Crisis & Resilience – Cultural survival, independence, and adaptation in times of disruption
The 8th edition of the Arts & Cultural Management Conference just arrived, and we can’t wait to share all the exciting details with you!
Throughout history, the arts have been vital to cultural survival, identity, and adaptation—especially in times of crisis. From war and colonization to economic collapse and pandemics, artists have preserved traditions, asserted autonomy, and innovated in response to adversity. Today, in a world shaped by systemic crises, art faces a defining question: What is its role, and how can it adapt to imagine new futures?
Deconstructing the topic: Defining Crisis
The word “crisis” comes from the Greek krisis, meaning “decision” or “turning point”—not inherently negative, but signaling abrupt change. The global cultural landscape now faces multiple pressures: economic instability, political repression, climate change, war, and pandemics. These forces, along with growing censorship of artistic expression and reduced funding, threaten artistic freedom and sustainability. The commercialization of art forms, the capitalization of the art market , the emphasis on competitiveness and, at the same time, the devaluation of the artistic labor, are threatening creative independence and questioning the role of the arts. Digital platforms offer new opportunities but also pose challenges like algorithmic control over visibility. Given this “critical” landscape, it is interesting to enquire what is/could/should be the role of the cultural sector in such transformative times and if there are ways in which it could contribute to shaping holistic and humanistic responses to said crises.
Resilience Through Art
Despite the challenges and new conditions that can be essentially restrictive if not threatening, art has always found ways to gatekeep cultural survival and independence through resilience. Independence in art is about asserting autonomy and challenging dominant narratives. In many cases, art becomes a form of defiance against external forces that seek to dominate cultural narratives. Artistic autonomy lies not only in freedom of expression, but in defy capitalistic principles and are brought forward even without the appropriate economic return. This is also one of the reasons why artistic livelihoods are considered “precariat”.
Resilience is embedded with adaptability, the power to overcome crises and re-invent artistic phenomena in new conditions. In that sense, resilience, as well as sustainability in arts and culture, although tokenized in the contemporary capitalistic market, serves as a dismantling force that challenges these exact systems. Adaptation is equally essential for artistic resilience, allowing traditions to evolve while retaining their essence and guarantee sustainability. Resisting to challenges and re-imagining new paths to exist is the central core of resilience that transcends art, making it a relevant force for change.
Join the Decisive Conversation in Vienna
The 8th Arts & Cultural Management Conference is not just another event; it is a gathering of pivotal voices. From October 30th to November 1st, 2025, we will convene at the Amerlinghaus Cultural Centre in Vienna to deconstruct these ideas, share strategies, and build a collective vision for the future.
What to expect? Presentations of young professionals and emerginf scholars on the topics of Crisis & Resilience, networking and an art exhibition.
Four pannel sessions will structure the conference:
- Culture for Change | 30.10
- Can Culture Survive When Democracy Falters? | 31.10
- Spaces for Culture | 31.10
- Funding Futures: Autonomy Beyond Public Money | 1.11
Art Exhibition – Sanctscapes: Spaces of the Sublime
SanctScapes will run parallel to the ACMC conference, offering audiences a unique experience that bridges academic discourse with artistic practice. This edition seeks to create immersive spaces where art and research converge, exploring the sublime across sound, image, and form. From 31.10 to 2.11 we invite you to GB*Stadtteilbüro 10 to our exhibiton. Curator: Alitza Cardona, Aux Curator: Afreen Khan
Secure Your Place at the Turning Point
Your participation is essential to this vital dialogue. Participation in ACMC 2025 is made possible through a contribution to our hosting organization, Salon de la Sagesse (Salon der Weisheit). Your donation directly secures your place and fuels the conference’s rich cultural programming, enabling us to foster this crucial platform for change. The team behind ACMC are volunteers making this conference a reality!
Register here: https://forms.gle/2PpD5qA1UWn2VpVE9
This is more than a conference—it is a decisive moment for our community. It is a call to all cultural managers, artists, academics, and advocates who believe in the resilient power of art to shape a more humane and imaginative future.
Be part of the turning point!
Check the program here.