• The sixth edition of the Culture and Ruralities Forum will take place in Cuenca from July 4 to 7.
• This edition coincides with the start of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, so it will bring together the Offices of the "Creative Europe" program and European cultural agents.

Etymologically, the word culture in Spanish comes from the Latin cultus , which means "care of the field or livestock." That is, culture has to do with cultivation : cultus, colo, colore, cultum .

The Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Government of Spain oversees the "Culture and Citizenship" program with the aim of promoting citizen participation in the field of culture, understanding culture as a regenerative, structuring, and energizing element of the region . Therefore, the program is structured around two lines:

1. The Culture and Citizenship Meeting (annual)
2. The Culture and Ruralities Forum (annual)

The "Culture and Ruralities" project was created to highlight and promote cultural activities and experiences that have a social impact in rural areas . To this end, it hosts an annual meeting in a rural town in Spain lasting several days, bringing together national and European projects whose framework aligns with the specific theme of that year.

The VI Culture and Ruralities Forum will take place from July 4 to 7, 2023 in Cuenca (Castilla La-Mancha) under the theme of "Continuities - Discontinuities. Arts, creation and contemporary ruralities in Europe" , with the aim of dissecting what unites contemporary art with the rural environment and contemporary ruralities, and emphasizing the influence of tradition on the present.

Program

The sixth edition of the Culture and Ruralities Forum coincides with the start of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union , which will be integrated into its cultural programming. Therefore, it will be a Forum with European outreach, with the participation of the Creative Europe Program Offices , which will also hold their biannual meeting in Cuenca. Therefore, simultaneous translation will be provided for all plenary sessions.

The Forum will also present initiatives of the Ministry of Culture and Sport with a European dimension, such as:

• The film series "Europe and Ruralities."
• Expanding the mapping of cultural projects linked to rural areas in Europe.

The Culture and Ruralities Cartography is a mapping of national and international cultural agents and projects operating in rural areas . It is an open process with cultural initiatives that must be connected to the territory and the notion of rurality, as well as have a positive impact on the demographic challenge and the ecological transition.

• The English edition of the book " Thinking and Doing in Rural Areas: Cultural Practices in Context ," which includes a specific chapter devoted to mapping and analyzing artistic policies, practices, agents, and resources in rural areas at the European level.

In addition, projects from the " Aid Plan to Expand and Diversify Cultural Offerings in Non-Urban Areas" of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan will be presented. This is a nationwide funding, training, and support program aimed at boosting the cultural sector in rural areas, and is currently under development.

The Forum schedule can be found here .