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Culture, like water, is essential and enduring

Photo of the group standing in a library.
From left: Jason Diakité, Biljana Topalova-Casadiego, Patrick Amsellem, Nina Andersson, Helene Larsson Pousette, Jenny Lindén Urnes, Marcus McKinley, Anna Lyrevik, and David Polfeldt.

Last week, Lund University's external Cultural Council convened and several interesting discussions about the future were initiated. The Cultural Council is an important part of the university's cultural strategy to strengthen collaboration between art, culture, education, and research.

As of spring of 2024, the council has been reinforced with the following new members: Nina Andersson (CEO of Folkets Hus och Parker), Jason Diakité (author, musician and honorary doctor at Lund University), Helene Larsson Pousette (outgoing cultural counsellor at the Swedish embassy in Washington), and Anna Lyrevik (head of administration of Region Skåne's cultural administration).

The meeting featured presentations on "Art as a Research Method" and "Haiku Writing as a Thinking Tool", drawing from last autumn's cultural event (Kulturmöte) when the university's employees were invited for inspiration on how teachers and researchers at LU integrate art and culture in their activities.
The council members also had the opportunity to provide input for the next cultural meeting planned for the autumn semester.

Council members discussed how to argue for the integration of art and culture during challenging economic and political climates, emphasizing the importance of national and international collaboration. They also discussed creating compelling narratives and examples that resonate across all levels of society and establishing future cultural meeting places to amplify the visibility of art and culture within the university's activities.

Despite acknowledging forthcoming challenges within their diverse fields, the council members unanimously recognized that that culture, like water, is essential and enduring. The meeting concluded with reflective haiku poems encapsulating the discussions.


The external members of the Cultural Council for 2024–2026 are:

  • Patrick Amsellem, director general, Nationalmuseum
  • Nina Andersson, CEO, Folkets Hus och Parker
  • Jason Diakité, author, musician and honorary doctor at Lund University
  • Karin Karlsson, head of artistic programming music and events, Malmö Live and project manager, Eurovision Song Contest 2024
  • Helene Larsson Pousette, outgoing cultural counsellor, the Swedish embassy in Washington, D.C.
  • Jenny Lindén Urnes, chair of the board of directors, Lindén Group
  • Anna Lyrevik, head of administration, Region Skåne's cultural administration
  • Marcus McKinley, global co-creation manager, IKEA
  • David Polfeldt, consultant, author and former CEO, Massive Entertainment
  • Biljana Topalova-Casadiego, director, Malmö Museums

The task of the Cultural Council is to

  • advise on the vice-chancellor's strategic work for the university's cultural collaborations
  • contribute to the visibility of the university's role in, and for, culture
  • be a source of inspiration
  • to some extent participate in open cultural events at the university.

The Cultural Council was established in 2015 and is led by Ann Kristin Wallengren, pro vice-chancellor for culture and pedagogical development. In addition to the external members, it consists of the pro vice-chancellor(s) appointed by the vice-chancellor, one member of the management of the Joint Faculties of Humanities and Theology and one of the Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts, and a student representative. The term of mandate is three years for all members except for the student representative who has a term of one year.