15.12.2020
Abstract
Corporate support for transnational cultural initiatives: how public-private partnerships help build EU soft power
The EU is experiencing unprecedented times, its internal identity and global image challenged by the Covid-19 pandemic. An innovative cultural strategy should be designed to respond to this challenge. This paper suggests an integrated approach bringing together corporate cultural activities and EU cultural diplomacy strategies in public-private partnerships. By leveraging on the strategic power of the cultural and creative sector, it creates synergy between the economic and cultural powers of the EU. The paper makes direct policy recommendations on promoting transnational cultural cooperation through corporate support, its implacability demonstrated by case studies of corporate cultural activities by Banca Intesa SanPaolo and Deutsche Bank. The EU cultural programmes Creative Europe and the Cultural Relations Platform are the main areas of implementation. The central aim of this strategy is to spread awareness of EU cultural values, internally and externally, to ultimately build the EU’s soft power.
About the author
Bella Schuster is a young researcher and recent graduate from the Master in Cultural Diplomacy at Università Cattolica. She was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and currently makes her home in Rome. With a strong background in International Relations and European Studies, her main research interest lies at the intersection of policy analysis and cultural studies. Coming from a multi-cultural family herself, her research analyses the role of culture in international relations, to facilitate intercultural dialogue and promote mutual understanding.
#EU cultural policy, #CSR #EU values, #Cultural diplomacy, #Cultural and creative sector #Corporate diplomacy