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CAE Greece Hub

Culture Action Europe’s Greek Hub unites cultural professionals, artists, heritage stewards, and community organizers from cities like Athens, Elefsina, Crete, and Thessaloniki. Hosted by CAE member Communitism, the hub emerged from a shared vision to strengthen Greece’s cultural sector as a driver of sustainable development and social value. Rooted in dialogue and collaboration, the hub prioritizes bridging regional divides, amplifying local voices in policymaking, and addressing systemic challenges exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It serves as a catalyst for reimagining culture’s role in Greece’s economic resilience, democratic participation, and ecological transition.

Our Goals

The Greek Hub is committed to transforming culture into a cornerstone of Greece’s sustainable future. Grounded in the insights of the Culture in Greece report by diaNEOsis, we aim to address structural weaknesses in the cultural sector—such as precarious labor conditions and fragmented regional development—by advocating for policies that recognize culture’s intrinsic social, aesthetic, and economic value. We seek to shift cultural heritage from a tourism-centric model to one that empowers local communities and businesses while expanding support for contemporary creative industries. Bridging urban and rural divides, we strive to foster digital innovation in cultural production and distribution, ensuring equitable access to resources across Greece. Central to our mission is building structured dialogue between cultural actors and policymakers, creating a shared language to influence national strategies on funding, climate resilience, and inclusion. By prototyping modular methodologies for engaging municipalities—starting with Elefsina’s new leadership—we aim to institutionalize culture’s role in local governance. Together, we are cultivating a collaborative ecosystem where grassroots initiatives, capacity-building programs, and pan-European campaigns amplify Greece’s cultural voice on both national and EU stages.

What We Do

  • Partnered with diaNEOsis and stakeholders, the hub developed a 2024 policy roadmap to address gaps in funding, labor rights, and regional disparities, informed by the Culture in Greece report.
  • Collaborated with Elefsina/European Capital of Culture 2023 to contribute to workshops and a self-assessment report to shape local cultural policy recommendations for the municipality.
  • Prototyped a replicable methodology for dialogues with local governments, beginning with a meeting with Elefsina’s new mayor to advocate for cultural sector representation.
  • Hosted policy lab sessions with regional policymakers to demonstrate the value of creative industries and co-design strategies for funding and promotion.
  • Mobilizing Greek cultural actors to engage with CAE’s pan-european campaigns
  • Establishing a dedicated team to manage hub logistics, expand membership (including public sector representatives), and coordinate regional actions.
  • Connect cultural actors in Crete, Thessaloniki, and Elefsina through shared projects, such as Elefsina’s climate-resilient cultural programming.