Stockholm University of the Arts
Sweden 2026
The Art Hub is a cultural entrepreneurship concept I developed within the Arts and Cultural Entrepreneurship course at Stockholm University of the Arts .
The project explores how a small-scale cultural space could support everyday cultural exchange in Stockholm specificly while remaining socially, economically, and personally sustainable.
The concept positions culture not only as artistic production, but as a shared social experience that can connect people through regular participation and dialogue.
Despite strong cultural institutions in Stockholm, accessible spaces where locals and newcomers meet through everyday cultural participation remain limited. Integration initiatives often focus on helping immigrants adapt to Swedish society, while fewer initiatives encourage cultural exchange in the opposite direction.
This creates a one-sided model of integration where communities live close to each other without meaningful interaction. At the same time, emerging and underrepresented artists often lack accessible platforms that offer visibility and fair compensation, making long-term cultural participation difficult to sustain.
The project was developed through a practice-based approach combining personal observation, course frameworks, and conceptual modelling. The research examined cultural entrepreneurship and Cultural and Creative Industries as ecosystems connecting artists, audiences, institutions, and communities.
Sustainability in artistic practice was analysed through four dimensions: social, economic, ecological, and inner sustainability.
These perspectives helped evaluate how a cultural initiative can remain socially meaningful while also financially realistic, environmentally responsible, and manageable for the people running it. Tools such as the Sustainability Barometer and the Business Model Canvas were used to structure and reflect on the concept.
The Art Hub proposes a neighbourhood-scale cultural space combining exhibitions, workshops, talks, book clubs, film nights, and small artist residencies. The hub operates as an informal meeting point rather than a formal institution, focusing on frequent and accessible cultural encounters.
A simple café layer supports conversation and encourages visitors to stay longer, creating a social environment around the cultural program. The concept follows a mixed income model including event tickets, workshops, memberships, art sales, small rentals, and cultural grants. Partnerships with libraries, schools, cultural organisations, and community groups support programming and outreach within the local cultural ecosystem.
The Art Hub presents a model for a small cultural space that supports everyday cultural participation and two-way cultural exchange between locals and newcomers.
The concept also provides emerging and underrepresented artists with a visible and accessible platform. Rather than proposing a fixed institution, the project is designed to start with small pilot events that test audience interest, partnerships, and operational feasibility before any long-term implementation.