Future Laboratory:
Co-create, Empower and Participate

Eight European performing arts organisations are joining together in a renewed partnership to work on an innovative international collaboration that focuses on social inclusion, community engagement, dialogue and exchange. Together they set out to explore new artistic participation formats that can support the process of building sustainable relationships between communities and artists.
In the current European and global climate, which sees a disturbing rise in political interference in cultural policies, questionable changes in legislation and worrying budget cuts, the communities that the partner venues involved care about face an increasing risk of marginalisation.
To help resist this trend and provide positive perspectives, the Future Laboratory partners champion the principles of Co-creation, Empowerment and Participation, and invite artists and communities to join them.

An open call will enable the selection of 7 emerging artists from diverse backgrounds. During 3 residencies in 2 countries, the artists will work alongside each partner venue and with members from the communities towards co-creating new and innovative participation projects. These projects, methodologies and valuable experiences will be presented at partner venues during an International Roadshow. The publication of a Laboratory Handbook will share lessons and best practice.
The participants will benefit from extensive support. The partner venues and an extensive Knowledge Library, made up of specifically chosen experts, will support the various areas of the project and facilitate the artistic development and capacity building of the participants. A dedicated framework of care ensuring wellbeing and mental health will also be established.
Participants will celebrate coming together and increasingly remove access barriers, working towards cultural venues remaining places of exchange where democratic principles and freedom of artistic expression are guaranteed.

This project was submitted in the call for European Cooperation projects (Category 2: Medium scale projects) from the 2021-2027 Creative Europe Programme.
The answer from the European Education and Culture Executive Agency will be given in November 2025.