Cultural Third Places (France)

«Courants du monde» is a selective international program of the French Ministry of Culture dedicated to studying «third places» (tiers-lieux) and innovative models of cultural management. In March 2025, the program brought together participants from around the world for an eight-day deep dive into the French experience — from state policy supporting cultural spaces to the concrete operating models of individual venues.

The program combined an opening focused on discussing French state policy on third places with field visits to cultural spaces in Paris and the country's southwest — from fablabs and coworking spaces to multi-purpose cultural centers housed in repurposed industrial buildings. Each venue was studied not as a landmark but as a working business and management model — examining who runs it, how it is financed, and what role it plays in the local community.

«Third places» — spaces between home and work where cultural and creative exchange happens — directly echo the task of developing creative infrastructure in Kazakhstan. The experience gained lays the groundwork for adapting the tiers-lieux model to the local context, as part of broader work to strengthen the creative industries.

Participation in the program provided international experience studying mature models of cultural infrastructure, applicable to TransforNATION's work in the creative economy and related initiatives in this field.