On Tuesday 15 April, Lyudmila Petrova (Creare NL) is presenting at Philea – Philanthropy European Association webinar on “The Heart of Culture: Measuring Value Beyond Statistics”.
Why do arts and culture matter? With the artistic and cultural fields coming under increasing scrutiny comes the need to spell out and justify the value of arts and culture. The 2024 State of Culture report demonstrates how the “intrinsic” value remains challenging to articulate in policy terms yet the instrumentalisation of culture, recognised as a driver for non-cultural issues, is a major growing trend across European and national policies.
“As cultural policy is tuned to serve multiple external goals, cultural activities and practices have come under the quantitative measurement” – State of Culture. Artists and cultural institutions are increasingly pressured by funders to demonstrate their achievements at the conclusion of a project, which fails to capture the long-term effects of arts and culture.
How is philanthropy tackling the challenge of recognising the value of arts and culture beyond quantitative data? Are funders contributing to expressing art’s impact in numbers? What are the practices in terms of monitoring, evaluation and learning that foundations can implement to avoid instrumentalising the field and putting their partners in the complex position to predict and calculate the transformative effect of their work?
She presents the value-based approach methodology and its application in the GLAMMONS.
BSB and CREARE present the State of the Arts of Glammons, workshop and training session, an event dedicated to exploring the latest research and developments in the field of commons-orintated GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums).
Date: May 8, 2025 Time: 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM Location: OFF Topic, Turin.
This event aims to engage civil society, communities of practices, and research communities in discussions on the current state of values assessment, participatory and self-governance practices as well as skills development of GLAMs. Participants will gain valuable insights into the key findings of the EU project Glammons (glammons.eu), presented and debated by leading experts in the field.
Organized by: Burgundy School of Business (France) and CREARE Social (The Netherlands) In cooperation with OFF Topic.
On Wednesday March 19, 2025, the info day for the project Glammons took place successfully at the welcome lounge of the BSB Dijon Campus, where the BSB Glammons Research Team shared the information on the project and also discussed how co-curation opens up inclusive participatory spaces in the contemporary arts sector.
The webinar explored the various Creative Commons licenses for documenting open-source data and content, highlighting their relevance for cultural institutions, particularly in fostering spaces for active audience engagement.
Presented by Dr. Stelios Lekakis from Mazomos and moderated by Dr. Marilena Vecco from BSB, the session was followed by a Q&A session addressing all questions related to Creative Commons licensing.
Conference: Commons and commoning in/for cultural production
4-5 September 2025, Romantso Cultural Hub, Athens, Greece
The conference marks the end of the GLAMMONS project, which aimed to explore practices (concerning management, financial sustainability and participation) that have emerged around small-scale, community-led GLAMS (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) through the theoretical lens of the commons. The project aimed to inspire commoning practices around GLAMs and beyond, and bring to the fore best practices that can respond to challenges that commons-oriented cultural organisations face.
We welcome contributions that build on empirical and/or theoretical approaches and we are particularly interested in critical contributions about the development of commons in cultural organisations from different academic perspectives, such as cultural studies, cultural economics, urban and cultural geography, sociology, management studies, labour studies, political sciences etc. We also welcome contributions from practitioners that would like to showcase their commons-oriented cultural organisations and discuss their challenges and practices.
The conference will be organised around six thematic panels, where each participant will have around 15 minutes to present their work.
After the conference, all contributors will be invited to submit their paper for publication to an edited book on commons and commoning in/for cultural production.
Keynote Speakers
Alice Borchi, University of Leeds
Ana Margarida Esteves, Center for International Studies of the University Institute of Lisbon
Andreas Exner, University of Graz
Amanda Huron, University of the District of Columbia
Alexandros Kioupkiolis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Prodromos Tsiavos, Onassis Foundation
Abstracts can focus on one or more of the following thematic panels:
Management and participatory practices under commons
Participation and co-curation in museums and cultural institutions: challenges and good practices
The past as a commons resource: Community narratives, traditional knowledge and heritage-making
Effective tools and mechanisms for horizontal decision-making in GLAMs and other cultural organisations
Networks and Intercommoning
In what kind of networks commons-oriented organisations participate and draw resources?
How can relations and networks with other commons (housing, energy, agrofood) assist and further stabilize commons- oriented GLAMs and commons from other fields of cultural production?
How do Diverse and Community Economies enable commoning in cultural production?
Commons-enabling infrastructures: Relationalised finance, volunteer labour and other resources
What resources (financial and other) are needed for enabling and sustaining commoning in the field of culture?
What are the social, financial, political or legal barriers, resistances and opportunities for supporting commoning in the field of culture?
What financial practices support commoning without the predatory extraction of conventional finance or the bureaucratic procedures that come with state support?
