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Cultural rights and cultural democracy

Cultural rights are a working foundation here. Research, texts and actions to move from cultural democratisation to cultural democracy — that is, doing with people rather than for them.

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The stories 11 publications

Why the power to act is so often experienced as a transgression

Why the power to act is so often experienced as a transgression

Supporting cultural policies 1 July 2026

Two photographic creation workshops at Le Rize in Villeurbanne, with the local cultural rights groups of the Paideia programme (Réseau culture 21).

“Women and Architecture”: in Villetaneuse, residents film the women who made their town

“Women and Architecture”: in Villetaneuse, residents film the women who made their town

Open Creative workshops 8 March 2026

Cut-paper animation film workshops, held in February and March 2026 in Villetaneuse with the town’s cultural action department and the Annie Ernaux media library, around nine women who built or marked the town.

Synthesis of the seminar: “What pedagogy by and for cultural rights?”

Synthesis of the seminar: “What pedagogy by and for cultural rights?”

Supporting cultural policies 6 February 2025

Organized by UFISC, Opale, Réseau Culture 21, Observatoire des politiques culturelles, Laboratoire des droits culturels and Ligue de l’enseignement (February 6, 2025).

Conference: “EAC and cultural rights: convergences to be identified and implemented”

Conference by Benoît Labourdette: “EAC and cultural rights: convergences to be identified and implemented”

Giving talks and conferences 5 February 2025

Dans le cadre des Rencontres territoriales “Artistic and cultural education & Territorial cultural projects” (Foix, February 5, 2025).

“Cultural rights” creative writing seminar

“Cultural rights” creative writing seminar

Trainings for new media 1 March 2024

Master Arts du Spectacle, université de Caen Normandie 2021-2022-2023-2024.

Digital technology, a tool for mediation and cultural democracy

- 1 - Introduction by Noël Corbin, General Delegate of the General Delegation for Transmission, Territories and Cultural Democracy at the French Ministry of Culture

Giving talks and conferences 9 October 2023

Webinar on Monday, October 9, 2023 from 10am to 1pm.

Itinéraire bis, the path of cultural rights

Itinéraire bis, the path of cultural rights

Supporting cultural policies 9 June 2023

Action research conducted by the MPAA (Paris).

Raising awareness of cultural rights - Nantes métropole (September 30, 2022)

Raising awareness of cultural rights - Nantes métropole (September 30, 2022)

Supporting cultural policies 30 September 2022

Co-design and co-hosting of a one-day event for Nantes’ cultural players.

Professional meeting “Public participation”: presentation by Benoît Labourdette

Professional meeting “Public participation”: presentation by Benoît Labourdette

Supporting cultural policies 8 December 2020

Interview of Benoît Labourdette by Jean-Yves de Lépinay (11’37s, 2020).

“Cultural participation”: interview with Benoît Labourdette.

“Cultural participation”: interview with Benoît Labourdette.

Supporting cultural policies 8 December 2020

Interview with Benoît Labourdette (4’39s, 2020).

Research-action “Image Education 2.1”

Research-action “Image Education 2.1”

Supporting cultural policies 14 February 2018

Collaborative action-research project led by Benoît Labourdette production in 2018 and 2019, to develop (…)

Our resources 34 publications

Cultural democratization, cultural democracy: situated definitions

Cultural democratization, cultural democracy: situated definitions

Cultural rights 28 August 2026

Professionals who aim at the same horizon nonetheless define the words of their trade differently. I propose to read this divergence as a sign of coherence between each person’s position, their words and their acts.

The presumption of competence

The presumption of competence

Cultural rights 27 August 2026

A definition of cultural rights: they address people in positions of power, and ask them to presume the competence of others.

Art and artists as society’s infrastructure

Art and artists as society's infrastructure

Cultural rights 13 July 2026

What cultural rights oblige us to say about the political function of artistic practice.

Democratisation or cultural democracy: what these two words do to theatre

Democratisation or cultural democracy: what these two words do to theatre

Theatre and its contradictions 17 June 2026

Why the houses of subsidised theatre do not look like their city, and what cultural rights make it possible to change.

Transmitting cultural rights: a question of coherence

Transmitting cultural rights: a question of coherence

Cultural rights 11 April 2026

The way a training day is facilitated already shows how much respect one has for people.

The political dimension of organisational frameworks

The political dimension of organisational frameworks

Cultural rights 10 April 2026

When forms contradict intentions: organising cultural democracy.

Will Heritage Still Be Part of Our Lives in 2045?

Will Heritage Still Be Part of Our Lives in 2045?

Cultural rights 8 January 2026

Digitising collections is not enough: the challenge is to enable their appropriation by citizens.

The Representation of One’s Cultural Role

The Representation of One's Cultural Role

Cultural rights 6 January 2026

What the Association of French Mayors survey reveals about the cultural imaginary of local authorities.

Algorithms and Cultural Rights

Algorithms and Cultural Rights

Cultural rights 5 January 2026

How algorithms, far from confining us, implement cultural rights through democratic discoverability based on metadata.

