EU Project PENCE – Power Europe Narrative for Civic Ecology
Description Accelerating Europe’s ecological transition through community empowerment and climate action
EU Call Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme
Total Funding €349,615.00
IAAC Department Fab Lab & Urban Sciences Lab
Partners Creatives for Climate, Ars Longa, Fab City
Website TBC (launch in 2025)

The Challenge:

To accelerate Europe’s ecological transition toward climate neutrality by leveraging the expertise and participation of citizens and professionals of the Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) to drive impactful climate action.

Our Solution:

The project aims to propose climate action solutions to decision-makers by exploring pathways to bottom up policy making. PENCE recognizes that citizens alongside the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) play a pivotal role in addressing climate change and driving positive transformations, making their empowerment and active participation critical to the process.

The Project:

The Power Europe Narrative for Civic Ecology (PENCE) Initiative is dedicated to fast-tracking Europe’s ecological transition by empowering citizens and Creative and Cultural Industry (CCI) professionals to take bold action on climate policy. The specific objectives for PENCE are to empower citizens and Creative and Cultural Industry professionals to take decisive climate policy action, and to present innovative solutions to local policymakers in response to the evolving environmental challenges and needs of the future city. PENCE will showcase a set of instruments, tools, formats, and methodologies structured around training activities; awareness-raising activities; mutual learning activities; advocacy and policymaking in practice activities; creative and cultural activities and demonstrative pilots.

Our Contribution:

IAAC plays a key role in the PENCE Project by leading a series of activities focused on fostering creativity through manufacturing practices and regenerative urbanism. These efforts are designed to engage communities, foster bottom-up innovation, and influence policy towards climate action. Collaborative workshops, conferences, and exhibitions will bring together professionals from makerspaces, creative communities, and grassroots organizations to co-create new narratives addressing climate change. These hands-on explorations will culminate in evidence-based policy briefs, offering actionable recommendations on the influence of the creative sector as ‘agents of change’ for driving green transition and climate-focused urban planning.

Who is it for?

Citizens (18 to 55+), the Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI) and professionals from the communication industry, makers’ communities, designers, architects, urban planners among other creatives.

Check Fab Lab calendar to find out about Pence’s upcoming events.

The PENCE project has received funding from the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme under grant agreement No. 101147563.