ACCESS to Culture for all Citizens
- WHO: Amsterdam, Greater London Authority, Lisbon, Dublin City Council, Sofia Municipality, Riga, Vilnius City Municipal Government, City of Tallinn
- WHERE: Amsterdam
- DURATION: 3 years, starting on June 25, 2019
- ROLE OF AMSTERDAM: Amsterdam leads this project
- TOTAL BUDGET: €749,746
- AMOUNT FOR AMSTERDAM: €199,695
ACCESS focuses on the importance of inclusive cultural policy. A challenge faced by all eight partner cities is that culture does not equally reach and enrich all individuals. Therefore, cities must develop a better understanding of communities to engage all citizens. ACCESS has identified four topics to work on, which will enable partner cities to gain that understanding and to safeguard it:
- There is a lack of a solid scientific foundation for cultural policy due to insufficient data and research.
- Cultural activities often take place in the city center but should be more widely distributed.
- Not all groups participate in cultural activities with the same frequency and intensity.
- Cities lack knowledge and underutilize 'smart solutions.'
Amsterdam's participation in ACCESS serves as a catalyst to achieve the city's objectives for cultural inclusion. Additionally, the project's outcomes will be integrated into the Arts Plan 2025-2028. The key findings revealed that most art is consumed in the city center, but residents of suburbs (North, New West, and Southeast) also have a significant need for art and culture and should be catered to accordingly.