About us

What we do

culture Solutions is an independent social innovation group contributing to the excellence of EU international cultural relations.

Our goal is to help to develop a stronger trust in the European project. With  our expertise and knowledge, as well as our willingness to stimulate the debate, we provide a refreshing and wider approach through:

  • the opening of creative trust-building spaces,
  • the production of commons, and
  • the brokering of know-how.

We serve all those who are part of the ecosystem of EU international cultural relations, including organisations, institutions and cultural professionals.

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Why we bother

culture Solutions is a French association created in October 2018.

We follow a specific Theory of Change involving aesthetic value, creative approaches to strategic matters and interculturality.

As a networked and not-for-profit initiative structured around a multicultural team of junior and senior collaborators and research associates, we see first hand the challenges to international dialogue encountered by the cultural sector.

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Our board

Damien Helly

Damien is the Chair of Culture Solutions’ board. He initiated the launch of the organisation by running a feasibility study in 2018 on the need for innovative action in EU international cultural relations…

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Felipe Basabe Llorens

Felipe is a founding member of Culture Solutions – Europe. He has an extensive professional experience in the fields of budgetary and administrative management…

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Board member sought

Our team

Alexandra
Laura
Celia
david jisu
Estela
BERNOVILLE_Gabrielle
Ilaria
Ina
Marii Väljataga
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Nicole
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See the full list of Research Associates and Collaborators.

Damien Helly

 

Damien is the Chair of Culture Solutions’ board.

He initiated the launch of the organisation by running a feasibility study in 2018 on the need for innovative action in EU international cultural relations.

In his professional life, he is an independent cultural advisor and runs his consultancy dh creative partnerships.

Damien is also a Visiting Professor at the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy at the College of Europe in Bruges where he teaches a course and supervises master-level theses on “Culture, States and Societies: National Factors in EU External Action”.

He has worked as Head of Cultural Skills, EU for the British Council (Arts, Europe) and as Senior Programme Manager with ECDPM, EUISS, Crisis Group, Saferworld.

He holds of a PhD in political science from the Institute of Political Studies of Paris (Sciences Po) and has published extensively on the EU’s external action and international cultural relations.

Felipe Basabe Llorens

 

Felipe is a founding member of Culture Solutions – Europe. He is fully convinced and passionate about the need to innovate and develop new effective strategies in EU internal and external cultural relations.

He has an extensive professional experience in the fields of budgetary and administrative management at the Spanish national Cultural Institute (Instituto Cervantes) and co-operates in several cultural and academic projects with European cultural foundations and networks in Germany, France and Belgium (i.a. Allianz Summer Academy (2004-2019) with Allianz Kulturstiftung as external Co-ordinator).

He has worked as Jean Monnet Lecturer at ICAI-ICADE (UPCO-Madrid) and as Director of the binational cultural Foundation Rei Afonso Henriques (FRAH). He has taken part in several Interreg II-III, Culture 2000 and Creative Europe projects (1999-2016).

He holds a MA in European Political & Administrative Studies from the College of Europe (Bruges). He also lectures on Cultural Policies and EU Project Management and has published on EU policies and trans-border co-operation in the fields of Education and Culture.