ENCATC, the European network on cultural management and policy, will hold its 2026 Academy on Sustainable Cultural Management and Policy from 21-24 April 2026, hosted by the the Department of Culture of the Town Hall of Bilbao and the Department of Culture and Language Policy of the Basque Government, in partnership with Michael Culture Association, NEMO, Eurocities and Julie’s Bicycle.
The 2026 ENCATC Academy is designed as a dynamic, action-oriented programme that empowers cultural professionals and policymakers to lead the green, social, and digital transformation of the sector. It encourages participants to translate knowledge into concrete organisational practices, equipping them with tools, policy insights, and practical strategies to address emerging sustainability challenges.
Through expert-led lectures, case studies, hands-on workshops, study visits, and dedicated networking forums, the Academy fosters capacity building, collaboration, and leadership in the green transition. By connecting theory with practice and facilitating the exchange of best practices and resources, it strengthens participants’ ability to embed sustainable management, advance policy innovation, harness digital–green synergies, and position culture as a driver of climate action and systemic change.
Bilbao: From industrial past to sustainable cultural leadership
Hosting this edition of the 2026 ENCATC Academy in Bilbao, in the heart of the Basque Country, offers a powerful framework for exploring sustainability in cultural management and policy. Over the past three decades, Bilbao has become an international reference for urban and cultural transformation, evolving from an industrial centre into a dynamic hub of innovation, creativity, and sustainability-driven development.
As host city of the Local 2030 Coalition, Bilbao actively advances the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), integrating cultural participation, social inclusion, and ecological responsibility across its policies and institutions.
Its rich cultural ecosystem, including the Arriaga Theatre, Harrobia, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Azkuna Zentroa, and La Perrera, provides participants with first-hand insight into diverse models of sustainability, innovation, and community engagement. Through study visits and exchanges with regional experts, the Academy becomes not only a learning experience but an immersion into one of Europe’s most emblematic examples of culture-led systemic transformation.
