ABOUT
THE ASSOCIATION
ACCENT SUD – Association for Cultural Cooperation and the Digital Economy with Southern Europe, is a young and dynamic French non-profit association, founded in 2021 with the mission of supporting and implementing international and cross-regional projects that contribute to a more sustainable and respectful way of life—both on land and below water. Our focus is on vulnerable areas and communities in Southern Europe.
Based in Talence, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the association brings together members from across Europe, working remotely and on-site when traveling for our missions.
We believe in the transformative power of knowledge, science, art, culture, and innovation in tools and methodologies as key drivers of positive change.
Together, we facilitate and enable transnational projects, offering a range of tailored services to foster meaningful impact. Our work is built on cross-sector partnerships, cultural cooperation, creativity, collective intelligence, scientific outreach, and a strong dialogue among key stakeholders.
We collaborate with private and public entities, national and European institutions, research centers, universities, NGOs, and engaged citizens eager to contribute to our causes and projects.
Our actions are guided by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.
BOARD MEMBERS
Silvia CIBIEN (she/her)
President and Treasurer
Silvia Cibien has over 15 years of experience in the cultural and creative sectors, particularly in the audiovisual and film industries. She specializes in writing and managing international projects co-funded by European funding programs, as well as organizing international professional events, including workshops, conferences, panels, markets, and training sessions.
Since 2013, Silvia has worked as a strategic consultant in Europlanning, market intelligence, project management, and facilitation. She also served as a training coordinator at CICAE (International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas) for ten years and as the General Delegate of EUROVOD (Association of European Video-on-Demand Platforms) for 4 years.
In January 2023, she became the General Delegate of ACCENT SUD and, since October 2024, has served as its President. Her work focuses on supporting, disseminating, and managing scientific and innovative technological projects aimed at climate change adaptation and sustainability.
Silvia holds a Master’s degree in Performing Arts and Multimedia Production, a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts Techniques from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy, and several professional training certifications. Originally from Italy, she has been based in France since 2012.
A creative multipotentialite, she is deeply committed to animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
Agustina LUMI (she/her)
Secretary
Producer, Content & Marketing Consultant, Agustina joined ACCENT SUD in August 2024 and since October 2024 is Secretary of the Association. Film and TV producer with almost 20 years of experience in the field, she developed her career in the main Argentine production companies & broadcasters. She was part of INCAA, the National Film Body in Argentina, as Head of Exhibition & Media Content Manager for CINE.AR (TV / VoD) and the national cinema network. She specializes in audience development, public policies and global promotion for national film & audiovisual content. Currently in Madrid, she supported Filmoteca Española and ICAA in the development of a new Spanish B2B/ B2C digital platform, she is Manager for Series LAB at SANFIC Industria (Chile) and Coordinator for the Streamers Inspirational Lab at When East Meets West (Italy). She also works as a Senior Marketing & Content Consultant, helping distributors, exhibitors, public bodies and audiovisual producers to integrate new digital efficiencies for B2B & B2C audience generation.
MANIFESTO AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION POLICY
ACCENT SUD is a young non-profit organization. We want to build our daily work on a set of values, beliefs and principles. We want them to guide us in the choices and decisions we make. This is the foundation of our culture.
Our purpose
We want to make a real and meaningful impact in the following areas:
Knowledge Economy & Digital Transformation
ACCENT SUD contributes to a society that resolves problems and ensures growth through knowledge which entails highly specialized skills and competences in specific areas. It capitalizes on digital technologies that have a potential to optimize many industries and processes, making them more inclusive and more sustainable.
Culture and Art
ACCENT SUD uses culture and art as powerful tools of societal transformation. Very often, solutions to complex problems do not lie in technology only but in changing societal attitudes, beliefs and behaviours that are not always logical and rational. Art has a power to communicate without words. Its place must not be in art schools, galleries and journals, but everywhere in our society.
Climate Change and Environmental Protection
However, there is no purpose in any endeavours unless we secure the wellbeing of our common home planet Earth and that of the human beings. ACCENT SUD is dedicated to development and deployment of sustainable solutions that would allow the economy to flourish without damaging the climate and harming the environment, end the unbounded exploitation of natural resources and careless pollution.
Cross-sectoral Cooperation
ACCENT SUD seeks to change the world where science is left in journals and academic conferences, business seeks ever growing profits, governments make undeliberate policies and the art lives in a world apart. We want to unite and align all the actors, because together they have infinite potential for powerful and lasting change.
Our values
Trust
We believe to be able to consistently demonstrate actions which align with our vision and values, and this is how trust is born. It means for us freedom and encouragement to put our imagination, creativity, and passion to work. It also means responsibility and accountability.
Transparency
As a team we have no secrets and we do not hide anything under the carpet. When we disagree, have concerns and uncomfortable topics, we discuss them. This is the attitude we hold with our partners, clients and sponsors.
Equality and Inclusion
We are a small and so far, 80% female team. However, gender has not been a parameter of choice for our team members: we are open to all kinds of profiles, regardless of gender, colour, diet, religion, or anything else that makes a person feel different. We seek to never judge and stereotype anyone. The two things that matter to us are adherence to our vision and values, and good performance.
How we work
Mind & Heart
We understand that the world dominated by logic and reason alone cannot evolve in a balanced and healthy way. That is why we use the heart in everything we do: empathy, compassion and imagination. It makes our work much more meaningful and more substantial.
Pursuit of Growth and Learning
At ACCENT SUD, we want to ensure that every employee is at the right place, finds enough meaning and purpose in their work and feels both fulfilled and challenged. We seek to provide maximum opportunities for professional growth and learning.
Work-Life Balance
At ACCENT SUD, we do not support the philosophy of success defined by “hard work” that comes at the cost of sacrificing personal well-being and other commitments and priorities we have in life. We seek to work “smart”: prioritizing tasks that require limited investment of time but provide maximum impact, using the rule of 80/20. We combine it with a clear vision and regular communication. It does not mean that peaks of workload never happen to us. They do, and then we give extra effort and make sacrifices, however we see them as exceptions to the rule, and we allow ourselves to rest.
Full Remote (so far)
We made this choice both out of necessity and our own preferences. While we benefit from the freedom and convenience this way of work brings, we are conscious of its disadvantages as well, such as lack of communication, a feeling of disconnection, and blurred limits between personal and professional life. We compensate for it through regular online meetings and occasional physical meetings and setting our personal rules and boundaries.
Full Flexibility
Because we trust that each of us has self-discipline and understand that what is productive and convenient for one is not necessarily such for another, we adapt collectively to our individual needs, leaving maximum space for personal freedom.
Flat Structure
As a small organization we enjoy flat organizational structure. We give autonomy and voice to each other, with each of us participating in decision-making processes when it is needed and appropriate. Because much of our work relies on and at the same time directly or indirectly contributes to Democracy, we support it at the heart of our organization.