The Belarusian Council for Culture continues its work to identify priority areas and assess the required levels of support for different sectors of Belarusian culture. The result of this effort is the new Roadmap for Support and Development of the Culture Sector of Belarus in 2026–2028.
The Roadmap is a document that takes into account the current context in which the cultural sector operates, outlines the key challenges it faces, and defines strategic priorities for support from European institutions.
Context and Priorities
When assessing the situation in Belarusian culture, several important factors are to be taken into account:
- The cultural space within Belarus is increasingly dominated by Russian actors and narratives. In order to influence Belarusian society and draw it into the geopolitical conflict on its side, Russia actively uses manipulation of history and the erosion of Belarusian cultural distinctiveness.
- The Belarusian regime is strengthening control over culture through large-scale censorship, restrictions on access to internet resources, and by designating the consumption or support of “prohibited” cultural products, artists, and organisations as “extremist activity.”
- The Belarusian language remains one of the key means of self-expression and resistance – through its presence in independent literature, cinema, theatre, and music – even in circumstances where other forms of civic activism have become almost impossible.
- The sector has also been affected by the reduction of funding from the United States: in only 10% of cases did the loss of American funding not affect the activities of organisations.
Strategic Priorities for 2026–2028
For the period 2026–2028, the Roadmap identifies the following priorities:
- Strengthening the capacity of cultural actors and improving access to resources across all thematic sub-sectors of Belarusian culture;
- Increasing the influence of the cultural sector on social processes in Belarus;
- Supporting and developing cultural diversity, as well as ensuring the implementation of cultural rights;
- Facilitating coordination and cooperation among Belarusian cultural actors and supporting the development of common cultural policies;
- Integrating Belarusian artists into the European cultural space and expanding international cooperation.
Participants in the Needs Assessment Process
The Roadmap is based on the results of a needs assessment of the Belarusian civil society sector for 2026–2028, commissioned by DG ENEST and the Coordination Council of the Belarusian Democratic Movement.
The preparation of the document involved the Belarusian Council for Culture, the Office for National Revival of the United Transitional Cabinet, the Tutaka Foundation, the Free Belarus Museum, the civic organisation “Godna”, as well as other cultural organisations and initiatives.
A short version of the Roadmap is available in Belarusian and English in PDF format.
