Cultural Pearls Programme

Municipalities awarded the BSR Cultural Pearls title enrol a yar long Cultural Pearls Programme providing them a peer-learning opportunities and support to use culture to build social resilience when implementation their Culture and Resilience Action Plans (CuReAPs).

Programme empowers the awarded municipalities and stakeholders, sharing knowledge, boosting their confidence, showcasing different possibilities and methodology which can be used to engage and involve the citizens, increase quality of life, sense of belonging and trust, eventually making the communities stronger and more resilient.

Cultural Pearls Programme elements:

  • Mentoring provides personalized guidance to Pearls and Candidates through experienced national mentors.
  • Learning sessions equip local authorities with practical tools for building social resilience.
  • Transnational exchange offers cross-border learning and co-creation through meetings, forums, and expert-led sessions.
  • Events bring everyone together, from group meetings to large-scale forums, to inspire, connect and strengthen community action.

Mentoring

Local mentoring is at the heart of how we support cities and towns taking part in the Cultural Pearls programme. Each country has appointed one or two national mentors who work closely with both the Pearls (cities awarded the title) and the Candidates (those preparing their Culture and Resilience Action Plans, or CuReAPs).

These mentors are much more than contact points. They are trusted guides who understand the local context and have regular, personal contact with the municipalities they support. They help promote the programme and the title within their countries, reaching out to municipalities, cultural organisations and community stakeholders. They also play a key role in identifying potential Candidates and encouraging them to join.

Mentors support Candidates as they shape their CuReAPs, helping them understand what social resilience means in practice and how to plan for real impact. Once a city becomes a Pearl, mentors continue to provide hands-on support during the title year. They follow the progress of local actions, offer advice, and gather examples of good practice. (This support currently applies to Pearls 2024/25)

Mentors also support each other. They meet regularly online, exchange experiences, and take part in sessions led by an external expert. We use a twin mentoring system where experienced mentors pair up with newcomers. Those who have already worked with a Pearl city bring valuable insights that help others navigate the process more confidently.

Learning sessions

Learning sessions are designed to help local and regional teams build confidence and develop the skills they need to implement their CuReAPs. The sessions respond to the needs of the cities, shaped by regular feedback and experience on the ground.

Topics range from storytelling and participatory planning to inclusive engagement and strategic thinking. Every session is interactive, down-to-earth and focused on what works in real life.

Most sessions take place online to make it easier for a wide group of people to join in. These include municipal staff, cultural workers and community leaders. After each session, we share useful materials like recordings, presentations or key takeaways.

We are also planning to create a learning archive on the website. This will offer cities and others across the region a chance to revisit and reuse tools, examples and methods introduced throughout the programme.

Transnational exchange

The structure of transnational exchange is designed to be inclusive and flexible, so that all participants have the chance to contribute and learn. The main elements include:

  • Webinars led by experts: Webinars provide valuable insights from experts on topics such as resilience, co-creation, and community engagement. These sessions offer practical takeaways for cities to apply locally and can also attract new cities interested in joining the Cultural Pearls network.
  • Study visits: Cities take part in cultural events organized by awarded cities, where they can see resilience-building efforts in action and learn from real-world examples.
  • Annual Forum: Each year, cities awarded the BSR Cultural Pearl title, project partners and stakeholders come together to share updates, learn new mehods, get inspired, and work collaboratively to refine social resilience strategies by using cultural tools. These conferences include keynote speakers and focused workshops, where cities define their challenges and work with mentors to find solution.