Culture Next
Established in 2017, Culture Next is dedicated to European Capital of Culture candidates, current or former, awarded or not.
MISSION
Our mission is to contribute to having more European Capital of Culture (ECoC) programmes implemented in European cities and regions and to define a long-term European vision on local development through culture and creativity.
Building on the experiences, processes and collaborations established during the ECoC bid, we support all cities, being them awarded or not, to implement culture-led local development programmes and policies. We are committed to deliver a sustainable impact and meaningful legacy of the ECoC programme.
RELEVANCE
Whether being ECoC labelled or not, all cities need support and inspiration în order to carry on with the implementation of their programmes.
The partnerships, talents and resources mobilised through ECoC bidding make a strong base for culture-led sustainable development in these cities. We can all contribute to the success and legacy of the ECoC project.
Cities are where democracy, inclusiveness and innovation are produced, and culture is a facilitator of this entire ecosystem. More cities with cultural programmes mean more power to address European challenges and opportunities.
MOTIVATION
The European Capital of Culture (ECoC) is one of the most recognized action programmes of the European Union.
The dynamics and dimension of the process makes it attractive to cities that seek cultural, social, economic and infrastructural transformation. The hundreds of cities participating in this process bring together a vast set of learnings, good practice and knowledge that it’s important to share and by doing so, to be an agent of positive action for Europe.
Bidding for the European Capital of Culture title requires commitment, investment and cooperation among various local actors, the candidature being an important unique development opportunity for all participating cities. However, more than 80% of the bidding cities are not awarded the title.
Beyond the bidding itself, all these cities develop strong cultural strategies and establish mechanisms for cultural planning and citizen participation. Moreover, these cities manage to raise significant budgets and energy for the implementation of their programme: a multiannual integrated plan contributing to local and European development. After the competition, all these efforts and emotional and financial investments are usually lost.
Culture Next attempts to gather and offer possible answers to this delicate question: How can candidate cities – be they candidates, title holders or former candidates that did not make it through the selection – make the most of this exceptional mobilising of talents, ideas, resources and energy?
WORK
MANIFESTOCulture Next works towards achieving wider European acknowledgement and recognition of culture as sustainable development and towards extending the existing European cultural cooperation frameworks.
The network also contributes to the ECoC programme legacy, by facilitating the implementation of more ECoC programmes in Europe.
The network focuses on capacity building, organising conferences and annual meetings, and on developing a platform for promoting member cities, as well as facilitating collaborations among them. Also, the network aims to become a voice in shaping European cultural policies.
Relevant benefits
1. Exchange of information and expertize specific for the needs of cities in different phases of the ECoC candidacy.
2. Free access to the Network’s capacity building programme for cultural cities: an annual training programme built on the needs of the members and funded through suitable European grants;
1. Exchange of information and expertize specific for the needs of cities in different phases of the ECoC candidacy.
2. Free access to the Network’s capacity building programme for cultural cities: an annual training programme built on the needs of the members and funded through suitable European grants;
BOARD MEMBERS
The Culture Next Board is comprised of six city representatives.
The Board meets periodically (weekly if needed, at least once per month, and ad-hoc when necessary), develops and updates rules and regulations în the network functioning, and take them to the members plenary for revision and approval. The Board makes strategic decisions for the Network and represents Culture Next în external contexts.
The board members are part of the Culture Next Policy Task-Force and are responsible for drafting position papers on behalf of the network.
HENRI TURUNEN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, OULU 2026 ECoC
HENRI TURUNEN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, OULU 2026 ECoC
Henri has a diverse background in the creative industries and culture. He has studied visual communications and cultural production. In his previous career, he focused on the film industry and his music videos have been screened at numerous international film festivals. He also ran his own production company. Henri has been many years the chairman of the Oulu Live Music Association and organised hundreds of music events. Prior to this project, he has worked in the city of Oulu as a developer of cultural festivals in the region. In his free time, he plays in a couple of bands, which have released studio albums for esteemed indie labels.
