Vision / Mission
A network for the cultural players of Leuven
The hundreds of cultural players that inhabit the Leuven field, that is us, and we want to meet each other. There are many of us and we are all different. We are curious. We feel the possibilities bubbling up, but we don't always have each other on our radar. And that needs to change.
The cultural network of Leuven (or CNoL for short) aims to develop and support a strong cultural community. The cultural network provides a place where ideas can grow, where people can connect with each other, where they can break out of their own bubble to build stronger practices. CNoL is happy to let ideas bubble up from below and looks for partners to help implement them.
How can we ensure that everyone has the chance to connect? How can we build a strong cultural community together? How do we bring all those fresh ideas within that rich, broad field to life?
The core functions of the cultural network
Discover
The network makes the Leuven cultural players more visible both online and offline. This way, they can get to know each other more easily. This leads to smoother collaboration. CNoL offers the Open Creatives platform for online visibility and provides networking moments to meet each other in person.
Connect
The network is a bridge builder. It connects cultural actors who are looking for fruitful ways to collaborate. That is why it organizes networking moments around specific themes (for example: space, European Capital of Culture, or finance). These networking moments ensure that collaborations within the sector can be established more smoothly.
Strengthen
The network activates the diverse players in the cultural field to exchange more. It leads the sector towards concrete initiatives, workshops, and information that can strengthen them. CNoL actively listens to the sector and responds to its needs by occasionally offering training sessions (for example, on social media).
Relationship with the Cultural Council
The bridge between sector and policy
The network maintains a close collaboration with the Advisory Council on Culture, so that it gets a good view of what is happening in the cultural field and what the sector is working on. From that interaction, the council can formulate well-founded advice towards the city. The council finds in the network an ideal link: a point of contact with a feel for the field and the knowledge to bridge the gap between the sector and policy. Through Open Creatives and the networking events, they make contact with the sector.
