Welcome to an Urban Lunch Talk about building transformation capacities through art and design. With the new envisioned future theme, the event will involve discussions on how to imagine a sustainable urban future with aesthetic perspectives and approaches. After the Urban lunch talk, 12 am–1 pm, short information of a new call about art and design will follow, 1–1.30 pm.
Please observe that the date has been changed to 27 February 2023. The event is going to be performed as a Zoom webinar, and you may save the event in your calendar (ics-file).
Click here to register for the event in order to make sure being invited to upcoming Urban lunch talks and networking activities.
>>Click here to go to the Zoom webinar (also without pre-registering).
After the Urban lunch talk, an information meeting (1–1.30 pm) about a new call about art and design will follow in the Zoom webinar.
The webinar was recorded in Zoom, and published for the JPI Urban Europe’s Youtube channel.
New envisioned future theme
The Urban Lunch Talk concept has newly shifted focus to the partnership Driving Urban Transition (DUT) part about sustainable futures. The upcoming talk will involve discussions about an envisioned future with art and design based on the latest research and innovation knowledge. How can urban dilemmas be addressed with aesthetics, what is there to be achieved – what will a sustainable urban future be and look like?
Imagination as a tool for urban transformation
Our current crisis is not only about the environment and the climate, but also a crisis of the imagination. We seem simply not capable of imagining the sustainable societies of tomorrow, but are stuck in current modes of thinking and old solutions that were perhaps useful to solve old problems. There is a need to emphasize the importance of imagination, creativity and the cultural sector, to support and enable the transformation of our societies towards a sustainable, climate neutral and just future.
The thematics of art and design are closely linked to the upcoming call within the ERA-Net Cofund Urban Transformation Capacities (ENUTC) – learn more via the call pre-announcement.
Panel guests
• Cecilie Sachs Olsen, Professor of Art in Society
Cementing the importance of the arts in imagining urban transformation, Cecile researches the role of artistic practice in forming societal imaginaries and in materially making and shaping urban space, lives and communities. Currently at the Department of Art, Design and Drama at Oslo Metropolitan University, she develops creative methods for urban research and explores how artistic practice can be used as a framework to analyse and re-imagine urban development, space and politics. Cecile is also engaged in the JPI Urban Europe (ENUTC) project Conflict in Transformations (CONTRA), researching sustainable futures through arts-based methods, conceptualized as “drama labs”, as a new manifestation of urban living labs.
Website: oslomet.no/en/about/employee/cecilies/
• Bettina Schwalm, Experience Designer
As an Experience Designer, Strategist and Researcher, Bettina Schwalm has a long experience serving society, culture and the environment. She is educating and coaching teams in innovation and future thinking, always with a strong focus on behavioural studies. She is the Center Director for Konstfack (University of Arts, Crafts, and Design) at the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship and a guest lecturer in various institutions worldwide. Her interdisciplinary approach is at the intersection of science and design, developing hands-on tools and visions for organisations and the public realm. Her recently Vinnova-funded speculative design project “Signs of Change”, in collaboration with Radical Norms, explores aspects of Urban Transformation and the impact of extreme climate futures through public street signs.
Websites: bettinaschwalm.com, signsofchange.io
• Jenny Kornmacher, Innovations Director EIT Culture & Creativity
Specialized in creative industries development and international relations, Jenny is an experienced leader within the cultural sectors of Europe. Based in the south of Sweden working for Region Skåne, she is also an Interim Innovations Director for the EIT Culture & Creativity. Jenny is ambitious to connect industries and creative sectors in order to support the innovation potential in a larger context, and through the business oriented Breakthrough Lab concept, innovation is promoted. She holds a Master of Arts focused in cultural studies/critical theory and analysis from Leuphana University of Lüneburg.
Website: Jenny Kornmacher, Linkedin
• Bruno Georges, Grand Projects and Innovations Director
Bruno is an innovations director for major project development in the private engineering group OteisLab, and previously the creator and manager for sustainable design office ITF. Bruno is engaged in having a longer time perspective of sustainable projects, rather than decades. For radical urban transformation, culturally and financially – there is a need for a change in imagining the future.
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruno-georges-839466104/?originalSubdomain=fr
Urban lunch talk webinar series
The urban lunch talk is part of a webinar series to discuss and synthesize cross-cutting research and innovation, with diverse stakeholders across Europe, and beyond. The webinar is more of a listening experience, so that you can enjoy your lunch or taking a walk at the same time. The urban lunch talk is live-recorded in Zoom, and later published for the JPI Urban Europe’s Youtube channel.