IN SITU international conference in Croatia opened up new horizons

The 1st International Conference “Horizons of Sustainability: The Power of Creative Innovation for Transformation of Rural and Non-Urban Futures” was held in Šibenik, Croatia, on September 25-27. This event was led by the IN SITU partners Kultura Nova Foundation in cooperation with the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra.

The conference gathered scholars, researchers, artists, cultural practitioners, activists, policymakers, and decision-makers from across the world. We explored the transformative power of innovative approaches of cultural and creative agents in forging more equitable and sustainable communities beyond urban centres. The discussions around topics such as creative innovation, the transformation of rural and non-urban futures, and sustainability in diverse contexts were invaluable. Prof. Dr Lidia Varbanova from NATFIZ led an interactive session titled “Rural is the New Creative Centre“, with a panel discussion on presenting the 12 case studies – innovative projects from Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Portugal and Croatia. Yana Dzharova from NATFIZ moderated a session titled “Participatory Approaches in Cultural Revitalization and Rural Development” in which the themes for “Motivation, participation, and sustainability” were presented. The session also included a comparative study of rural art projects in China, “Little steps fostering village progression” and a presentation by Mark Justin Rainey, Ireland.

We believe that the collaborative spirit fostered during the event has sparked new ideas and connections that will drive meaningful change in these critical areas. The conference was followed by a 2-day meeting of the 13 IN SITU consortium partners who worked in an interactive style, discussing the project work for the past months and outlining the tasks for the next project period. The final IN SITU International Conference will take place in Latvia in 2026. Stay tuned and follow us on IN SITU website and social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube.