- Home
- What's On
- Call | Who decides what? Two-day think tank on authority, ownership, and responsibility in the cultural sector
Call | Who decides what? Two-day think tank on authority, ownership, and responsibility
Do not expect a traditional, one-way conference, but rather a participatory laboratory. Together, we will hold an honest conversation about the friction points within museums and cultural organizations (collections, power, money, barriers). Embracing doubt and analysis, we aim to develop practical tools, a shared vocabulary, and new quality criteria for the sector.
What is it about?
Who has the power to decide? Who determines what is valuable? And what does it actually mean to share authority, ownership, and responsibility?We will work together on themes such as power and leadership, recognition and compensation, quality and success. Starting from concrete experiences and practical questions, we will jointly explore alternative ways of working. Under the guidance of international experts:
- Yana Dimitrova: a Brooklyn and Ghent-based artist and researcher who uses painting as a social tool for collective imagination and community empowerment. In addition to her artistic practice, she is affiliated with the LUCA School of Arts in Ghent, where she leads a PhD project specifically investigating how painting and murals can contribute to the emancipation of local communities.
- Dr. Cara Courage: an experienced expert, strategist, and author in the fields of art, culture, heritage, and placemaking. With more than 30 years of experience, she has held senior leadership roles at Tate and advises cultural institutions, universities, and governments worldwide.
- Arpna Gupta: an independent curator and "design activist". As the founder of the platform Create Culture, she has curated events such as the Indian Design Platform during the London Design Festival. Through her initiatives, she fosters active civic engagement and co-creation by making design accessible to a wider audience.
This think tank is a follow-up to the roundtable discussion in collaboration with Faro.
Who can participate?
This is not a gathering where you will just sit and listen. We expect you to participate actively, bring your own experiences and questions, and be willing to critically examine your own practice.
The gathering is small-scale, with a maximum of 50 spaces available. To ensure a diverse range of voices at the table, participants will be selected based on their field of work.
Your profile
- You work as a public engagement officer, curator, collections manager, or policy officer in a cultural organization or museum.
- Or in the broader socio-cultural sector (cultural centers, libraries, archives, youth work, etc.).
Programme
- 09:30 - 10:00 Welcome
- 10:00 - 11:15 Collective activation, by artist Yana Dimitrova
- 11:15 - 11:30 Pause
- 11:30 - 12:30 Plenary introduction of the themes and objectives, by Dr Cara Courage, Arpna Gupta
- 12:30 - 13:45 Networking lunch
- 13:45 - 15:30 Living room discussions on focus questions (Round 1)
- 15:30 - 16:00 Pauze
- 16:00 - 17:00 Living room discussions (Round 2)
- 17:00 - 18:00 Informal wrap-up
- 09:30 - 10:00 Welcome and recap of day 1
- 10:00 - 10:30 Plenary synthesis of day 1 and briefing for the visual storytelling sessions
- 10:30 - 12:30 Visual storytelling sessions 1: Power, leadership, and ownership.
- 12:30 - 13:45 Networking lunch
- 13:45 - 15:15 Visual storytelling sessions 2: Recognition, compensation, and de-institutionalization.
- 15:15 - 15:45 Pause
- 15:45 - 16:45 Visual storytelling sessions 3: Theme: Quality, success, and artistic vs. social value
- 16:45 - 17:30 Collective conclusions
- When: Friday 11.Dec & Saturday 12.Dec.2026
- Location: S.M.A.K., Ghent.
- Selection: As spaces are limited, participants will be selected based on their profile and motivation.
- Language: Dutch, with the exception of a few contributions by guest speakers (in English).
How to apply?
Submit your motivation before November 2, 2026. Fill out the form below, and we will contact you shortly if you are selected for the two-day event.
We look forward to learning who you are and what your profile is, and we ask you to provide a brief answer to the following reflection question:
What makes the issue of authority, ownership, and responsibility relevant to your work?
Do you have any additional questions? Please contact Aline Van Nereaux at aline.vannereaux@smak.be
