Cristina Farinha

Cultural and Creative Sector Policy Expert, Portugal

Cristina Farinha, 1973, PhD, is currently a freelance expert in policy research, evaluation, cooperation, and development, specialising in culture, heritage, and the creative economy. She has worked extensively at local, regional, and international levels, contributing to the conception, implementation, reporting, and evaluation of diverse policies, programmes, and organisations. Cristina has also been lecturing and participating as a speaker and moderator in various universities, public discussions, academic conferences, and workshops across Europe, the USA, Africa, and the Middle East. She is interested in capacity building and knowledge dissemination, strengthening the role of culture and creativity in governance and development, and promoting fair and sustainable mobility and international cooperation.

Her presentation “Cultural Cooperation in Times of Turbulence”, explores how the cultural and creative field is increasingly pressured to produce, compete, and export content under market-driven policies and the uncertainties of global economic and social turmoil. While cultural exchange and cooperation have always been crucial, recent intensified challenges are accelerating the need for new, more sustainable, and fair models of collaboration.