Applications are open for the Cultural Futures Forum 2027 in Salzburg, Austria, organized by Salzburg Global Seminar for people working across the cultural and creative sector.
The programme will bring together an international and intergenerational group of artists, cultural practitioners, researchers, policymakers, educators, entrepreneurs, technology professionals, funders, community organizers and other leaders interested in the future of creative work.
The 2027 forum will examine how artificial intelligence, automation, digital platforms and changing workforce expectations are transforming creative industries around the world.
Participants will explore questions surrounding creative labour, income security, professional opportunities, technology, inclusion, mobility and the future of cultural work.
The in-person programme will take place at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria, from March 14 to March 19, 2027.
A number of scholarships are available to selected participants. Depending on the award, funding can cover programme participation costs, accommodation and meals at Schloss Leopoldskron and, in some cases, travel expenses.
The application deadline is October 19, 2026, at 17:00 Central European Time (CEST).
Salzburg Global Cultural Futures Forum 2027: Key Details
- Programme: The Cultural Futures Forum: Whose Creative Labor Counts?
- Organizer: Salzburg Global Seminar
- Location: Salzburg, Austria
- Venue: Schloss Leopoldskron
- Format: Online co-creation meetings and in-person programme
- In-person dates: March 14–19, 2027
- Online meeting 1: February 4, 2027
- Online meeting 2: February 18, 2027
- Eligible applicants: People working in or connected to the cultural and creative sector
- Scholarships: Available for selected participants
- Accommodation and meals: Covered for scholarship recipients
- Travel support: Available in some cases
- Application deadline: October 19, 2026 at 17:00 CEST
What Is the Cultural Futures Forum?
The Cultural Futures Forum is a Salzburg Global Seminar programme examining the changing nature of creative work and the people who make, support and shape cultural production.
The 2027 edition focuses on an important question: Whose Creative Labor Counts?
Creative industries are experiencing rapid changes as artificial intelligence, automation, social platforms and new digital technologies transform how content is produced, distributed and valued.
At the same time, many artists and cultural workers continue to face unstable incomes, freelance employment, short-term contracts and limited professional protections.
The forum aims to bring different perspectives together to examine how these developments could affect the future of creative careers and whether the benefits of technological and economic transformation will be shared fairly.
Who Can Apply?
The programme welcomes people exercising leadership in different ways across the cultural and creative sector.
Applicants may include:
- Artists
- Cultural practitioners
- Creative entrepreneurs
- Community organizers
- Worker representatives
- Policymakers
- Educators
- Researchers
- Funders
- Technology professionals
- Institutional leaders
- People working on cultural policy
- Individuals involved in creative-sector development
- Professionals contributing to changes in cultural institutions
You do not necessarily need to hold a traditional management position to demonstrate leadership.
Salzburg Global Seminar is interested in people who are actively contributing to change through creative practice, community work, research, education, policy, technology, entrepreneurship, funding or institutional development.
What Will the Forum Discuss?
The 2027 programme will examine how major changes in the world of work are affecting artists and creative professionals.
Topics are expected to include:
- Artificial intelligence and creative work
- Automation
- Digital platforms
- The future of creative employment
- Freelance and informal work
- Income security
- Worker protections
- Professional mobility
- Young people entering creative industries
- Technology and cultural production
- Diversity and inclusion
- Creative entrepreneurship
- Cultural policy
- Access to opportunities
- The value of creative labour
- Sustainable careers in the arts and culture sector
The central issue is not simply what technology will do to creative industries, but who will have the security, power and opportunities needed to build sustainable careers.
What Happens After the Forum?
The programme is designed to continue beyond the residential meeting in Austria.
Participants will become part of an international network and have opportunities to remain connected with other members of the cohort.
The programme’s expected outcomes include:
- Cultural Futures Outlook publications and digital resources
- An international network connecting participants across different cohorts
- Online meetings and peer-learning opportunities
- Continued collaboration between participants
- Sharing of ideas and practices developed during the programme
- Opportunities to apply lessons within organizations, communities and creative sectors
The goal is to create a long-term platform where ideas developed during the Salzburg gathering can continue to influence cultural work and policy.
Programme Timeline
Applicants who are selected should be available for all major programme activities.