IMMIE JONKMAN
CEO, LEEUWARDEN FRYSLÂN 2028
IMMIE JONKMAN
CEO, LEEUWARDEN FRYSLÂN 2028
Immie Jonkman, business director for LF2028 / Arcadia. Worked on the artistic team for the cultural capital Leeuwarden – Friesland 2018. Has a large track record in cultural organisations, mainly focusing on the business side with a more than healthy interest in the artistic, with a specialism in community art, or ‘mienskip’, as we call it in Friesland. Active involvement of the mienskip (audience participation) is common ground in the projects she ran as a cultural entrepreneur. But also interested in organising high quality events and exhibitions. Started her career in organising a metal festival that hosted the biggest names in the metal scene. Making a change by using culture and art (even small changes on the longer term) is always a motivator.
TRACY GERAGHTY
Director of Strategic Development & Research at Dublin City Council Culture Company
TRACY GERAGHTY
Director of Strategic Development & Research at Dublin City Council Culture Company
Tracy Geraghty currently resides in Dublin, Ireland. She is Director of Strategic Development and Research with Dublin City Council Culture Company Dublin City Council, a cultural organisation runs cultural initiatives and buildings across the city with, and for, the people of Dublin. Tracy has worked at a local, national and international level in the areas of film and television, arts and education, cultural policy, resourcing and programming. She has provided advice and expertise to a range of arts organisations, local authorities, national bodies and state agencies on cultural provision, resourcing and programming.
She previously worked with the Arts Council of Ireland and the Irish Film Board. She was a Project Manager with Eurimages, the Council of Europe’s film co-production fund. She previously managed a number of national and international film resource organisations including North by Northwest, a European training programme for scriptwriters based in Denmark, and the Galway Film Centre based in the West of Ireland. She is an independent expert assessor for a number of national and European film and television agencies. Tracy was a member of the winning bid team for Galway 2020 – European Capital of Culture, with responsibility for the European Dimension and programme development.
ANELY ŠMIDA JEROMIN
PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, CHEMNITZ 2025
ANELY ŠMIDA JEROMIN
PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, CHEMNITZ 2025
Anely Šmída Jeromin from Leipzig, Germany, studied European Studies at the Technical University in Chemnitz, Germany (B.A.) and Cultural Management at HfM Franz Liszt in Weimar, Germany and at HAMU in Prague, Czech Republic (M.A.). She completed an internship at the European Parliament in Brussels and has collaborated with various cultural institutions such as Classical:NEXT, Bureauexport Berlin, Berlinale, Musikalische Komödie Leipzig, OMA Weimar and FOK Prague. Besides working for Medtronic and SAP in Prague, mainly she has been working as Production Manager for the physical theatre Farm in the Cave, the only residential company at DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. Since 2022 she is working for the Municipal Team for the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 as a project coordinator for International Affairs.
JOLLE DESLOOVER
Coordinator DURF - Kortrijk
JOLLE DESLOOVER
Coordinator DURF - Kortrijk
After completing a Master’s degree in History, Jolle immediately began working at BUDA Arts Centre as Head of Communication in early 2008. Following his passion for music — being a musician himself — he continued his career as a music programmer for the cultural centre of Kortrijk and various city events. There, he grew into the role of coordinator for the regional music centre Track, a position he held for a little over a decade (2011–2023).
During this period, he also co-founded several independent youth and cultural organizations in Kortrijk and the surrounding region. Many of these initiatives — such as Hip Hop Centre De Stroate, #LZSB, Gravelkids, and Wildebras — evolved into fully professional associations. At this point, Jolle still strongly believes in the power of communities to build new cultural and youth landscapes and remains actively involved in this vibrant independent scene to start up new initiatives.
