The state of Hessen has decided to strengthen and further develop its diverse cultural landscape with the "Master Plan for Culture Hessen". For this purpose, cultural actors and interested citizens have developed and elaborated ideas for the further development of Hessen's future cultural policy together with the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts (HMWK) in a broad-based participation process.
actori supported and accompanied the ambitious project in different ways, especially about project strategy, conception, and implementation of participative formats as well as in the elaboration of text parts for the final document.
During the project there were various milestones in which actori was involved. First, a kick-off event was held for the broader interested public to inform them about the process and opportunities to participate in the master plan. In a two-day workshop, 60-70 experts dealt with central aspects and goals of the master plan. In working groups, an initial mental "map" for the Master Plan for Culture was drawn up and its main topics more clearly outlined. This workshop was followed by a series of specialist workshops (which were digital due to the pandemic), in which 15-20 experts each dealt with fields of action and measures in the key areas. The central question here was: How can the cultural policy of the state of Hesse become active to promote the previously developed goals? actori accompanied the expert workshops with technical expertise, took over the securing of results and developed initial text proposals for the chapters of the Masterplan Kultur from the resulting material. After a series of public events in northern, central, and southern Hesse as well as a phase of text work in the HMWK, a second workshop phase started in spring/summer 2022. Here, actori was responsible for the conception, organization, implementation, and processing of the workshops, in which in each case between 10 and 20 experts, together with representatives of the HMWK, once again critically examined the main topics and discussed the relevant texts in depth.
The participatory process was concluded with online participation. Here, the HMWK called on cultural actors and all those interested in culture to contribute ideas and opinions once again to the Masterplan Kultur. actori was entrusted with the evaluation of the participation results.
"Prospects for a cultural policy for all" is the aim of the Culture Master Plan for Hessen, which was presented by the Minister of Art and Culture, Angela Dorn, in a government statement in the Hessian State Parliament on Tuesday. The master plan is the result of a comprehensive participation process involving numerous cultural players, experts, and citizens. It is the first cultural development plan of a federal state that decidedly bundles the challenges of the Corona pandemic and the current issues of cultural policy. In all important subject areas, it not only outlines visions and central fields of action, but also points out possible concrete paths. On February 14, the Master Plan for Culture was presented by Minister of State Dorn in a government declaration in the Hessian State Parliament. The master plan shows "perspectives for a cultural policy for all" and is "the first cultural development planning of a federal state that decidedly bundles the challenges of the Corona pandemic and the current questions of cultural policy".
Now that we have accompanied the HMWK and the Hessian cultural landscape for about three years, we say thank you: This exciting project, but also the ambition and energy with which the actors involved have pursued it, has given us a lot of pleasure! We are more pleased that implementation has begun immediately: In the Hessian double budget for the years 2023 and 2024, an additional 6.7 million euros are available to initiate the first projects from the master plan. These include, for example, 1.2 million euros to strengthen music schools and 1.6 million euros for the digitization of cultural assets.
The project was implemented by Dr. Sebastian Lücke, Consulting, Marietta Schoenberg, Project Management, Dr. Nora Pähler vor der Holte, Project Management and Frank Schellenberg, Management Director.