React! Open network of culture organisers

The direct reason behind the launch of the React! project was the humanitarian crisis taking place at the Poland-Belarus border, the escalation of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the need for institutions and organisations operating in the field of culture to reflect on new challenges related to the ethnic diversity of our society. Members of the network meet online regularly and at partner institutions. We exchange knowledge and experience. We aim to create an open and ever-expanding catalogue of practices that support people and institutions of culture working in an intercultural field.

Mission:

The mission of React! Open network of culture organisers, is to advocate for an intercultural and friendly society by combining resources, developing and sharing best practices in culture, and expanding the space where people can meet and engage in dialogue.

Vision:

We operate in the field of culture to support social change, and co-create a solidary society that is open to diversity, where all people have equal rights and opportunities and are treated with respect and attention.

Values:

Openness, diversity, equality, sensitivity, interculturalism

• Openness: Building an accessible, friendly, and inclusive meeting platform.
• Diversity: Appreciating different perspectives, supporting open dialogue and collaboration.
• Equality: Hearing all voices and ensuring access to cultural resources on equal terms.
• Sensitivity: Attention to the needs of others, mutual care, and readiness to take action.
• Interculturalism: Respecting different cultures and building bridges between them to learn, create, work together, and support one another.

The Open and Developing Catalogue of Intercultural Practices is the result of months of work by the React! network. We believe it can be helpful in working with individuals with migration and/or refugee experience. We call the catalogue ‘developing’ and ‘open’ because it is a dynamically evolving collection of practices that we will adapt and update in response to changing needs and cultural contexts.

‘Developing’ means that the document is constantly updated with new experiences and solutions. ‘Open’ emphasises that it is accessible to all interested parties and encourages the co-creation and sharing of knowledge and experiences (including those perceived as failures) in the spirit of openness and collaboration. Our catalogue is an invitation to discover how diversity can enrich the cultural environment, while serving as an encouragement for positive engagement and intercultural cooperation.

After reading the report, we would like to hear your suggestions, reflections, and perhaps ideas for new examples or situations that you would like to share with others. You can send us your comments using the form.

How to act interculturally in culture? – is one of the questions we tried to answer during the premiere of the Open and Developing Catalogue of Intercultural Practices, which took place on March 4th at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Representatives of the network presented the content of each chapter. The meeting was chaired by Olga Brzezińska.