Business, Culture and Development
During the Local Government Forum in Zakopane, an interesting discussion panel took place entitled: “Business, Culture and Development.” The panel featured the following participants: Agnieszka Ścigaj – Member of Parliament, Sejm of the Republic of Poland (as moderator), Roman Krupa – Mayor (Wójt), Kościelisko Commune Office, Andrzej Biernat – President of the Management Board, ASB Construction, Jakub Cieśla – Vice President of the Management Board, Apollo Film Sp. z o.o., Agnieszka Adamkiewicz – President of the Łódź Region, “Women in the Centre” Association, and Katarzyna Plebańczyk – Assistant Professor, Jagiellonian University, Poland.
The discussions within the panel revolved around the following thesis: Is cooperation between the business and cultural sectors essential for the socio-economic development of regions and countries? Is cultural development possible without the involvement of private business funds, relying solely on public financing? What can business and the creative sectors learn from each other, and how can they find a common language in pursuing shared goals while reconciling diverse needs?
Agnieszka Adamkiewicz – President of the Łódź Region, “Women in the Centre” Association, highlighted the importance of diversity and cooperation as well as investment in people—investments in their personal development through training and education—which significantly contributes to changing how municipalities function and the results they achieve. She emphasized that the beginning of change usually comes from an engaged local community that shapes its environment and solutions from the bottom up, introducing innovations and improvements within a limited administrative system.
Andrzej Biernat – President of the Management Board, ASB Construction, noted the enormous impact on development resulting from the synergy between business and culture. He also pointed out the problem of limited financial support from local governments for culture. He mentioned the lack of cooperation in developing already established projects, giving as an example the folk band he founded, which does not receive support from the local community, despite contributing to the region’s identity. He stated that businesses are very willing to engage in cultural initiatives if they see them as contributing to the development of the local community; however, they often refrain from doing so due to a lack of initiative and willingness to cooperate on the part of local authorities. He also drew attention to the crisis stemming from limited cultural development spaces for young people, especially in small municipalities. The lack of venues and opportunities for youth, combined with the widespread overstimulation resulting from digital culture, leads to declining cultural engagement among younger generations. He pointed out that the mission of “detaching” young people from the virtual world is difficult but possible through strategy and compelling programming.
Roman Krupa – Mayor of Kościelisko Commune, indicated that cooperation with business in the context of cultural development is highly desirable, although often significantly hindered due to the limited financial resources of local government units. He also observed that residents and tourists willingly take advantage of the region’s cultural offerings and participate in such events and initiatives in increasing numbers. However, municipalities are unable to bear the financial burden of such undertakings, which limits their development. “Without a budget and support, it is impossible to organize a good initiative,” he concluded.
Jakub Cieśla – Vice President of the Management Board, Apollo Film Sp. z o.o., pointed out the problem of balancing the finances of companies related to culture. He stated that culture is not profitable; therefore, companies should be given alternative opportunities for generating revenue. He noted that in Poland there is no system that allows culture to increase its profitability. He emphasized that relying on local governments alone—entities that themselves face financial difficulties and unstable budgets—practically prevents the harmonious development of cultural initiatives.
Katarzyna Plebańczyk – Assistant Professor at the Jagiellonian University, noted that cooperation between business and artists already takes place during students’ university years through various initiatives such as grants, scholarships, academic and artistic clubs. However, such activities typically occur in academic cities, which are large metropolitan areas, and do not solve the problem of cultural underfunding in the provinces. As a university employee, she also observed that students entering higher education are increasingly anti-electronic in their attitudes and prefer conversation—indeed, they expect it. Students want to be subjects, not objects of discussion, and show a high level of personal initiative.
In the following part of the discussion, the topic of the profitability of culture and its impact on the development of local communities and identity-building was raised.
Andrzej Biernat stated that things that are worth doing and need to be done are not—and perhaps never will be—profitable. Based on his own activities, he concluded that access to culture positively affects the wellbeing of residents and contributes to community development and the shaping of local identity. A person rooted in local culture also exhibits a higher level of life satisfaction and happiness. Therefore, he encourages entrepreneurs to finance and participate in culture as one of the most important CSR priorities for companies.
Meanwhile, Agnieszka Adamkiewicz pointed out the need for actions that build local identity, such as learning the history of one’s town. She emphasized that businesses with a strong local identity will be more willing to finance cultural development in their region. Such investments benefit all parties involved—residents, business, local governments, and culture.
Roman Krupa referred back to his earlier remarks, stating that culture will become increasingly important. He observed that it will have to be one of the priorities in order to preserve our unique Polish culture.
Katarzyna Plebańczyk noted that culture is resistant to social pressure, provides agency, motivates people to act, and supports their development. She also pointed out that in urban-rural municipalities, the relationship between entrepreneurs and culture is more visible due to the small size of such communities, where everyone knows each other.
Jakub Cieśla stated that culture must be financed. He identified three groups of entrepreneurs who fund culture: enthusiasts, altruists, and those who want to profit from it. He advised that systemic solutions must be developed to enable cultural financing. He concluded by saying: “No nation can function without its own culture.”
