Amargeti:Cyprus People in the cultural and creative sector are eager to adopt sustainable practices but often face obstacles that prevent them from doing so, as revealed by workshops held in Cyprus, Greece, and Malta. These workshops are part of the European CoRES project, coordinated by AKTI.

According to Cyprus News Agency, the CoRES project—Creativity, Resilience, Environment, Sustainability A Cultural Paradigm for a more resilient Art world—is implemented by AKTI in Cyprus, RUNONART in Greece, and Studio 18 in Malta. The project aims to identify the challenges and needs for a green transition in the cultural and creative sectors, and works collaboratively with stakeholders to design solutions for a sustainable future.

A total of 177 participants from the cultural, creative, and environmental sectors, including young practitioners aged 18-30, engaged in discussions in Amargeti, Paphos (Cyprus), Valletta (Malta), and Athens (Greece). The discussions addressed sustainability within the sector, as well as the integration of climate and gender considerations.

The workshops highlighted several barriers to sustainability, such as limited funding, bureaucratic hurdles, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of access to sustainable resources and public spaces. Participants proposed solutions including experiential learning, knowledge sharing, community engagement, creative expression, enhanced collaboration, and a supportive institutional framework.

When discussing climate change, participants expressed a range of emotions from fear and sadness to hope and responsibility, highlighting the need for immediate action. Young creatives viewed climate change as both a challenge and a call to action, though they also noted feelings of fatigue and helplessness.

The project also addressed gender issues, identifying needs in areas such as education, media stereotypes, recognition of women's contributions, and representation in decision-making roles. Participants called for greater recognition of women's achievements, better female role models, less media bias, and improved funding access.

The insights gathered will contribute to the development of the DeCyDe-4-Arts Policy Tool, aimed at enhancing climate resilience and social inclusion in the arts. This tool will be shared with over 20 stakeholders upon the project's completion. CoRES is co-funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency under Creative Europe's 2021-2027 Culture strand and the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus.