The INVENT project has been recognised as an EU Horizon “Success Story” and is now featured in the EU Research and Innovation Success Stories database. Researchers prof.dr. Susanne Janssen and prof.dr. Marc Verboord (Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication) played a leading role in this Erasmus University Rotterdam-led project that brought together partners from nine European countries. An interview with Susanne Janssen, INVENT project lead and professor of Sociology of Media and Culture (EUR/ESHCC), is available on the EU Research and Innovation platform.
The recognition reflects the importance of research demonstrating that more inclusive, participatory, and socially responsive cultural policies are vital for social progress in contemporary European societies. It also acknowledges the collaborative work of INVENT’s international consortium over the past several years.
INVENT adopted a broad and inclusive understanding of culture that extended beyond traditional arts participation to include popular culture, digital culture, and everyday cultural practices, both online and offline. Rather than focusing solely on participation in institutional cultural activities, the project examined how people across Europe understood, experienced, valued, and engaged with culture in their daily lives.
Through this bottom-up approach, INVENT contributed to a “social turn” in European cultural policy by foregrounding citizens’ own perspectives on the societal value of culture, including its role in identity, belonging, inclusion, social cohesion, well-being, and democratic participation.
Although the official project period has ended, the work goes on. INVENT researchers continue to conduct analyses, generate new insights, and publish findings that extend the project’s impact beyond its formal conclusion.
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Read the interview with Susanne Janssen here
The researchers' latest work can be explored on the INVENT website:
News – INVENT Culture
Publications – INVENT Culture