As coordinator of DURF2030 (2023–…), now evolved into DURF, Jolle connects culture, youth, care, education, and other sectors, bringing together the diverse paths he has walked. A constant throughout his work is a deep belief in the power of togetherness and taking time to build strong, shared foundations or to quote Maya Angelou: your legacy is never one thing, it is every life you’ve touched, every person whose life was either moved or not.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Cluj Cultural Centre acts as the Network secretariat since the founding of Culture Next în 2017.
The Network Executive Team is strengthened with city representatives and other cultural and policy experts who take an active role în the implementation of the Network’s activities.
Cluj Cultural Centre is a non-governmental organization for culture and sustainable development. Legacy of the city’s bid for the European Capital of Culture 2021, the Centre implements an interdisciplinary programme to address strategic challenges of the society. The Centre has 116 members: cultural organizations and institutions, universities, associations of the business sector and of the civil society, and the local and regional administration.
Operational
ȘTEFAN TEIȘANU
SECRETARY GENERAL
ȘTEFAN TEIȘANU
SECRETARY GENERAL
Cultural manager and entrepreneur, Ștefan Teișanu is a co-founder of Cluj Cultural Centre, Fapte and Nord.
He is a member of the Romanian Economic and Social Council, as a representative of the cultural sector and the civil society, and works with the World Bank as public participation and local development specialist. He is the executive director of Cluj Cultural Centre, a culture and sustainable development NGO with 112 members: cultural organisations and institutions, universities, associations of the business environment and of the civil society, and the local and the regional administration.
He is the founding president of Fapte, an NGO which organises the Jazz in the Park festival and other cultural events with a community impact, and also the president of Nord, a community development association in Darabani, his hometown in the Moldova region. Ștefan was the president of AIESEC Cluj-Napoca and he founded the Junior Chamber International local subsidiary. His personal belief is that people can be what they want to be.
MEDA COROVEI
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
MEDA COROVEI
FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
Meda is the financial manager of Cluj Cultural Centre. She has been working in the financial field for over 10 years with NGOs in the cultural sector. She has collaborated over time with projects such as Jazz in the Park, Art in the Street and Zilele Nordului for which she has developed and implemented financial strategies, and has contributed to the writing and implementation of grant projects. She is the coordinator of the Classic Unlimited project, which proposes a new way of seeing, hearing, singing, living classical music. She believes in the power of art and culture to bring us together and change communities.
BRUNO INÁCIO
MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT - NON-EXECUTIVE
BRUNO INÁCIO
MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT - NON-EXECUTIVE
ANDRÁS FARKAS
ADVOCACY AND GROUPS COORDINATOR
ANDRÁS FARKAS
ADVOCACY AND GROUPS COORDINATOR
András Farkas is a social innovator based in Cluj, Romania. He became passionate about community issues while at school, where he developed an interest in activism through systemic projects, strategies and action plans for reaching wide impact and scaling. In 2009 he co-founded PONT Group based in Romania, a CSO in the field of social innovation through participation, entrepreneurship and culture with a special focus on youth and digital transformation. He now acts as the Strategic Director of the organisation and has a special interest in the role of youth in shaping the future of our cities. He recently founded a company called ‘allyourtime’ which aims to develop tools and methods for individual time management, note taking and consciousness. He has worked with multiple teams in European Capital of Culture and European Youth Capital bids and programmes.
DARIUS MÎNDROC
PROJECT MANAGER
DARIUS MÎNDROC
PROJECT MANAGER
Darius is a dynamic project manager with a passion for cultural collaboration and youth empowerment. As the project manager of the Culture Next Network and grant, he supports cities across Europe get connected and grow out of that connection. With a background in business administration and leadership, he thrives at the intersection of creativity and organization—whether it’s managing international projects, coordinating deliverables for the network, or running his next marathon. He is driven by connection, purpose, and the belief that good ideas grow best when shared.