The schedule includes:
February 4, 2027: First online co-creation meeting.
February 18, 2027: Second online co-creation meeting.
March 14, 2027: In-person programme begins in Salzburg at approximately 15:00 Central European Time.
March 19, 2027: Programme concludes and participants depart.
The online sessions will allow participants to contribute to the development of the programme agenda before travelling to Austria.
Who Will Be Selected?
Applications will be assessed based on several factors.
The organizers will consider:
- How relevant the applicant’s current work is to the forum.
- The knowledge and experience they could contribute.
- Their ability to participate in peer learning.
- Their potential to apply lessons from the programme.
- Their ability to influence an organization, community, institution, network or wider sector.
- The perspectives they would contribute to an international group.
Selection will not be based solely on professional achievements.
The organizers are interested in building a diverse group with different backgrounds, experiences, disciplines and approaches to cultural work.
How Will the Cohort Be Selected?
Salzburg Global Seminar intends to create an international, interdisciplinary and intergenerational group.
The selection process will consider:
- Geographic diversity
- Different creative disciplines
- Career stages
- Professional backgrounds
- Cultural perspectives
- Different relationships to creative work
- Experience with challenges affecting cultural workers
- Ability to influence policy, institutions, technology or resources
The organizers are particularly interested in perspectives that have historically received less visibility within cultural leadership and decision-making.
This includes applicants from the Majority World, people of color, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, Indigenous communities, migrants, ethnically diverse groups and people from low-income backgrounds.
Scholarships and Financial Support
A number of scholarships are available for selected participants through support from programme partners, including the Edward T. Cone Foundation.
Depending on the scholarship awarded, financial assistance can cover:
- Programme participation costs
- Accommodation at Schloss Leopoldskron
- Meals during the residential programme
- Travel expenses in some cases
The exact level of support can vary between participants.
People who are affiliated with organizations or institutions are encouraged to seek institutional support for their participation, accommodation and travel where possible.
This allows Salzburg Global Seminar to direct available scholarship resources toward independent artists, cultural practitioners and applicants who do not have institutional financial support.
Applicants should therefore not assume that every selected participant will automatically receive airfare or complete travel funding.
What Do You Need to Submit?
The application requires basic information about the applicant and their professional work, along with responses to several questions.
Applicants will be asked to answer three written questions of approximately 250 words each and provide a two-minute video response.
The application questions cover:
- Your Work: Describe who you are and the work you currently undertake within or connected to the cultural and creative sector. Explain your responsibilities, who your work seeks to influence and the impact you have contributed to.
- Your Current Initiative: Describe a change, initiative, project or new approach that you are currently leading or contributing to. Explain your role, the barriers you face and how participating in the programme could help move the work forward.
- Your Perspective: Explain what perspectives, experiences, knowledge or practices you would contribute to the international and intergenerational cohort. Applicants can also describe an example, model or lesson from their own context that could be useful to other participants.
- Your Video Response: Applicants must provide a two-minute video responding to the question: What question about the future of creative work do you most want to explore in Salzburg? The response should explain why the question matters in the applicant’s context and how the relationships, ideas or learning from the programme could strengthen their work afterwards.
Can You Use AI in the Application?
Yes.
Salzburg Global Seminar recognizes that artificial intelligence tools can assist with accessibility, translation and the application process.
However, applicants are encouraged to carefully review and adapt AI-assisted content.
Your application should reflect your actual experience, ideas, knowledge and perspective.
Applicants should avoid submitting generic AI-generated answers that do not accurately represent their professional background or personal views.
The organizers want to understand the applicant’s own voice and experiences.
How to Apply for the Salzburg Global Cultural Futures Forum 2027
Interested applicants should complete the official online application form before the deadline.
Follow these steps:
- Review the programme information and determine whether your work connects with the cultural and creative sector.
- Prepare a clear description of your current role and impact.
- Identify a project, initiative or change you are currently working on.
- Prepare your three written responses.
- Record your two-minute video response.
- Provide the requested personal and professional information.
- Review your answers carefully.
- Submit the application through the official Salzburg Global Seminar application portal.
Applicants should make sure their responses demonstrate genuine experience rather than simply describing why they want to attend.
VISIT OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO APPLY
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