Cultivating Creativity and Innovation in Non-Urban Communities: Final IN SITU Conference with Online Access
From 11–13 May 2026, more than 130 researchers, cultural practitioners, policymakers, and creative professionals from 28 countries will gather in Valmiera, Latvia, for the international conference Culture Matters Here: Cultivating Creative Place-based Innovation in Non-urban Communities.
Organised as the final conference of the Horizon Europe project IN SITU, the event will explore how culture and creativity can strengthen resilience, foster innovation, and support sustainable development in non-urban regions across Europe and beyond.
The conference will feature keynote talks, plenary discussions, research presentations, and case studies addressing topics such as:
- place-based innovation and creative ecosystems
- rural cultural development
- community resilience and collaboration
- digital creativity and gamification
- heritage stewardship and bioregional innovation
- policy frameworks for non-urban cultural development
The livestream schedule is available below. Click on any session to join the live broadcast on YouTube. It is also possible to follow the main conference sessions online via the IN SITU Facebook page.
Livestream Schedule
11 May – Day 1
- 09:30–10:00 — Welcome and Opening
- 10:00–10:45 — Unpacking the IN SITU legacy: Research, capacity-building, and policy
- 11:15–12:00 — Keynote Speech by Susan Luckman
“All That Is Old Is New Again: Place-Based Innovation and Value Creation in the Age of AI” - 12:00–13:00 — The power of connection: Strengthening rural creators through collective action
- 16:15–17:30 — Culture in action: Practical lessons from non-urban creative practices
12 May – Day 2
13 May – Day 3
- 09:30–10:30 — Capacity building for the future: Tools and strategies for creative innovation in non-urban areas
- 13:30–14:30 — Where is innovation coming from? Rethinking place-based creativity through a non-urban lens
- 14:30–15:30 — Shaping future policies: EU policy frameworks for non-urban creative ecosystems
- 16:00–17:00 — Closing considerations and future directions
You can also follow updates and conference highlights via the IN SITU social media channels:
Make sure to share, tag us, and use the #CultureMattersHere2026 hashtag!
Learn more about the conference in this press release.
We look forward to welcoming you online for this international conversation on culture-led development beyond major urban centres!
