BSR Cultural Pearls project hosts Strategic Roundtable during Macro-Regional & Sea Basin Strategies Days in Brussels

On 25 September, the BSR Cultural Pearls project had the pleasure of hosting a strategic roundtable during the Macro-Regional & Sea Basin Strategies Days in Brussels – bringing together stakeholders from all eight strategies (Alpine, Danube, Adriatic-Ionian, Baltic Sea, Atlantic, Western Mediterranean, Black Sea and Greater North Sea), political representatives, and cultural actors.

The session was opened by project manager Felix Schartner Giertta from lead partner Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), who presented the achievements of the BSR Cultural Pearls project and highlighted the role of culture in strengthening social resilience in smaller municipalities. This was followed by Marina Martinez from KEA European Affairs, who shared key findings from the project evaluation conducted together with the Cultural Pearls partner consortium.

These inputs set the stage for a lively exchange around a central question:

How can culture strengthen social resilience and security in Europe’s macro regions?

Participants shared valuable experiences and inspiring ideas – from project clustering and cross-regional cooperation to leveraging culture as a driver of resilience and inclusion. One key insight: sustainable collaboration across macro-regions will be essential to achieving long-term impact.

Following this notion, we already look ahead, with a follow-up event planned for 3rd December 2025.

A heartfelt thank you to the Macro-Regional & Sea Basin Strategies Days for the opportunity to connect platforms and to all participants for your contributions and inspiration – together, we can build stronger and more resilient communities through culture.