JEAN-GABRIEL GUYANT
MISSIONS COORDINATOR
JEAN-GABRIEL GUYANT
MISSIONS COORDINATOR
ANGELIKI LAMPIRI
CONFERENCES COORDINATOR
ANGELIKI LAMPIRI
CONFERENCES COORDINATOR
ALIN-SEBASTIAN ȘUTEA
COMMUNICATION COORDINATOR
ALIN-SEBASTIAN ȘUTEA
COMMUNICATION COORDINATOR
With over 12 years of experience as a journalist in local (Cluj-Napoca) and national Romanian media, spanning newspapers, radio, and television, I’ve built a strong foundation in storytelling and communication. Over time, I transitioned into the world of communication and entrepreneurship, founding Mouton Noir, a creative agency that delivers out-of-the-box PR strategies tailored for bold, forward-thinking brands.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with major clients from diverse fields, from film festivals to leading healthcare networks and even the most beloved sports club in Transylvania. My mission is to craft authentic narratives that connect, inspire, and make a difference.
Communication
Policy
RARIȚA ZBRANCA
POLICY EXPERT
RARIȚA ZBRANCA
POLICY EXPERT
Rariţa is cultural expert with a twenty years’ experience in arts management, curating, research and policymaking. She is engaged in policy development in Cluj-Napoca (she coordinated the elaboration of the Cultural Strategy of the city), at national level, through the work of the Coalition for the Independent Cultural Sector and at European level. She is a member of the Strategy Group of the “A Soul for Europe” initiative, member of the European House for Culture, and a board member of the Balkan Express network. She contributed as speaker and trainer to a large number of professional forums, including prominent conferences such as the Berlin Conference, European Cultural Forum, IETM plenary meetings and Cultural Congress in Wroclaw.
She has also worked in field of media and democracy for various organisations including, Ethnocultural Diversity Resource Center in Cluj-Napoca and Soros Foundation for an Open Society Romania. She studied Photo-Video-Digital Image at the University of Arts and Design and Journalism at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. Since 2017 she is a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Public Administration and Policies, within the College of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, in Cluj-Napoca, undertaking research on ”New Paradigms of Urban Development. Culture, Creativity and Emotional Wellbeing as Key Factors in Urban Policies”.
MARILYN GAUGHAN REDDAN
Policy Expert
MARILYN GAUGHAN REDDAN
Policy Expert
Marilyn Gaughan Reddan is a senior European policy and regional development expert with over 25 years of leadership experience at the intersection of culture, innovation, and governance. She is Chairperson of the EIT Culture & Creativity Knowledge & Innovation Community (KIC), overseeing multi-partner European networks that connect universities, innovation centres, cultural organisations, and public authorities.
Marilyn has extensive experience advising local and regional governments, universities, and agencies across Europe on EU funding, strategic partnerships, and cultural and innovation-led programmes, and has served on European Commission Expert panel for the European Capital of Culture
She also serves on the EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities National Mirror Group, the Atlantic Futures advisory board, and Chambers Ireland, bringing governance, audit, and strategic oversight experience. Marilyn is deeply committed to supporting people, nurturing place, and championing culture across Europe.
BEATRIZ GARCIA
POLICY EXPERT
BEATRIZ GARCIA
POLICY EXPERT
Dr. Beatriz García is an internationally renowned expert in cultural policy and mega-events, with over 27 years of experience shaping global debates on culture-led regeneration and cultural evaluation. She specializes in developing multidimensional research frameworks to assess the impact of cultural programs, particularly within the Olympic Games and the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) initiative.
Dr. García is a member of the Culture & Olympic Heritage Commission at the International Olympic Committee and an Honorary Professor at the University of Liverpool. She previously served as member and chair the ECoC Selection Panel- European Commission, co-founded and directed the Institute of Cultural Capital, and held senior roles at the Centre for Cultural Value in the United Kingdom.
