Meet the four newly selected BSR Cultural Pearls 2026—Glücksburg (GER), Kristinestad–Kristiinankaupunki (FIN), Krosno (POL) and Schleswig (GER)—who will begin their culture-driven resilience actions in 2026. Discover how these municipalities are turning creativity, community and local identity into engines for social resilience across the Baltic Sea Region.
Four New Cultural Pearls Announced for 2026
After an intensive year-long journey beginning in February, the 2026 BSR Cultural Pearlshave been officially announced. Municipalities Glücksburg (GER), Kristinestad–Kristiinankaupunki (FI), Krosno (PL), and Schleswig (GER) will continue their work in strengthening social resilience through culture as the next title holders.
From an impressive pool of 11 finalist municipalities, the Cultural Pearls Network continues to grow, bringing together towns and cities committed to empowering their communities through culture, creativity and local engagement.
Culture and Resilience Action Plans at the Core
Each candidate municipality developed its own Culture and Resilience Action Plan (CuReAP)—a strategic roadmap outlining how local resources, cultural practices and community participation can help address challenges and foster a sense of belonging. Supported by mentors and experts, every plan reflects a unique approach while sharing a common vision:
Culture as a connective force for engaging people and building resilient communities.
An international jury of experts in social resilience, culture, arts, urban development and pan-Baltic cooperation evaluated all submissions. Their task was to identify the most impactful and promising action plans capable of driving real, community-rooted resilience in 2026.
“Resilience starts with people.”
Felix Schartner Giertta, BSR Cultural Pearls Project Manager at the Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat, highlighted the essence of the programme:
“Resilience starts with people – connected, able and willing to shape the future of their hometowns. Culture, creativity and togetherness is the lifeblood of active communities. On the local level, decision makers know this. Pearls provides an opportunity to connect with other towns and cities, kick-start this work and get noticed in the process!”
About BSR Cultural Pearls
The BSR Cultural Pearls title supports towns, cities and municipalities in strengthening their capacity to use culture strategically for social resilience. With the 2026 awardees, the network now includes 14 Cultural Pearls across the Baltic Sea Region.
The project is co-financed by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme until the end of 2025 and will continue into a next phase, building on developed resources, shared learning and a growing transnational network of culturally driven resilience initiatives.
