Mission

How did CNoL come to be?

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As of 2025, a Culture Advisory Board was established that focuses on the advisory function to the city and a Culture Network of Leuven (CNoL) exists that focuses on connecting the sector.​

 

The hundreds of cultural players who populate the Leuven field would like to meet more often.

There are many of us and we are all different. We are curious, we feel the possibilities bubbling up, but we do not always have each other on our radar. We would like to. How else can we ensure that truly everyone has the opportunity to connect? How else can we build strong alliances, give possibilities to all those fresh ideas that sprout from our rich, broad field?​

 

We need cross-pollinators, networkers and connectors to break open bubbles that are still (too) closed. We want to capture and extra stimulate the existing bottom-up dynamics. We want to bring more clarity, workability and readability to our broad cultural field. We want to bring all possible cultural actors together in an informal way in an atmosphere of mutual respect. 
 

Why CNoL?

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CNoL's name is a nod to a tuber (ergo knol, in Dutch): the part of a root or stem of a plant shaped like a bulb.

A tuber radiates strength and potential that lurks beneath the surface, which has roots in fertile soil. A tuber grows, nourishes and contains all the elements that can make something flourish and become visible. CNoL nourishes their environment by seeking from their roots (the cultural actors) the essential substances in the cultured earth, sharing them and giving birth to new initiatives.

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Discover
CNoL makes Leuven's cultural organizations more visible online and offline.
This makes it easier for them to get to know each other.
Thus, cooperation comes about more smoothly.

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Connect
CNoL is a builder of bridges.
It connects cultural actors who are looking for fruitful ways to work together.

It also sets up specific network events for this purpose.

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Strengthen

CNoL activates the diverse players of the cultural field to set up concrete initiatives and projects together.

This not only strengthens the field itself, but residents and visitors to the city and region also experience the added value.

The network is a catalyst or lever and has effective action to realize these functions.

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Core values of CNoL

● Inclusive: CNoL aims to include all actors - big or small, old or new.
Commitment to diversity from within the network ensures a rich cultural landscape.
CNoL honors the traditions and history of Leuven's culture,
while also keeping an eye on the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow.

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● Autonomous: CNoL will be an autonomous network that can grow, flourish and nourish

through the support of their partners and actors within the cultural field.

It remains the “feed” and does not itself take control within the cultural sector.

● Participatory: CNoL is committed to a bottom-up approach, in which the field itself sets the course and shapes what grows.

Anyone involved in culture can join CNoL, and CNoL's structure is and will remain transparent.

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CNoL, the beating heart of Leuven culture

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CNoL is the seed for a cultural network rooted in the city while reaching upward and outward to create new connections and opportunities. CNoL provides nourishment, strength, resilience and growth - all from a solid foundation deeply rooted in Leuven's rich cultural landscape.

CNoL keeps in close contact with the Cultural Advisory Board so that they are aware of what is going on in the sector and what the sector is working on, and from there can also provide advice to the city. CNoL also ensures that the sector is aware of the advice formulated by the Culture Advisory Council.

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CNoL will be a powerful and inspiring movement that strengthens and flourishes the entire Leuven cultural sector.