Flanders x Southeastern Europe exchange programme
Flanders Arts Institute engages in international exchange and connection programmes to cultivate long-term, sustainable and meaningful relationships, as well as reciprocal international collaborations. In the past we’ve organised programmes like (Re)connect with the UK with focus on sustainability, handicap and cross-sectoral work. This time we concentrate on the Southeastern European region with a focus on arts and democracy.
Programme
The main goal is to learn from the realities of working in a similar, but different socio-political context, with special attention to political and societal unrest. From June 2026 to September 2027, we will support artists and arts professionals who wish to immerse themselves in the Southeastern European arts sector.
Together we aim to deepen our understanding of its actors and its practices, build bridges of exchange and solidarity, and share the gained experiences with our own arts sectors.
Why Southeastern Europe?
There are two key reasons why we want to initiate an increased exchange between our regions.
1. Interconnected Realities
While distinct, our regions share many similarities. We have a shared cultural history that reaches far back, but also share a reality of growing social divides and hardening political climates. The political and societal instabilities that have been often present in Southeastern Europe are not unfamiliar to Western Europe and have become more visible in recent years.
In times of crisis, we need art more than ever. But when its role is challenged or restricted, it takes resilience and imagination to keep it alive. In these pressured circumstances, we need one another – to learn from each other and to stand together in support. At the same time we have a shared artistic history and see a broadness of mutual artistic interests and practices, which makes for fertile common ground where these practices can grow.
2. Proximity
The shared European context allows for more impactful and sustained connections. The similarity in context, means that there’s several ways in which we can impactfully connect and foster meaningful exchange. There are funding opportunities for collaborations, and we can make extra efforts to cultivate long-term, sustainable, meaningful relationships, and reciprocal international engagements.
Online matchmaking session
As a start for this exchange we’re organising an online networking session between arts organisations and artists from these regions. Together with our colleagues at KOOPERATIVA we’re opening up an online meeting for a round of introductions to artists and organisations from both sides. This session is open to artists and artworkers in Visual Arts, Performing arts and Music.
With this session we hope to facilitate connections between artists and organisations from both regions and create a basis for our next actions. We also hope to find out where the shared interests lie, so we can shape the exchange programme accordingly.
When and where
21 May at 10am via Zoom. The link will be sent to you after you register.
Register now
Register now via the button at the top right.
More information
This event is a collaboration between Flanders Arts Institute and KOOPERATIVA.
For more information or questions, please contact our colleague Ward.
Image: Ward Bosmans
