Interdisciplinary research on cultural and media policies and practices: developmental and democratic potentials – CULTMED

The CULTMED project focuses on research related to the development of culture and cultural policy, media and media policy in Croatia and defines the local, regional, national, European and global environment of Croatian culture and media. This includes the analysis of: cultural and media policies and strategies in Croatia and the EU; cultural and creative industries; cultural heritage as a development resource; and the economy of culture and decision-making processes that determine the direction of the overall cultural development. Special attention will be paid to the origins and causes of changes in cultural and media policy, including changes related to the concepts, orientations and paradigms of cultural and media policy that interact with other public policies and have a transversal impact on them. Attention will also be paid to the democratization of cultural policy with a focus on accessibility, sustainability and pluralism in the management of the cultural sector, public resources in culture and the creation of new forms of management of organizations and institutions. Political, economic and social changes in the media will be investigated, especially in the areas of digital infrastructures, new business models and public services, and citizens’ digital skills. By analyzing the cultural, media and communication environment in the international, European and national context and by defining the socio-technological foundations and institutional frameworks of cultural and media policy, the project aims to contribute to strengthening the democratic principles of responsibility, representation and participation in the Republic of Croatia and to provide scientific bases for the informed creation of cultural and media policies. The project will establish two research centers through which project activities will be carried out: CULTURELINK and CEMEDIG.