A platform for collaboration between business and culture launched in Poland

Pracodawcy RP, an organization designed to support Polish employers, launched the Platforma Kultury (Cultural Platform) in the Polish Senate. Platforma Kultury plans to serve as an expert initiative aimed at fostering cooperation between the business sector, cultural institutions, and government agencies.

The platform was established to:

• Promote modern philanthropy;
• Develop effective models of cooperation between the business and the cultural sector;
• Highlight culture as a key element of Poland’s economic and social development.

The initiative will operate under the slogan “Budujemy mosty między biznesem a kulturą” (“Building Bridges Between Business and Culture”).

“We, as the Senate, engage with various communities,” said Marshal Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska during the project presentation meeting, “and seek sound solutions that we can then implement legislatively as new laws.”

Kidawa-Błońska added that in these “turbulent and challenging times” employers have come together to discuss culture, specifically, what needs to be done to ensure it can thrive in Poland, gain visibility, and receive support from the business community.

The platform’s operating principles were presented by Joanna Makowiecka-Gatza, Chairwoman of the Council of Employers of Poland, while its goals and areas of activity were outlined by Elżbieta Wojtczak, the platform’s secretary. This was followed by an open discussion with guests. Participants included Hanna Wróblewska, a Polish art historian and curator who served as the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, Omenaa Mensah, a prominent Polish-Ghanaian entrepreneur, philanthropist, journalist, investor, and art collector, and Polish art historian and politician Małgorzata Omilanowska.

One of the platform’s goals is to create a space for dialogue between businesses, cultural institutions, and government agencies.

Its objectives include:

• working on tax and regulatory decisions that will support philanthropy;
• developing models for collaboration between business and culture, as well as tools for companies that want to engage in cultural projects in a strategic and measurable way.

Pracodawcy RP states that many existing regulations fail to serve the needs of both cultural institutions and businesses. For example, it highlights public-private partnerships: since the applicable rules were introduced, only eight projects of this kind have been carried out in the cultural sector. According to the platform’s initiators, this sector needs procedural simplification and the introduction of standardized contracts.

“Culture is an important element in the development of a modern state and a strong economy. It serves as a foundation for national identity and serves as one of Poland’s defining symbols abroad. Therefore, all parties should have a stake in fostering a broadly accessible culture in Poland. This is not the responsibility of the state, artists, or businesses alone. Investing in culture benefits everyone,” said Makowiecka-Gatza.

Representatives of the platform speak about producing expert analyses, reports, and tools for companies, as well as initiatives that will foster long-term business engagement with culture and heritage preservation. The initiative also seeks to encourage the growth of sustainable approaches to financing culture, strengthen cooperation with cultural institutions, and position culture as an area for strategic investment.

Among the planned initiatives are:

• “A Handbook of Best Practices in Cultural Philanthropy”;
• Reports on the impact of culture on the development of cities, regions, and brands;
• The Kultura Made in Poland program to promote Polish culture abroad;
• The Mosty Kultury Award for companies and business leaders who provide long-term support for the development of cultural philanthropy.

RELATED: The chain bookstores are replacing independent ones in Poland — recent study

Main image: rynek książki

Copy Editing: Terra King