How can we rebuild a new cultural relationship between land and sea to enhance territorial resilience?
On 5 and 6 May 2025, the city of Muğla in Turkey hosted a preparatory workshop for the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 (UNOC 3).
Mediterranean cities and territories are joining forces to place culture and the land-sea relationship at the heart of their strategies for territorial resilience in response to climate and environmental risks in the Mediterranean region.
The event was organised by AVITEM in partnership with the Municipality of Muğla, the Municipality of Menteşe, the French Institute in Turkey, and with the support of the City of Nice, the Sud Region – Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Two key themes structured the discussions that concluded two days of collective reflection:
- How can art and culture become powerful levers for reconnecting land and sea in support of greater resilience?
- How can the preservation and enhancement of tangible and intangible heritage be mobilised as active resources for a future focused on resilience?
Four major projects emerged from this collaborative dynamic, and will be included in the orientations of “The Voice of the Mediterraneans”, to be presented at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in Nice, June 2025.
The Mediterranean Week
A networked cultural event bringing together all Mediterranean countries around their shared connection to the sea.
A space for artistic expression and cultural cooperation – a week to celebrate our relationship with the ocean, Mediterranean ecosystems, and to reflect on our contemporary coastal landscapes.
A Mediterranean Risk Observatory
A technical tool and a sensitive approach, combining scientific data with photographic representations for a territorially grounded observation of local vulnerabilities.
Built on a shared methodology and a network of committed local stakeholders, it supports territorial transformation while preserving memory.
A Resilience Project Factory
A call for interest to develop land-sea resilience projects that bridge regional and local scales.
Its goal: to support strategic planning, adaptation, and transformation initiatives in Mediterranean territories, while strengthening networks for the exchange of experience.
A Training and Knowledge-Transfer Hub
A platform dedicated to heritage skills training and marine and coastal environmental education.
This learning and creative space hosts artists-in-residence, inter-university projects, and international workshops at the crossroads of disciplines and cultures.