Over the last few decades, ecological awareness has emerged on a global scale, reinforced by the Covid-19 crisis. However, these global issues also call for action by those involved at the ultra-local level. Even if political actors and associations are already taking action locally, it's important to remember the importance of artists in bringing new imaginations to bear. 

In this actual context of social, environmental and political crisis, it's urgent to develop a more sustainable model of society implicating cultural actors, especially on a local scale.

Therefore, it is important to emphasise the unique role of alternative culture and art in achieving sustainability goals, and particularly through freedom brought by creative processes and experimentations, explorations of margins and boundaries, and power of expression. 

At the crossroads of artistic creation and social and/or environmental commitments, Alternative Cultural Places act in our local ecosystems as laboratories of sustainable practices in their unique way. Through the experimental aspect of their organisation and programming, these places bring “alternatives” from dominant paradigms and emphasise the articulation of ecological resilience, social justice, inclusiveness and vibrant modes of life.

Alternative Cultural Places also experience tensions in their ability to be durable (physical and architectural constraints, a lack of material resources, space, skills, institutional and political constraints, a lack of political support and policies, etc). It is necessary to determine the unique value of informal and tacit knowledge in terms of sustainability of these places that remains unclear, poorly documented or shared.  We expect to demonstrate why it is important to help maintain these places.

Sustainability

Sustainability needs to be understood from a holistic perspective that integrates environmental concerns, considers places’ sound economic development, fosters social interaction and mobility, and does not neglect culture as its fourth pillar (UCLG 2018). With this in mind, sustainable practices are defined as efforts and actions developed by ACPs initiative or solutions to local issues. These practices differ from dominant paradigms and emphasise ecological resilience, social justice, inclusiveness and vibrant modes of life.

Ecology

We understand ecology from a holistic perspective that involves environmental, social and mental ecology - similar to an ethical-political perspective, with the goal of considering diversity by thinking in terms of innovative practices of the recomposition of individual and collective subjectivities, within new techno-scientific and geopolitical contexts.

Alternative Cultural Places

ACPs are defined as interstitial places in the creative city, characterised by a ‘do it yourself’ approach, possessing a collective orientation; motivated by creative works and a commons ethos and a desire to remain autonomous; engaging in different practices of artistic production; adopting a ‘use value’ approach to space; favouring a ‘gift’ economy of solidarity and sharing; and expressing some form of urban dissent, either alone or in concert with other cultural or urban social movements.

Mail

olivier.legal@mu.asso.fr - Project manager
gaspard.bourgeois@mu.asso.fr - Coordination assistant

Partners

1. La Station - Gare des Mines
2. CDA / Močvara
3. IZOLYATSIA
4. NGBG
5. Urban Spree
6. Long Winter / DIY Space Project
7. LabEx ICCA
8. Trans Europe Halles

Project supported by the Europe Creative Programme of the European Union.