Ten cultural institutions that Jugendkulturinitiative through the Jugendkulturinitiative developed their own projects during this period—while also learning from one another. The accompanying program shaped and supported this process. Berlin Mondiale designed and implemented the program: as a learning space, as a network, and as a contribution to a cultural policy debate that extends beyond the participating institutions.

Networking and Learning

At its core was the creation of a network in which organizations learn from one another—through practical experience and on an equal footing. This requires trust, which takes time to build. Through regular exchanges, shared reflection, and a willingness to discuss even difficult topics, this trust has grown. By the end of the pilot phase, the network was more than just a support group—it was a working group.

Building capacity

These institutions have evolved in three areas that are central to sustainable, decentralized cultural work.

• Social-spatial cooperation: How can we build partnerships with local stakeholders that extend beyond individual projects—and are based on genuine shared interests?

• Discrimination-Sensitive Practices: How do organizations evaluate their own structures, services, and communications—and what changes when they do so consistently?

• Outreach: How does cultural work reach the people it is intended for—and what structural changes are needed to ensure this happens sustainably?

Active Participation in Cultural Policy

The program has also reached out to the wider community. Through co-creative processes involving representatives from politics, government, cultural institutions, and local partners, cultural policy visions and areas of action for decentralized cultural education have been developed.

Findings from the program were presented at conferences and to policy committees—as a substantive contribution to a debate that affects the field as a whole.