Iryna Osadcha: "Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we have appealed to 3,000 organizations to support Ukraine and stop any cooperation with Russia"

Iryna Osadcha, Deputy Executive Director of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, and Nataliia Kernytska, International Cooperation Manager, told about the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation's activities and the state of culture and creative industries during the war at the ArtsLink Assembly 2022. Conference on the future of Ukrainian cultural life. The event took place in Warsaw from November 30 to December 2, 2022. 

Iryna Osadcha told about the UCF activities during the war and emphasized the work of the Foundation in the international arena.

"One of the directions in which the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation has focused is the fight against russian aggression and the protection of the Motherland. Together with our colleagues, we appealed to more than 3,000 international institutions, foundations and international unions with calls to support Ukraine and stop any cooperation with the aggressor. And I believe that this made a great contribution to the future victory. Today, we see that thousands of foreign institutions have stopped any cooperation with russia, including financial support for various programs on its territories. russia cannot have a place among the civilized countries of the world", - said Iryna Osadcha.

Nataliia Kernytska, manager of international cooperation, presented a survey on the state of culture and creative industries during the war, which was conducted by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation together with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

"For example, when answering the question "What priority measures from the state and donors can help creative industries survive during the war and recover after it?" 61% of the surveyed respondents noted that, first of all, these measures are grants for projects. Therefore, all institutions, not only the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, should join to provide permanent financial support to artists. The restoration of the cultural sector in war and post-war times, without a stable state policy already today, will last for years and will be complicated due to the lack of experienced specialists who were forced to leave during the war", - noted Nataliia Kernytska.

You can read more about the survey here.

The assembly gathered together more than 40 Ukrainian artists and cultural experts who discussed the strategic challenges of today and the post-war cultural restoration of Ukraine.

ArtsLink Assembly 2022 is organised by CEC ArtsLink and Ukrainian Institute, in partnership with Open Place. Livestream was produced and supported by HowlRound.com. ArtsLink Assembly 2022 is hosted by Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw, Poland.

ArtsLink Assembly 2022 was made possible by support from the Culture of Solidarity-EUNIC Ukraine Fund, in partnership with the European Cultural Foundation and EUNIC with core financing led by the Goethe Institut; the Trust for Mutual Understanding; and the Kirby Family Foundation.