Towards the Recovery of the Culture Sector of Ukraine

Photo credit: Domas Rimeika, UNESCO Lithuanian National Commission

On 6-7 June 2024, the International Conference "Towards the Recovery of the Culture Sector of Ukraine" was held in Vilnius, Lithuania in cooperation with Ukraine and in partnership with UNESCO.

ELIA UAx Platform Manager Uliana Furiv, UAx Steering Group Chair Rebecca Duclos, and Taras Lesiv, Vice-Rector of Lviv National Academy of Arts, attended the conference. Uliana spoke on the crucial role of higher arts education in Ukraine's cultural recovery. She outlined ELIA's initiatives and commitments through the UAx Platform to support Ukrainian higher arts education institutions and students. In her speech, she called for continued and enhanced international support for these efforts:

"How can there be a recovery of the culture sector in Ukraine without art education and training? Just as Ukraine requires psychologists and physiotherapists to restore the unbroken minds and bodies of Ukrainian people, the cultural sector needs hundreds, if not thousands, of trained artists and cultural professionals to manage the complex tasks of reviving and expanding Ukrainian cultural heritage. Advanced arts education must be central to the recovery and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, receiving urgent support from the international community."

Read or watch Uliana's statement in full>

A significant outcome of the conference was the adoption of a joint action plan developed by UNESCO in collaboration with Ukrainian authorities and over 40 organisations. This plan includes six areas of focus: documenting damage, immediate and long-term restoration, revitalising cultural institutions and education, bolstering cultural industries, enhancing cultural resilience, and promoting digital transformation in the cultural sector. Nearly 30 countries involved in the action plan have committed to further discussions on implementing this plan at the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin on 11-12 June 2024.

Read the Vilnius Call for Action>


As ELIA, we endorse the Vilnius Call for Action for Ukraine's cultural recovery, specifically focusing on reviving the capacity of cultural institutions and education. Through our UAx platform, we commit to continuing our support for cultural resilience and developing the cultural sector by empowering higher arts education in Ukraine.