Turning The Tide: Stockholm Lab

This October, Stockholm becomes a stage for bold ideas and artistic visions at Turning The Tide – The Stockholm Lab (15–17 October), a three-day international gathering exploring how art and culture can drive climate action, civic engagement, and sustainable urban futures.

The programme takes place across three inspiring venues: Kulturhuset, Stockholm’s cultural heart in the city centre; Vrak – Museum of Wrecks, a waterfront landmark with striking views of Slussen; and Stadgårdsterminalen, an industrial harbour site reimagined as a space for contemporary artistic expression.

The Stockholm Lab Days:

15 October | Vrak – Museum of Wrecks Art as a Force for Social Change — The first day focuses on how art can inspire social and environmental change, opening with study visits and project introductions, followed by discussions on the role of art in public discourse and climate activism. Artistic interventions, international perspectives and a dialogue between artists and scientists highlight the potential of creative expression to mobilize communities and influence policy.

16 October | Kulturhuset Stadsteater Water, Cities, and Sustainability — The second day addresses the challenges coastal cities face in the context of climate change, with a focus on urban resilience, water management, and innovative planning. Expert talks, artistic contributions, and discussions explore strategies for building adaptive cities while showcasing how interdisciplinary collaboration can foster sustainable urban futures.

17 October | Vrak – Museum of Wrecks Future Visions and Action — The final day looks ahead to practical solutions, exploring how art can move from raising awareness to driving real-world impact. Through keynotes, artistic interventions, roundtables, and dialogues, participants will examine ethical responsibility, cross-sector partnerships, and the concrete steps needed to turn creative ideas into effective climate action.

17 October Evening | Stadgårdsterminalen Closing Showcase — To conclude the Lab, a special evening event at Stadgårdsterminalen will present the works of Jonna Bo Lammers and Agnieszka Stobierska, offering a powerful finale that ties together the artistic, social, and environmental threads of the programme.

Art Fair – A Highlight of the Lab

On 16 October at Kulturhuset, the Lab will feature a dedicated Art Fair, presenting 15 artworks created within the European Turning the Tide project. The exhibition brings together diverse artistic practices that translate the complexity of climate change into powerful, imaginative, and accessible experiences for the public.

Featured artists include: Jenny Marketou, Tina Eskilsson, Ongoing Realities, Ludmila Christeseva, Vlady, Ajja, Zoe Lakides, Kasia Piorek, Celina Przyklęk, Gisela Stiegler, Bartosh Zimniak, Froso Papadimitriou, and Kamila Chomicz. Their works range from installations and performances to visual storytelling, all reflecting on water, resilience, and the urgent climate challenges facing our cities.

FULL PROGRAMME

Wednesday 15 October — VRAK MUSEUM

Art as a Force for Social Change

13:00 — Welcome

13:15 — A Dialogue between Urban Planning, Cultural Planning & Water ManagementJohannes Tovatt (Architect , Urban planner), Lia Ghilardi (Urban strategist, Cultural planner, UK), Astrid Rompolt (Member of Vienna City Council & Vienna State Parliament, head of Communications Department of Wiener Wasser)

13:45 — Presentation of the cartopological map of Stockholm — combining cartopology and anthropologyDear Hunter (cartopologists from the Netherlands)

14:15 — Climate change and artistic research on biodiversity – Examples from Seestadt, ViennaBernd Herger (Programme manager, Wienerbildungsakademie) with artist Kamila Chomicz (Poland)

14:35 — Water, Art, and Social Engagement in the Baltic Sea – Examples from GdańskNatalia Cyrzan (Programme manager, City Culture Institute) with artist Bartosh Zimniak (Poland)

15:30 — Water, Art, Children’s Participation and Social Engagement – Focusing on Post-Fire RecoveryValia Almpani (Curator, ARTIT) with artist Froso Papadimitriou (Greece)

15:50 — Social engagement good artistic practices from ScotlandDr Liz Gardiner (Cultural planner, Fablevision)

16:10 — Public Art and Documentary Encounters: Water, Climate, and CommunityElisavet Papageorgiou (International coordinator & Curator, Intercult) with artists Gisela Stiegler (Austria) & Celina Przyklęk (Poland)

Thursday 16 October — KULTURHUSET Foajé 3

Water, Cities, and Sustainability

11:00 — Art FairShowcasing works by 15 artists

13:00 — A Dive into Stockholm’s Strategies for Resilient Urban Flood PlanningJonas Althage (Strategist, urban flood management City of Stockholm)

13:30 — Bubble HoppingEmma Stenström (Associate Professor,Stockholm School of Economics and Co-Director of Center for Arts, Business & Culture)

14:00 —Semaphores as an Act of Change — Presentation & interactive performanceMarie-Andrée Robitaille (Artistic director, Cirkus Cirkör)

15:15 — Roundtable Discussion: Building Resilient Waterfront CitiesThomas Rebermark (Director, Swedish Water House, Stockholm International Water Institute) · Luigia Brandimarte (Associate Professor & Docent in Hydraulic Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology) · Marta Bohlmark (CEO & partner, Gaia Arkitektur) · Magnus Arnell (Programme manager, Water Wise Societies)

15:45 — Conversation: An Artist Meets a Climate ScientistGermaine Sanders (Architect & Artist from the Netherlands) meets Jonas Althage (Strategist, urban flood management City of Stockholm)

16:15 — Reflections from Dear Hunter (cartopologists from the Netherlands)

Friday 17 October — VRAK MUSEUM

Future Visions and Action

13:00 — The Future of HumanityKarim Jebari (Researcher, Institute for Futures Studies)

13:30 — Roundtable Discussion: The Next Steps – From Words to Action: Art, Activism & TechnologyWith Karim Jebari (Researcher, Institute for Futures Studies), Pella Thiel (Climate Activist), Belinda Retourne (Artist, Homo Colossus), Jenny Marketou (International Artist from Greece/New York)

14:15 — Final Reflections

14:45 — Performance by Austrian duo Adrian Dorfmeister-Pölzer & Simeon Ohlsen

Showcase at Stadsgårdsterminalen

19:00 – Artworks by Jonna Bo Lammers & Agnieszka Stobierska

The program is still a subject for changes

PLEASE NOTE: The event will be held in English

The Stockholm Lab is part of the wider Turning The Tide project, led by Intercult and co-funded by the EU’s Creative Europe programme, following similar international labs across Europe.

Registration

Participation is free of charge, but spaces are limited.The event is held in English.