Reciprocal influences: Creative practices and grassroots organising 

Contemporary Art Days 2026 features six thematic discussion groups. This discussion topic focuses on creative practises and grassroot sorganising. The arts have increasingly been encouraged—and at times expected—to engage with communities, social issues, and political realities. At the same time, many grassroots initiatives and social movements rely on creative methods to build collective identity, communicate ideas, create public visibility, and imagine alternative futures.

In Sweden, artists, cultural organisations, community groups, and grassroots networks often operate within overlapping ecosystems, sharing spaces, resources, methods, and concerns. This creates opportunities for mutual learning, but also raises questions about roles, responsibilities, power, and accountability.

This theme explores the reciprocal influences between creative practice and grassroots organising. What can these fields learn from one another, and how can collaborations remain meaningful, ethical, and sustainable over time?

• In what ways are creative practices embedded in grassroots organising, and how are grassroots approaches influencing arts organisations and cultural work?
• What should we be mindful of when bringing artistic and grassroots practices together, and how can we ensure that both sides benefit from the collaboration?
• What new forms of cultural and civic infrastructure might emerge when artistic practice and grassroots organising are brought together? OR How can relationships between cultural organisations and grassroots initiatives move beyond short-term projects and become more sustained forms of collaboration?

The discussion begins at Köttinspektionen on 14 October and continues at Rikssalen on 15 October, where participants will further develop the ideas and conversations initiated on the first day.