A new research article titled “Meeting in the middle: Cultural co-creation, transformative partnerships, and ecosystems for public good,” co-authored by Rikke Toft Nørgård and Kim Holflod (Aarhus University) has been published in the journal Educational Philosophy and Theory. The article provides insights into EPIC-WE, focusing on the macro and meso levels of the project, with an emphasis on advancing public good through cultural co-creation and transformative partnerships.
The publication explores the evolving role of higher education institutions (HEIs) within the framework of quadruple helix ecosystems, cultural hubs, and living labs. As HEIs transition from mode 2 to mode 3 institutions, the article highlights the necessity for these institutions to undergo ongoing reimagination and reconfiguration. The model of cultural hubs is presented as a central concept, suggesting these hubs serve as essential meeting points where partners from HEIs, creative industries, cultural heritage institutions, and youth citizens can come together to co-create for the world and with the world.
The potential of cultural hubs to act as cross-sector, transdisciplinary mediators, facilitating transformative partnerships and fostering empowered participation aimed at public good, is underscored. Within the EPIC-WE project, these concepts are being actively implemented, showcasing how cooperative research, culture-making, and innovation-making can be integrated to achieve meaningful societal impact.
This publication is recognized as a significant contribution to the ongoing discourse within EPIC-WE, complementing other forthcoming articles that will focus on the meso-level cultural hubs and the micro-level work on cultural game jams. This article is considered to add value to the collective understanding of how transformative partnerships can be cultivated within higher education and beyond.
The full article is available here.
Reference: Nørgård, R. T., & Holflod, K. (2024). Meeting in the middle: Cultural co-creation, transformative partnerships, and ecosystems for public good. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2024.2384722