Domination at the Heart of Culture

Domination at the Heart of Culture

Cultural rights 4 January 2026

How laudatory terms mask power relations in the cultural sector.

Symbolization as a tool for mobilization

Symbolization as a tool for mobilization

Cultural rights 5 November 2025

When the collective and digital traces build cultural engagement.

Legitimate participation as the horizon of cultural events

Legitimate participation as the horizon of cultural events

Cultural rights 3 November 2025

From legitimacy to participate: how cultural rights transform our practices.

Authorizing Creation

Authorizing Creation

Cultural rights 6 September 2025

For a radical democratization of the creative act.

Creative Freedom and Cultural Rights

Creative Freedom and Cultural Rights

Cultural rights 2 September 2025

A dialectic at the heart of cultural policies.

Cultural Rights in Light of Personal History

Cultural Rights in Light of Personal History

Cultural rights 31 August 2025

At the beginning of my journey as an engaged cultural actor.

Cooperative Narratives

Cooperative Narratives

Cultural rights 27 August 2025

Creating polyphonic narrative devices to transform academic knowledge into living and operative knowledge.

The myth of recognition through cultural democratization

The myth of recognition through cultural democratization

Cultural rights 24 August 2025

Rethinking artistic value beyond systems of domination.

Cultural Rights and Digital Discoverability

Cultural Rights and Digital Discoverability

Cultural rights 17 August 2025

For a cultural policy adapted to digital spaces.

Freedom and Cultural Rights

Freedom and Cultural Rights

Cultural rights 8 August 2025

A renewed approach to democratic dignity, through the contribution of two new rights.

Cultural Rights and Digital Technology

Cultural Rights and Digital Technology

Cultural rights 7 August 2025

Rethinking digital tools in service of cultural democracy.

The specter of the other

The specter of the other

Cultural rights 28 July 2025

From anxious dehumanization to confident recognition.

For a narrative revolution of territories

For a narrative revolution of territories

Defending culture differently: methods for tomorrow 19 July 2025

The urgency of a horizontal cultural democracy.

What is a cultural policy? Why is culture political? And what is political in culture?

What is a cultural policy? Why is culture political? And what is political in culture?

Defending culture differently: methods for tomorrow 11 July 2025

A critical approach to cultural policies through the lens of cultural rights.

Cultural data and cultural rights

Cultural data and cultural rights

Cultural rights 21 June 2025

For an inclusive heritage democracy in the digital age.

Corporate memory at the service of cultural rights

Corporate memory at the service of cultural rights

Cultural rights 10 June 2025

Rethinking the relationship between cultural venues and people.

Welcoming radicalized people to cultural venues

Welcoming radicalized people to cultural venues

Defending culture differently: methods for tomorrow 31 May 2025

For a truly inclusive cultural democracy.

Artistic Legitimization, Cultural Rights, and Construction of the Individual

Artistic Legitimization, Cultural Rights, and Construction of the Individual

Cultural rights 21 May 2025

Between horizontality and the need for recognition.

Cultural rights and the “fight” against the far right

Cultural rights and the “fight” against the far right

Cultural rights 18 May 2025

How to rebuild democracy in our cultural spaces.

Architecture of artistic venues and cultural rights

Architecture of artistic venues and cultural rights

Cultural rights 12 April 2025

The impact of location on social roles.

Beyond walls: video as a vehicle for cultural democracy

Beyond walls: video as a vehicle for cultural democracy

Defending culture differently: methods for tomorrow 8 April 2025

When digital mediation transforms the relationship between citizens and heritage.

Cultural rights and professional postures

Cultural rights and professional postures

Cultural rights 23 January 2025

Tools for the concrete implementation of cultural rights.

“On the ineffectiveness of our works in real life”.

“On the ineffectiveness of our works in real life”.

Cultural rights 20 October 2023

Commentary on the text by Eva Doumbia & Kader Attia (2023).

Analyze your project using the Fribourg Declaration

Analyze your project using the Fribourg Declaration

Cultural rights 28 June 2021

Working method

John Dewey : an inspirer of cultural rights?

John Dewey : an inspirer of cultural rights?

Cultural rights 20 April 2021

Sharing my interest in an inspiring personality.

Elsewhere on the site 4 publications

Supporting cultural policies

Supporting cultural policies

Working together 17 July 2026

Consultancy and support for local authorities, institutions and companies in their institutional projects, their cultural policies and their transformations, in the light of cultural rights.

The Fribourg Declaration analysis tool

The Fribourg Declaration analysis tool

Digital Tools for Cultural Democracy 15 March 2026

Analyse your project through the eight cultural rights of the Fribourg Declaration, and draw from it a working basis for the team.

Cultural rights: what do they mean in practice?

Cultural rights: what do they mean in practice?

Ideas for Meaningful Conferences 20 February 2026

Possible talks on cultural rights, for local authorities, culture departments, networks, and teams writing or revising a project.

How do you stand up for culture when the money runs out?

How do you stand up for culture when the money runs out?

Ideas for Meaningful Conferences 18 February 2026

Possible talks on cultural policy and the future of the sector, for local authorities, culture departments, networks and subsidized venues.

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