0431.90 66-132
 
cederquist@boell-sh.de

The University of Skövde is a young Swedish university (1977) with a range of specialized interdisciplinary research and educational fields and collaborations within local and International industry and with the Skövde Science Park. It has approximately 8,500 fulltime students and 500 faculty. As a central point for Games research, the Division of Game Development (in the School of Informatics) at the university, offers a solid foundation for exploring cutting-edge gaming technologies, experimental game development and design, and collaboration with International research networks and within the game industry. The faculty have developed an international and highly successful framework for research across a range of intersecting fields including Serious Games, Games and Cultural Heritage, and Game User Experience. Since 1997 games research has been a focus of the University of Skövde, and the work has evolved over decades of experience to combine technical and humanist expertise in both theoretical and practical activities. The Division of Game Development has over 500 undergraduate students and 50 researchers in 7 different computer games development educations, and it is the largest and broadest games research institution of its kind in Northern Europe. It is unique as well in its clear commitment to socio-cultural formations and dedicated research outside of the “games for entertainment” sector. To a large extent the focus is on user and player experience and the education and research outcomes are human-centric and socio-culturally focussed while at the same time innovative in their practical and applied development activities. In the Media, Technology, and Culture (MTEC) research group within the division, games are foregrounded as transdisciplinary media designed to promote cultural growth and change, and they are connected to a range of interests from creative and critical practices in the Arts and Humanities, to education and learning, and to experimental development and design practice. As such, gender and feminist perspectives for gaming communities, as well as a focus on other forms of inclusion and diversity, have also been a component of the research and education. The Division of Game Development works closely with the Sweden Game Arena, a consortium bringing together industry, research, and regional development with a range of stakeholders. Each year they host an annual conference, The Sweden Game Conference, which draws up to 1000 participants from industry and academia to demonstrate and discuss emerging themes and new practices.

Media, Technology and Culture (MTEC) Research Group: http://www.his.se/Forskning/informationsteknologi/Media-Technology-and-Culture/

Sweden Game Arena: http://swedengamearena.com

Sweden Game Conference: https://www.swedengameconference.se

Guldborgsund is Denmark's southernmost municipality with 61,000 inhabitants on Falster and eastern Lolland.
Guldborgsund Municipality is a scenic place and offers every opportunity for a good working and everyday life. With our location we also connect the European continent with Scandinavia and we are close to main cities such as Copenhagen and Berlin..
We have charming towns and villages with schools, plenty of opportunities for entertainment and a rich cultural life including remarkable museums, theatres, cultural schools and activities for children and youth etc. It is easy to become part of the local communities. The main town of Nykøbing Falster is the center of business, culture and education for the entire Lolland-Falster. The housing market has attractive prices, and you can find any type of accommodation, whether you prefer city life or to live close to forest and beach. Lolland-Falster is also famous for its exquisite quality food.
With a coastline of 274 kilometers, we are surrounded by the beautiful sea where you can sail, fish and swim. We have large forests and nature areas and all possibilities for an active outdoor life.
Guldborgsund Municipality is continously involved in international cooperations and projects, coordinated in the municipality's international office, anchored in the Center for Civic & Branding. The municipality's international work is guided by two basic ideas: 1) Focus on results: The international work should help to develop the municipality, its services and professional skills. 2) Mainstreaming: The international work and EU-funded projects are communicated to all parts of the municipal organization.
The ‘Local demonstrator’-project will take part in Lindholm. Lindholm is a neighbourhood in Nykøbing Falster, with 1650 residents living in 4-story public housing. The neighbourhood is generally low income, un-skilled, a high number of unemployed, and recently syrian refugees have increased the non-western population to 30%. The government put Lindholm on a so-called "Ghetto-list" in 2017, which was widely seen as unfair and stigmatising, given e.g. a low crime-rate. The municipality has worked with the neighbourhood and prepared a range of recommendations for a sustainable neighbourhood development: Establishment of a track, strengthening the connectivity between Lindholm and closeby nature and city and using a cultural approach to re-engage residents in the process to trigger a stronger level of citizen driven transformation.
Contact:
Frede Danborg
EU coordinator
Parkvej 37
4800 Nykobing F
+45 54 73 12 08
Mobile +45 25 18 03 17
Mail: fd@guldborgsund.dk

We create events for and with the inhabitants. We are interested in City Culture, activities in the public space, various participatory practices and initiatives.
We encourage people to discover Gdańsk by taking part in alternative Walks and themed lectures about the City, its architecture and history (Local Guides, Metropolitanka, Gdańsk Miniatures). We encourage the inhabitants to be more active (Gdańsk Neighbour Days, Active Citizens, Open CCI), We inspire them to discover urban spaces through art (Places, Narrations, Episodes), We influence the shape of public spaces (Targ Węglowy, debates).

We issue publications on Gdańsk, its identity and the Cultural practices followed in the City. We support people working in the sector of Culture by organizing Workshops, trainings and conferences and through research conducted within the framework of the Observatory of Culture.