Levan Kharatishvili
CEO & Founder, Creative Strategies Lab
Executive Director, Creative Spark
After more than a decade leading numerous cultural projects, creating strategies for the cultural and creative sectors within the public sector in Georgia, Levan embarked on setting up his own creative enterprise.
In 2013-2021, Levan worked at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia in a capacity of a deputy minister. His name is associated with elaboration and adoption of the first national culture strategy document – Culture Strategy 2025 and its action plan that has been adopted by the Government of Georgia in 2016. Levan has recently assisted Zugdidi Municipality with elaboration and adoption of the, first for the city, Cultural Development Strategy with the support of the EU4Culture project. As a result of his assistance, Zugdidi has won the competition and received 300,000 euros to implement the strategy in 2022-2024.
Levan is an internationally renowned expert in cultural policies and creative industries strategies. He is the member of the Cultural Policy Designers Network, thus one of the 35 cultural policy experts from 20 European countries. Levan has conducted evaluations, cultural policy reviews, projects and trainings, advised governments and cultural operators in more than 15 countries around the world.
He has been elected as a Chair of the Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape of the Council of Europe as well as Vice-Chair of the Governing Board at the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. Levan was the Board member of Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends. Levan is the co-author of Manifesto on Freedom of Expression of Arts and Culture in Digital Era as well as the concept for a digital @exhibition ‘Free to Create, Create to be Free’ launched by the Council of Europe.
Abstract
SHOW MUST GO ON: THEATRE AS AN EXAMPLE OF RETHINKING THE ROLE OF CULTURE AND CREATIVITY – Levan Kharatishvili, CEO & Founder, Creative Strategies Lab; Executive Director, Creative Spark (Georgia)
Alongside other sub-sectors within Europe’s creative and culture sector, theatre is a significant contributor to social cohesion and the well-being of the population. Theatre reflects contemporary society and mirrors current issues. However, the series of crises and the measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have had a very negative impact on the culture sector and on the performing arts and theatre sector in particular. Now more than ever, theatres and other cultural institutions face an imminent need to adapt to rapidly changing, unstable and unpredictable environment. Given presentation reiterates the role of theatre as an important public space and reevaluates the transversal role of theatres in tackling current societal challenges.