As part of the CULTMED project, Dr Aleksandra Uzelac, Dr Ana Žuvela and Dr Dea Vidović hosted a meeting with representatives of the French network FNADAC (Fédération nationale des directrices et directeurs des affaires culturelles) at the IRMO Library on Wednesday, 19 November 2025. The French delegation consisted of around fifteen directors and associates of municipal and regional cultural departments, representatives of civil society organisations, as well as Pascale Bonniel-Chalier, FNADAC advisor, expert in cultural policies and local cultural development, and lecturer in the Masters in Development of International Artistic and Cultural Projects at Lyon II University. The group visited Zagreb from 18 to 21 November as part of a study trip aimed at learning about local cultural institutions and practices.
FNADAC is a network composed of 12 regional associations and approximately 800 directors of cultural affairs and cultural professionals employed in local authorities throughout France. As a national platform, the network advocates for cultural decentralisation, supports the development of local and regional cultural policies, promotes professionalisation and mutual support among cultural officials, and serves as a key point of connection between local authorities and national cultural institutions.
During the meeting in Zagreb, IRMO researchers presented the Institute’s decades-long work and the activities of the Department for Culture and Communication, while FNADAC representatives introduced their models of cultural governance and cultural policy in various French cities and regions. The exchange focused on comparing administrative structures and the competences of local and regional cultural policies in Croatia and France. Discussions centred on three thematic areas: cultural rights and cultural democracy, sustainability and cultural development, and mobility within cities and regions.
FNADAC organised the study visit within the framework of its European project, which includes partners from Belgium, Spain, Lithuania and Scotland, while the Zagreb programme was carried out in cooperation with Novi prostori kulture.
More information about FNADAC is available here.
