Strategy implementation begins with dialogue – open, professional, and accountable. It also requires a willingness not only to discuss change, but to put it into practice.
On 11–12 February, the Swiss-supported event “Collective Action for Culture: Strategies, Policies, and Practices” took place in Lutsk, bringing together heads of municipal culture departments, institutional managers, civil society representatives, and experts in the strategic development of communities across the Volyn region.
The focus was on the Culture Development Strategy of Ukraine for 2025–2030 and its practical implementation at the local level. Over the course of two days, participants explored how to align national priorities with local needs, address the challenges of wartime, and translate strategic goals into concrete tools for community development.
The event was co-organised by the Swiss–Ukrainian project UCORD, the Coalition of Cultural Actors, and the Volyn Regional Military Administration. A key role in organising the event was played by the Volyn Regional Development Agency, UCORD’s key regional partner.
Ilona Postemska, Senior National Programme Officer at the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine, noted in her opening remarks:
“In 2022, Switzerland was not afraid to launch the UCORD development project in Ukraine, sending a clear signal that despite the challenging times, it believes in development—one that is impossible without culture. Culture has become a pillar for communities, supporting their consolidation and helping shape a new local identity. Today, as decentralisation has made communities stronger, the time has come to deepen cooperation between them, to join forces, and to co-create a shared vision for development—one in which culture becomes one of the most powerful drivers of regional and community growth.”
Marina Bryl, UCORD Project Leader, added:
“The UCORD project includes several support components: regional development, infrastructure development, and cultural development. While the heart of the project is regional policy, its soul is the cultural component. This event is one in a series that we hold in our partner regions. It is important for us that during such meetings we speak about our soul—culture, which unites communities and the entire country. We organise these events to hear representatives of local authorities, communities, NGOs, ministries, businesses, and academia—and together explore effective mechanisms for implementing the national Culture Development Strategy. This is a genuine dialogue, where everyone listens to each other. It is in such dialogue that practical solutions and recommendations are born, which we then pass on to the Ministry of Culture for implementing the strategy at regional and community levels.”
The first day was dedicated to discussing the Culture Development Strategy and the draft comprehensive reform of cultural institutions, as well as practical approaches to shaping cultural policies at the local level.
Bohdana Laiuk, Deputy Minister of Culture of Ukraine, emphasized:
“A strategy always begins with an honest conversation about weaknesses—without it, progress is impossible. But its greatest value lies in the fact that this document provides a sense of abundance: we have enormous capital, and our task is to use it responsibly. Working on the implementation of the Culture Development Strategy in Ukraine encourages each of us to do more for the sector: to invest more, collaborate more, apply expertise at our level, and strengthen one another through networking.”
In his applied lecture “How Are Policies Formed? The Logic of Interventions,” Volodymyr Vorobey explained how to move from identifying a problem to selecting a policy instrument, and from the instrument to measurable results and impact. Meanwhile, in the session “What Does the Culture Development Strategy Entail?” Olga Sahaidak highlighted the difference between expert reasoning and the governmental decision-making framework.
The event went beyond expert discussion, becoming a space for open dialogue: participants freely exchanged opinions, ideas, and cautions, as it is in such honest conversations that viable solutions emerge.
The second day of the event served as a practical exercise for participants. Under the facilitation of Olga Sahaidak, Halyna Hryhorenko, Uliana Moroz, and Ivanna Kachmaryk-Yarema, community representatives independently developed policies for their institutions and communities:
- Identified specific problems and formulated the expected impact;
- Selected financial, managerial, and communication tools;
- Presented their work to colleagues and received expert feedback.
“We want local managers not only to implement decisions, but to be agents of change—understanding how to align government plans with budgetary capacities and the needs of their communities,” the facilitators emphasized.
The event in Lutsk served not only as a space for discussion but also for developing practical recommendations, which will be submitted to the Ministry of Culture for consideration in implementing the Strategy at regional and local levels.
“‘Collective Action for Culture’ is not a one-time event, but part of UCORD’s ongoing work in partner regions. It is through this format—professional dialogue, partnership, and collaborative solution-building—that culture becomes a tangible driver of community development.”
