Creative agency in development process .

Description

The seminar will explore creative agency in the redevelopment process and revitalization of urban waterfronts.

Gdańsk and Aarhus – two cities on the Baltic Sea. The first on its southern coast, the second on the northwestern. Creative communities at both cities for years participate on currently transforming post-industrial spaces – the former shipyard areas in Gdańsk and the former port areas in Aarhus. In both cities, artists have a history of working in abandoned buildings, a practice now called into question due to ongoing construction shaping these areas. In both places, artists also believe that they can and have the right to play a meaningful role in shaping alternative visions for the planned developments.

The questions:
How can one maintain the independent nature of artistic activities in a space where public space has essentially ceased to exist?
How can one navigate between the legacy of Solidarity and the logic of private ownership?
How can the idea of solidarity be interpreted in these new realities?

Whereas the Gdańsk Shipyard was sold to multiple developers with little oversight from the municipality, Sydhavnen was sold to a single developer under the condition that the history of the area be honoured. The art council, vision, strategy, and action plan suggests that this condition was taken seriously. Most of the artists that were displaced by the development were given temporary workspaces for the duration of the construction phase – albeit in much smaller, less flexible studios. And not only were artists actively included in the strategic development of the area via the art council, but artistic projects were also consistently organized in and around the construction site in collaboration with the developer.

Period	12 Nov 2025
Event title	Soft City Seminar: Ecological Application of Cultural Values
Event type	Seminar
Location	Gdansk , PolandShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International