What are the challenges of communal volunteer labour in commons-oriented cultural organisations and initiatives?
Values and co-creation practices in/for commoning
What values inform different practices of cultural commons?
How can cultural commons build collective sense of purpose?
How to assess the importance of different clusters (cultural, social, societal) of values?
Digital commons and cultural accessibility
Repositories and their functions for culture and GLAMs
What are the digital tools for increasing access and engagement in cultural heritage and GLAM collections?
How can digital commons inform sectorial practices of heritage and culture institutions?
Policies for enabling commoning practices in cultural production
What is the role of the state (in various spatial scales) in enabling and sustaining commons-oriented cultural production?
What good practices/ policies exist for mobilising and sustaining commoning processes?
Public and private sector synergies? Terms and conditions for serving public benefit
Important dates and guidelines
Deadline for abstracts submission: 30 June 2025 (please indicate the thematic panel you would like to contribute to)
Send your abstracts at glammons.pmo@gmail.com
Notification of accepted abstracts: 15 July 2025
Length of abstracts: Maximum 300 words. All titles and abstracts must be written in English.
The conference has no fee.
Free accommodation for early career researchers
We aim to offer 12 bursaries to cover accommodation and lunches (3-6 September 2025) for early career researchers (post-doctoral researchers, PhD candidates, etc.) to join the conference and present their contribution. In order to be considered for free accommodation, please send us your CV along with the abstract by the 30th of June 2025.
The GLAMMONS project reimagines Galleries, Libraries, Archives & Museums (GLAMs) as dynamic, participatory and commons-oriented organisations that thrive on community engagement, meaningful participation, and co-creation. Across the EU, local commons-oriented initiatives – such as neighbourhood libraries, oral history archives and community museums – are emerging in urban, rural, and peripheral areas. These initiatives hold significant cultural and social value, strengthening community bonds, promoting inclusivity, social cohesion, and advancing social justice. GLAMMONS invites heritage and culture professionals, as well as cultural commoners, to help unlock the past and use cultural heritage as a resource for current and future social development.
GLAMMONS highlights inspiring examples of GLAMs operating as commons in countries such as Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, and Serbia. Each case exemplifies the importance of community engagement, volunteerism, and the preservation of cultural and historical resources. The nine cases outlined below share a commitment to creating and sustaining accessible spaces for knowledge-sharing and cultural enrichment, while often adapting to evolving circumstances and community needs. They overcome financial constraints, address challenges of community engagement, and discover innovative ways to ensure sustainability. These cases offer practical guidance for others wishing to embark on similar initiatives.
GLAM professionals and academics are invited to collaborate and share their own experience on a dedicated platform.
A unique network of bottom-up, self-organised initiatives focused on the creation and dissemination of oral history archives. Research by Mina Dragouni and Dimitris Pettas (Panteion University).
Established in 1992 as a civic non-profit organisation, ASKI preserves the history and memory of Greek leftist political and social movements. It brings together a community of experts interested in the genealogy and biography of the Greek New Left. Research by Mina Dragouni and Dimitris Pettas (Panteion University).
Focusing on LGBTQ+ history and culture, this museum remains adaptable to changing demands while maintaining a strong volunteer presence. It combines political expression, scientific archival work, exhibitions, and workshops within an association structure. Research by Ares Kalandides, Bastian Lange, and Georgios Thodos (Inpolis)
Employing feminist pedagogy to foster critical thinking, creativity, and civic awareness in an underprivileged region. Research by Miljana Milojković (Nova Iskra), Ares Kalandides, Bastian Lange, and Georgios Thodos (Inpolis).
Operating as part of Magacin, a self-organized and self-managed cultural center in Belgrade. Research by Miljana Milojković (Nova Iskra), Ares Kalandides, Bastian Lange, and Georgios Thodos (Inpolis).
An independent art space that exemplifies a powerful model of cultural and artistic practice grounded in artistic and economic autonomy, long-term personal commitment and collaboration. Research by Lyudmila Petrova and Matilde Ferrero (CREARE).
“The research revealed that three key organizational modes emerged in response to these challenges: top-down professional consultancy, bottom-up semi-professional practices, and routinized participatory modes. These modes reflected the growing diversity of duties and thematic focuses within the museum but also highlighted the tensions between professional management and volunteer-driven governance.”
-Ares Kalandides, Inpolis (Except from “How GLAM Institutions Are Rewriting the Rulebook: Adapting to the Post-Pandemic and Digital Age?”).
“What sets Bestemming bereikt? apart is its pioneering shift from traditional curating to a collaborative, community-focused process. Professionals and local people worked hand in hand to create an exhibition that celebrated the stories and identities of its creators as much as the objects on display.”
-Lyudmila Petrova and Arjo Klamer, CREARE (Except from “Co-curating history: The Bestemming bereikt? Exhibition”).
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Conference: Commons and commoning in/for cultural production
4-5 September 2025, Romantso, Athens, Greece
The conference marks the end of the GLAMMONS project, which aimed to explore practices (concerning management, financial sustainability and participation) that have emerged around small-scale, community-led GLAMS (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) through the theoretical lens of the commons. The project aimed to inspire commoning practices around GLAMs and beyond, and bring to the fore best practices that can respond to challenges that commons-oriented cultural organisations face.
We welcome contributions that build on empirical and/or theoretical approaches and we are particularly interested in critical contributions about the development of commons in cultural organisations from different academic perspectives, such as cultural studies, cultural economics, urban and cultural geography, sociology, management studies, labour studies, political sciences etc. We also welcome contributions from practitioners that would like to showcase their commons-oriented cultural organisations and discuss their challenges and practices.
The conference will be organised around six thematic panels, where each participant will have around 15 minutes to present their work.
After the conference, all contributors will be invited to submit their paper for publication to an edited book on commons and commoning in/for cultural production.
Keynote Speakers
Alice Borchi, University of Leeds
Ana Margarida Esteves, Center for International Studies of the University Institute of Lisbon
Andreas Exner, University of Graz
Amanda Huron, University of the District of Columbia
Alexandros Kioupkiolis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Prodromos Tsiavos, Onassis Foundation
Abstracts can focus on one or more of the following thematic panels:
Management and participatory practices under commons
Participation and co-curation in museums and cultural institutions: challenges and good practices
The past as a commons resource: Community narratives, traditional knowledge and heritage-making
Effective tools and mechanisms for horizontal decision-making in GLAMs and other cultural organisations
Networks and Intercommoning
In what kind of networks commons-oriented organisations participate and draw resources?
How can relations and networks with other commons (housing, energy, agrofood) assist and further stabilize commons-oriented GLAMs and commons from other fields of cultural production?
How do Diverse and Community Economies enable commoning in cultural production?
Commons-enabling infrastructures: Relationalised finance, volunteer labour and other resources
What resources (financial and other) are needed for enabling and sustaining commoning in the field of culture?
What are the social, financial, political or legal barriers, resistances and opportunities for supporting commoning in the field of culture?
What financial practices support commoning without the predatory extraction of conventional finance or the bureaucratic procedures that come with state support?
What are the challenges of communal volunteer labour in commons-oriented cultural organisations and initiatives?
Values and co-creation practices in/for commoning
What values inform different practices of cultural commons?
How can cultural commons build collective sense of purpose?
How to assess the importance of different clusters (cultural, social, societal) of values?
Digital commons and cultural accessibility
Repositories and their functions for culture and GLAMs
What are the digital tools for increasing access and engagement in cultural heritage and GLAM collections?
How can digital commons inform sectorial practices of heritage and culture institutions?
Policies for enabling commoning practices in cultural production
What is the role of the state (in various spatial scales) in enabling and sustaining commons-oriented cultural production?
What good practices/policies exist for mobilising and sustaining commoning processes?
Public and private sector synergies? Terms and conditions for serving public benefit
Important dates and guidelines
Deadline for abstracts submission: 30 June 2025 (please indicate the thematic panel you would like to contribute to)
Length of abstracts: Maximum 300 words. All titles and abstracts must be written in English.
The conference has no fee.
Free accommodation for early career researchers
We aim to offer 12 bursaries to cover accommodation and lunches (3-6 September 2025) for early career researchers (post-doctoral researchers, PhD candidates, etc.) to join the conference and present their contribution. In order to be considered for free accommodation, please send us your CV along with the abstract by the 30th of June 2025.
The GLAMMONS project partners, BSB and Mazomos, host a one-hour webinar on Open GLAM licences on March 12, 2025, at 2:00 PM CET via Zoom.
This webinar explores the various Creative Commons licenses for documenting open-source data and content, highlighting their relevance for cultural institutions, particularly in fostering spaces for active audience engagement.
The session is presented by Dr. Stelios Lekakis from Mazomos and moderated by Dr. Marilena Vecco from BSB, followed by a Q&A session addressing all questions related to Creative Commons licensing.
This case study is part of CREARE Social research conducted by Lyudmila Petrova and Matilde Ferrero for GLAMMONS project.
CREARE Social is starting a series of discussions with Associazione Bastione, an independent art space in Turin, Italy, to include them as a case study in their analysis for GLAMMONS project. Bastione’s practice is a powerful example of a cultural and artistic practice that is based on artistic and economic autonomy, long-term personal commitment and collaboration.
In this conversation with ECHN, CREARE explores the key elements that define their practice and the core values they assign to it.
