EDD 2015 Lab session on Culture in the Spotlight: Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Development, Brussels, 2015

During the European Development Days 2015, the British Council organised a lab session related to the main challenges for culture in development and the windows of opportunity for culture in the implementation of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.

The debate aimed to connect speakers’ and audience experiences to concrete policy changes. It was a lively, engaging discussion touching on culture’s power to create change; its economic development potential; and its role in supporting societies in conflict areas. The debate also benefited from the participation of an all-women theatre group from the Solomon Islands (beneficiaries of the Stages of Change project). The group contributed invaluable insights from their personal experiences in this area, demonstrating the positive outcomes of using culture as a means to address gender-based violence.