Ceyda Berk-Söderblom

CEYDA BERK-SÖDERBLOM

Ceyda Berk-Söderblom is a seasoned arts manager, curator, festival programmer, cultural entrepreneur, and a recognized expert in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), with over 20 years of experience across Europe and beyond. She currently serves as Senior Project Manager and Researcher at Trans Europe Halles, where she leads the Cultural Transformation Movement, an initiative focused on diversifying artistic practices and transforming cultural institutions through the meaningful engagement of underrepresented communities. Ceyda also coordinates Co-PED (Community-Based Cultural and Social Centres as Incubators for Positive Energy Districts), a forward-looking project exploring the role of cultural and social centers in the green urban transition through Urban Living Labs.

In 2015, she founded MiklagårdArts, a platform dedicated to fostering transnational and transcultural artistic collaborations. A committed advocate for equity and systemic change in the arts, she works at the intersection of cultural policy and practice to help build more inclusive and pluralistic ecosystems. Her nonprofit leadership includes serving as Chair of Globe Art Point (2019–2021) and currently Chairing the Board of Culture for All.

Appointed by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, Ceyda contributed as an expert to the national working group on cultural policy, immigration, and diversity, helping shape the Art, Culture, and Diverse Finland report (2020). Originally trained as a journalist, she holds degrees in communication, business administration, arts management, and leadership in the arts. She earned her MA from the University of the Arts Helsinki, specializing in cultural diversity and social inclusion. Her interdisciplinary background also includes studies in critical thinking, workplace diversity, strategic project and creative climate leadership, citizen engagement, and deliberative democracy.