ECHN: Could you describe Bastione’s approach to artistic practice and how it has evolved over time?
CREARE: Bastione’s practice is rooted in mutual collaboration, autonomy, commitment, strong personal bonds and care for the space. The collective is made of 10 visual artists who work across a range of media and disciplines, including performance and music, as part of their grassroots approach. Their work is inherently interdisciplinary, fusing different forms of artistic expression to create immersive one-day events in their space.
From 2017 until 2019, Bastione has reclaimed abandoned spaces in the form of an occupation of the Bastione San Maurizio, the bastion of the Cavallerizza Reale, a historic building in the centre of Turin. Later, after being evicted in 2019, they relocated to a new historic site that they found thanks to social capital, demonstrating both adaptability and a deep commitment to space as an essential part of their artistic practice.
ECHN: What are the key values in their practice?
CREARE: Artistic and economic autonomy is central to Bastione’s identity – as individuals they act autonomously and make decisions collectively, without relying on external funding, i.e. they manage their projects independently.
Another value is care for space: the collective actively restores and transforms its spaces, treating the physical environment as an integral part of its artistic practice.
Last but not least, mutual collaboration is embedded in both Bastione’s daily operations and artistic co-creation. Through regular meetings and brainstorming sessions, each member’s input contributes to governance of collaborative projects. This spirit of collective creation also extends to the blending of different art forms, resulting in work created at the intersection of different disciplines and in conjunction with other artists outside the collective.
ECHN: What can we learn from Bastione’s practice?
CREARE: Bastione demonstrates that it is possible to remain autonomous and connected to the community and its spaces without totally relying on institutional support. Its emphasis on co-creation, spatial care and autonomy offers lessons in how to be autonomous in making art through a set of values and practices that are capable of creating a network of support.
Would you like to share your experience? Feel free to leave a reply!
Ostavinska is a gallery located in a former warehouse on public property, operating as part of Magacin, a self-organized and self-managed cultural center in Belgrade (Serbia).
Read more about the case #8
The Ostavinska Gallery in Belgrade, a research conducted by Miljana Milojković, Ares Kalandides, Bastian Lange, and Georgios Thodos.
Magacin was initiated in 2007 by artistic and cultural collectives and non-profit organizations. Since 2016, the gallery is housed in one of three buildings that make up Magacin. Alongside Ostavinska, these spaces are used to support the practices and productions of various users, addressing the diverse needs of different art forms and social groups requiring spatial resources.
A key element of Magacin is its focus on cultural exchange, social cohesion, and community organizing, prioritizing the creation of an ecosystem that upholds democratic principles, equitable use of shared resources, solidarity, and cultural diversity.
The distinctive feature of both the gallery and the cultural center is the implementation of the “Open Calendar Model,” which allows organizations, collectives, and individuals engaged in art, culture, and social activism to access resources. The only requirements for interested parties are that they do not charge an entrance fee and that they organize events in alignment with the values promoted by Magacin.
The primary beneficiaries of Ostavinska are those who most need these resources—non-governmental organizations and emerging young artists. Since its inception, all members of the Management and Operational bodies have worked on a voluntary basis, driven by a passion for supporting artists and the community.
The Magacin Users’ Assembly is the main governing body of the center, composed of all regular users (individuals, collectives, NGOs) of the space. The Assembly is responsible for managing the space, making decisions on activities, development, maintenance, usage conditions, and joint actions. Decision-making is highly participatory and horizontal, occurring during monthly assemblies as well as through both offline and online communication.
Ostavinska is managed by one of the five working groups of Magacin. These groups include the Users’ Assembly Coordinator (who supports users and coordinates the activities and sessions of the assembly), the Technical Maintenance team, the PR team (communications), and the Photo Documentation team. The Coordinator and the Photo Documentation team receive symbolic financial compensation for their work, with the amount depending on Magacin’s current financial capacities.
The Association of the Independent Culture Scene of Serbia represents Magacin and advocates for its status as a space for independent culture and social engagement. Until Magacin’s legal status is formally established, ICSS will represent the center, participate in projects on its behalf, and ensure its visibility and presence within other networks and initiatives, alongside the Assembly of regular users.”
The financial model of Magacin relies on donations from users, friends of Magacin, and citizens. All users of the space are encouraged to allocate a portion of their project proposal budgets for the maintenance of Magacin.
The core values of Magacin are equality and fairness, professionalism, participation, cooperation, accessibility, financial transparency, respect, and social change.
One of the main challenges Magacin has faced since its inception is the unresolved issue of the legalization of the space. Numerous attempts have been made by various political parties and cultural policy actors to take control of Magacin, alter its purpose, or establish agreements that do not align with the values of its users.
Have you also encountered legislative challenges? Would you like to share your experience?
