The online New European Bauhaus (NEB) Conference which took place on 22-23 April 2021 was the first online large-scale event organised by the European Commission on this initiative. Over two days, it gathered more than 8,000 participants engaging in a programme full of inspiring panel discussions and workshops, also marking the official launch of the NEB Prizes. Speakers included top EU leaders and EU institutions representatives, as well as representatives of the New European Bauhaus High-Level Roundtable and the business world. As an official NEB partner, Europa Nostra was invited to co-facilitate a workshop on “Rediscovering the Sense of a Place” and to report on the discussion outcomes during the second day of the conference.

Opening the conference, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen highlighted in her remarks that the main objective of the initiative is to add a much-needed cultural dimension to the European Green Deal so it reaches the hearts and souls of citizens. “The New European Bauhaus is about hope. It is about inspiration. It is about new perspectives; and it’s about concrete actions against climate change”, she stated.

In his speech, the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, particularly welcomed the bottom-up, inclusive and democratic nature of the New European Bauhaus initiative, and the association of a cultural, social and societal reflection with the European Green Deal. “For the first time in the history of the institutions, the Commission is proposing a co-creation and co-design approach to the implementation of this project, opening up a space for dialogue with citizens, businesses, organisations and stakeholders”, he said.

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