Members of the international jury selecting BSR Cultural Pearls 2025 announced

With only a few weeks left before the deadline for submitting the Culture and Resilience Action Plan (CuReAP) for towns and cities vying for the BSR Cultural Pearls 2025 title, we are excited to introduce the members of our international jury. This esteemed group will evaluate candidates based on their compelling action plans that leverage culture to enhance citizen engagement, foster a sense of belonging, and build stronger, more resilient communities. Cities awarded the title will be announced in December 2025.

Our international jury is a distinguished panel comprised of experts in social resilience, urban planning, arts and culture, along with representatives from pan-Baltic and European organizations:

Jonas Büchel, Consultant in strategic urban & regional development and social & cultural planning, co-founder and board member of the Urban Institute Riga.

Oleg Koefoed, Head of Center for Vitality and Regenerative Transformation.

Julie Hervé, Head of culture at Eurocities.

Ann Irene Saeternes, Head of European Affairs in Eastern Norway County Network, representing the Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC).

Ramon Marrades, Director at Placemaking Europe and strategy advisor to a number of cities and large-scale development projects.

Leena Marsio, Senior advisor at Finnish Heritage Agency.

Külli Hansen, Director of Tartu Centre for Creative Industries.

Antoni Wyligała, Leader of the Working Group on Culture within the Committee of Youth Representatives (CBSS).

These jury members bring a wealth of experience and knowledge, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of candidate’s action plans. The diversity of perspectives and experience in the jury enables a holistic assessment that reflects the multifaceted nature of the challenges and opportunities faced by communities in the region.

After the pre-selection, the candidates of BSR Cultural Pearls 2025 title, sixteen municipalities from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Finland, Denmark, and Estonia took part in the CuReAP development phase receiving individual support from national mentors, expert webinars, and access to a good practices catalogue. They also benefited from insights and lessons learned shared by municipalities awarded the BSR Cultural Pearls 2024 title and now are finalizing their action plans.

The assessment criteria of the final selection of BSR Cultural Pearls 2025 can be found HERE.