Transforming the region through the prism of cultural challenges

1. Rouen Normandy Metropolis and culture

With a population of 500,000, the Rouen Normandy Metropolis is marked by the contrast between urban and rural, by its industrial and agricultural fabric and by its many and varied heritages. Today, environmental, health and social issues are challenging its socio-economic models.

In 2019, the metropolitan area will have suffered a major industrial accident, the fire at the Lubrizol company, which acted as an accelerator for changes that had already begun: policies for ecological transition, risk culture, respect for the living, renaturation, mobility, health, food, eco-districts, the Seine Axis agreement from Paris to Le Havre, etc. These are all projects that require elected representatives, experts and the general public to share knowledge, cooperate, be creative and respect diversity.

The aim is to put in place public policies that respect cultural rights in order to contribute to the ecological, social and cultural transition, and to ensure that these rights gradually become the framework for reflection.

2. Objectives and implementation of the project

2.1. Main and specific objectives

The aim is to put in place public policies that respect cultural rights, in order to:

• to contribute to the ecological and social transition , not just from an economic point of view, but as a necessity change the way we relate to each other, towards greater democracy, respect for diversity, consideration for the living world, the ability to act, cooperation, advocacy, etc.
• to ensure that these rights gradually become the framework for reflection, design and implementation of projects and actions developed by the Metropolis, as well as those of any associations, local authorities or organisations in the area that wish to do so.

We have therefore relied on a methodology that has been tried and tested for several years by our partner Réseau Culture 21, which fed into our own local training/action entitled “Objectif droits culturels”.

2.2. Development of the project

To develop all these policies, actions and methods, we set up a training/action programme, which took place in several stages at national and local level:

• 2021-2022: 7 local people aware of cultural rights take part in a training course for trainers offered by Réseau Culture 21. Staff from the Metropole, other local authorities and artists will be involved in this process for 18 months (3 days every 4 months or so).
• 2021-2023: This group, driven by the proactive policy of the elected representatives of the metropolitan area, is launching the “Objective cultural rights” initiative in parallel with the bid to become European Capital of Culture 2028. “Objectif droits culturels” is based on the methodology of Réseau Culture 21, with 5 meetings every 3 months:
  • Creation of an “accomplice” group of around forty participants who embrace the approach and rally around the dynamic.
  • Two days of awareness-raising and introductory sessions dedicated to putting rights into play and clarifying them.
  • In-depth study of rights (theoretical contribution per right, and case studies).
  • Sharing experiences (a number of national and European testimonials talking about how taking cultural rights into account in their thinking has changed their practices).
  • Capitalising on lessons learned (analysis of various case studies).

This free training/action programme is open to everyone. The first session in 2021-2023 was attended by 226 participants from a variety of fields : cultural, urban planning, social, education, health, business, etc. and from different structures . In addition, the “Objectif droits culturels” team regularly intervenes on request, within local authorities, all departments combined (Citizen Participation, Urban Planning, Risk Prevention, Solidarity, Human Resources), cultural facilities (museums, libraries, theatres, art schools, Maison de l’Architecture), university courses (Université Paris-Dauphine, Université de Rouen within the Masters “Direction de projets culturels”, “Valorisation du Patrimoine”, etc.). To date, 2,000 people have benefited from these awareness-raising sessions. At the same time, it became clear that it was essential to educate the Metropole’s senior management: a half-day training course was given to the Director General of Services and his 6 deputy directorates-general. A half-day training course was also offered to the elected cultural representatives of the 71 communes. This due to be repeated to reach an even wider audience.

Some inspiring projects from the participants’ research:

• Complete overhaul of a festival by and for homeless people into a regular artistic programme built in conjunction with the SAMUs sociaux and more respectful of people’s dignity.
• Artistic initiatives by the Centre Dramatique National (theatre) in a neighbourhood undergoing urban renewal, in cooperation with residents, social associations, city services, schools, street educators and numerous artists, aimed at supporting the transformation of the neighbourhood.
• Creation of a play area, Terrain d’aventures, built by and for children in Rouen.
• Artistic lighting of the quays of the Seine in Rouen, in total cooperation between citizens, artists, entertainment technicians and companies.
• A series of exhibitions in several museums, lectures, tours and outreach activities have been organised explore the slave-owning past of Rouen and the surrounding area, which until now has been totally hidden from view. The archival research has been accompanied by sensitive and intimate research with local families from the slave trade past (shipowners, Afro-descendants).

The interdisciplinary dimension of training/action gives rise to projects in all areas, infusing practices and creating conditions conducive to respect for cultural rights.

We set up a training/action programme, which took place in several stages at national and local level.

3. Impacts

3.1. Direct impacts

2,000 participants were trained or made aware of the issue. We note:

• The ‘snowball’ effect of the scheme
  • A growing number of participants are coming by “word of mouth”.
  • Increasingly broad horizons
  • Various levels of responsibility.
• Easier understanding between partners on projects set up, methods used, shared vocabulary, etc.
• More actions and public policies that are more open to cultural rights:
  • Co-construction of projects is becoming the norm.
  • Local actors get to know each other better.
  • Governance within local authorities is becoming more horizontal.
  • The desire to cultivate common ground is being sought.

3.2. Evaluation

The Metropole’s public policies are the subject of an annual activity report which includes the “Objectives of cultural rights” approach and all the actions carried out by the departments with regard to cultural rights. In addition, the “Objectives of cultural rights” training/action is evaluated in terms of the number of people involved and the diversity of the fields of intervention (quantitative).

The qualitative aspect is necessarily essential, even if it is complex to measure: because our approach questions the conditions of the relationship between the stakeholders and their ability to take cultural rights into account in their professional practices. The quality of the process rather than the result is the issue here. We already use a selfassessment method with 10 sub-criteria indicators such as: hospitality, shared governance, organisation around common ground, diversity of resources and their links, information sharing, reciprocal sharing of knowledge, social economy, ability work in ecosystems, expression of heritage, empowerment of people.

3.3. Key factors

In addition to this favourable context, the success factors of the approach are based on:

• The first step is personal contact with the participants.
• A method based collective intelligence that is inclusive, fun and participative, with free access to all participants
• A practical analysis of individual professional practices.
• The relational and educational quality of the “Cultural Rights Objectives” team.
• The long infusion time that ensures a slow, long-lasting infusion.

3.4. Continuity

“Objectif droits culturels” has continued these sessions thanks to a new group of “facilitators” identified among the participants in the 1st session and a team of 6 new people (local authority staff, artists, etc.) who have now been trained by the Culture 21 Network at national level. 

A 2nd session therefore began in February 2024 and will run until February 2025. The approach is identical, although the content has been refined, worked on and expanded according to the sensitivity and specificities of the new team. To date, 350 people have taken this training course.

Sessions can be reproduced thanks to tried and tested tools that can be written up and passed on. Although at the outset the projects carried out on the basis of cultural rights emanated mainly from cultural actors, has to be said that today other departments working in a variety of fields are taking up the subject and starting to draw up emblematic metropolitan strategies.

This free training/action course is open to participants from different fields and structures.

4. More information

Metropole Rouen Normandie took part the sixth edition of the UCLG - Mexico City - Culture 21 International Prize (November 2023 - March 2024). The Prize Jury published its final report in June 2024 and asked UCLG’s Committee on Culture to recognise and promote this project as a good practice in the implementation of Agenda 21 for culture.

This article was written by Christine Gaillard, Director of Cultural Affairs, Rouen, France.

Contact: christine.gaillard (at) metropole-rouen-normandie.fr
Website: www.metropole-rouen-normandie.fr