She has conducted fieldwork at every Olympic Games since Sydney 2000 and directed evaluations of major cultural initiatives, including Impacts 08 (University of Liverpool), the review of the first 30 years of ECoCs for the European Parliament, and the official evaluations of the London 2012 and Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiads. Her work also includes research on cultural strategies aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
A prolific author and speaker, Dr. García has delivered keynotes in over 40 countries and published more than 200 papers. She is the chair of Walk the Plank, and Policy Expert for Culture Next, European Candidate Cities network.
TOM FLEMING
POLICY EXPERT
TOM FLEMING
POLICY EXPERT
Dr Tom Fleming is a leading global expert on culture and the creative industries. He has led research, strategy and policy in over 60 countries. He is director of TFCC – an established cultural and creative industries consultancy, research agency and knowledge leader, with offices in Portugal, UK, and associates across the world. Tom’s overarching role is to develop evidence and knowledge on the role of culture in sustainable development. He shapes cultural and creative industries strategies for cities and regions, builds cultural policy and relevant regulations for nations, and supports partners to establish evidence-based solutions for culture and development. At TFCC, Tom also oversees a portfolio of evaluation and impact studies, feasibility studies and plans for cultural institutions and creative clusters.
Tom is Editor in Chief for the foundational UNESCO Report on Global Cultural Policies – Culture: The Missing SDG. His clients include the European Commission, World Bank, EUNIC organisations, UNIDO, leading institutions such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and many governments and municipalities. He has been directly involved in several European Capitals of Culture, starting with Guimaraes 2012 where he was director of the Creative Cities programme, followed by a range of advisory roles.
CARLOS MARTINS
POLICY EXPERT
CARLOS MARTINS
POLICY EXPERT
Carlos Martins is an economist by training, having graduated from the University of Porto, and later specialized in cultural and creative sectors through postgraduate studies in Cultural Tourism at the University of Barcelona, a Master’s in Gastronomic and Creative Tourism, and ongoing doctoral research in Geography at the University of Porto.
With a career spanning over two decades, he operates at the intersection of culture, tourism, and territorial development. He is the founder and Managing Partner of Opium, a consultancy focused on cultural, territorial, and economic planning, and of Local Heroes, a platform dedicated to tourism communication. Earlier in his career, he worked as a consultant at Deloitte.
Carlos has held a range of public leadership roles, including Councillor for Culture, Tourism and Economic Development in Santa Maria da Feira, President of the local Tourism Society, and Chairman of the Regional Development Agency of Entre-Douro-e-Vouga. He also served as Deputy to the Secretary of State for Youth and later contributed to national cultural policy as a member of the National Council of Culture.
He played a central role in major cultural initiatives, most notably as Executive Director of Guimarães 2012 – European Capital of Culture. His work also includes coordinating Braga’s candidacy for UNESCO Creative City and contributing to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in Portugal.
In tourism and heritage, he has co-authored the management plan for Porto’s UNESCO-listed historic centre and coordinated regional tourism strategies. Internationally, he works as a consultant for the United Nations (UNCTAD) on creative economy and tourism.
Alongside his institutional work, Carlos is deeply engaged in the cultural sector as the founder of Porto Post Doc film festival, the Portuguese Philharmonic Orchestra, and Culture Next.
JAK SPENCER
POLICY EXPERT
JAK SPENCER
POLICY EXPERT
Dr. Jak Spencer is a designer, researcher, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of culture, technology, and sustainable development. His work focuses on applying people-centred design and responsible AI to help organisations better understand and deliver social impact. He is co-founder of Whitelabel AI, where he develops human-centred AI tools that support nonprofits, healthcare organisations, and public institutions to turn complex information into accessible digital services for the people they serve.
Jak’s academic and applied research explores how emerging technologies can be designed around human needs and public value. He has published work on human-centred AI and is the author of a Routledge book on design and the Sustainable Development Goals, examining how design methods can support the delivery and measurement of the SDGs.
Within Culture Next, Jak leads the SDG Lab, working with European cities to develop practical frameworks, tools, and approaches that help cultural policy leaders better understand, measure, and communicate the wider societal value of culture.
