The forces transforming work are reshaping a cultural and creative sector in which livelihoods have long been precarious. This Cultural Futures Forum will explore this topic online and in March 2027 in Salzburg, Austria.
Artificial intelligence, automation and digital platforms are transforming how culture is created, distributed and valued. New generations are entering the workforce, particularly in regions with rapidly growing young populations. Expectations around work, mobility, wellbeing and professional purpose are shifting, while creative production is becoming faster, more accessible and more abundant. These changes bring enormous possibility—but their benefits will not be shared equally. As the world of work is transformed, the central question is not only what will happen to creative work, but who will have the power, security and opportunity to build a creative life.
Programmes at Salzburg Global are co-designed with participants who work together to determine the program agenda. Participants should be available for the following dates:
- Co-Creation Meeting 1 (Online): 4 February 2027
- Co-Creation Meeting 2 (Online): 18 February 2027
- In-Person Program (Salzburg, Austria): 14–19 March 2027
The programme is for: The people creating, imagining, questioning and experimenting; the organisations that preserve, commission, present and connect culture with audiences and communities; the businesses, technologies and sources of capital shaping how culture is financed, distributed and valued; the public institutions and leaders shaping the policies, investment and civic environments in which culture operates; and the institutions and thinkers bringing evidence, analysis and wider societal perspectives to the future of culture.
A limited number of scholarships to cover participation costs and travel will be available to individuals selected through the open call for participants. Scholarships will prioritise applicants from across the Majority World, as well as individuals and communities historically underrepresented in the arts and cultural sector. Partial scholarships are also available to support only participation costs or travel.
