Rethinking Cultural Mobility for a Europe of Cultural Rights

The final conference of the Art Explora Festival

Wednesday 18 November 2026 · 15:00 – 20:00

Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Brussels

The event will be held in English.

For three years, the Art Explora Festival has sailed the Mediterranean. 20,000 km travelled, 15 port cities from Cyprus to Portugal via Albania, Malta and Tunisia, 960 artists programmed and more than 420,000 visitors welcomed aboard our museum-boat, with the support of the Creative Europe Programme.

As this first chapter comes to a close, we invite cultural professionals, artists and policymakers for an afternoon of debate, inspiring keynotes and live music. Together, we will reflect on the question at the heart of the festival’s journey: how can we combine the transnational circulation of works and artists with the active participation of local communities in Europe?

Programme

15:00 Welcome and registration  

15:30 Introduction — Bruno Julliard, General Director, Art Explora

15h40 Opening keynote — Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport
“An EU that upholds and strengthens European values and cultural rights: a closer look at one of the key directions of the Culture Compass for Europe"

15:50 Three years navigating the cultures of the Mediterranean  

16:00 Panel discussion — Rethinking Cultural Mobility for a Europe of Cultural Rights
Moderated by Emilie Boucheteil, Director of Audience and Engagement, Art Explora

• Judith Videcoq, Head of the Creative Europe Unit, DG EAC, European Commission

• Natalie Giorgadze, General Director, Culture Action Europe

• Margherita Petti, Coordinator, Perform Europe

• Daniel Azzopardi, Director of Strategy, Arts Council Malta, former Artistic Director of Spazju Kreattiv

With a video contribution from Jacob Moe, artist and founder of the Archipelago Network

17:20 Concluding remarks — Gilles Pelayo, Head of Unit Creative Europe – Culture, EACEA (European Education and Culture Executive Agency)

17:40 What’s next? Art Explora Festival, Season 2

17:50 Inspiring closing: Cultural Rights in 2050 — Rebecca Armstrong, cultural projects facilitator, founder of the #2050 podcast and poet

18:00 Concert — Battista Acquaviva

18:30 – 20:00 Cocktail and networking

Practical information

Les Ateliers des Tanneurs, Rue des Tanneurs 60A, 1000 Brussels
Wednesday 18 November 2026, 15:00 – 20:00
The event will be held in English
Free admission, limited capacity, registration required