Caroline Lapidaire

Caroline Lapidaire works at De Balie and is responsible for corporate partnerships. She has been working in the cultural sector for over 5 years now and is convinced that there is room for improvement in the Netherlands regarding people’s appreciation for culture. Do we consider the cultural sector as an integral vital part of our society or do we see it more as a form of charity or philanthropy? And what can we learn from other countries in this respect? 

With a UvA master’s degree in European Studies and History of International Relations, Caroline has always had an extensive interest in the international context. She has studied and worked in Spain and Italy and will soon travel to New York to do research on the organization of the cultural sector in the US. Last year Caroline set up a European collaboration between De Balie, Fondazione Feltrinelli in Milano and Stadtmuseum in Berlin. 

Exchanging ideas and bringing the perspective of other countries in, enriches our minds and creates a better and more equipped point of departure for finding out how we want to shape our society. This is very much applicable for the appreciation of culture. Sharing knowledge on this theme and opening up the debate about how to improve the status quo is something that Caroline wishes to further develop during Studio Europa.