Summary of the 2025 Professional Conference
1. Exchange between academia, practice, and civil society
Organised by KulturLeben Berlin to mark the organisation’s 15th anniversary, the conference brought together stakeholders from academia, politics, culture, social work, civil society organisations, and self-advocacy groups to discuss current challenges and future perspectives of inclusive cultural practice and inclusive volunteering. A central objective of the conference was to systematically link academic research with practical experience and to develop sustainable, transferable approaches for action. The thematic focus was on the equal participation of people with refugee and migration backgrounds and disabilities, as well as on the role of cultural participation and volunteering in fostering social cohesion.
2. International perspectives and comparative approaches
The conference was characterised by strong international exchange. Contributions and discussions with guests from Taiwan, Georgia, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Canada, and other countries opened up comparative perspectives on political frameworks, funding structures, and civil society models of cultural participation.
3. Multiple exclusion and structural barriers to participation
Key topics included displacement and disability as forms of multiple exclusion, poverty and access to education as structural barriers to participation, and queer refugee experiences. Another major focus was the complexity of legal and administrative frameworks, particularly in light of diverse residence status situations, which often restrict access to participation and are frequently subsumed under overly generalised categories.
4. Inclusion instead of integration: requirements for volunteering structures
The conference clearly highlighted the need to further develop the concept of integration in favour of inclusion and participation. Issues such as racism and threats to democratic values were explicitly addressed, along with the resulting requirements for protection, self-care, and awareness structures within volunteering, aimed at preventing overload and burnout.
5. Recognition, security, and impact of volunteering
Another key focus was the social and political recognition of voluntary engagement. Discussions centred on strategies to structurally secure civil society work, strengthen visibility and impact assessment, and ensure sustainable funding for cultural participation. International studies, including those from the WHO context, underline the positive impact of arts and culture on health and social cohesion.
6. Cultural participation as a component of social services of general interest
Overall, the conference made it clear that cultural participation is not an optional add-on, but a central component of social services of general interest. Arts and culture were highlighted as essential resources for encounter, self-efficacy, and democratic resilience, and as a foundation for a positive, forward-looking vision of society and social coexistence.
We will gradually make the contributions of the speakers as well as the content of the panel discussions and workshops available here on our website.
Organiser
The professional conference was organised by KulturLeben Berlin – Schlüssel zur Kultur e.V. as part of the project “Engaged Instead of Isolated: Pathways into Volunteering for Third-Country Nationals With and Without Disabilities.” The project is funded by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and co-funded by the European Union.
