Europe and the world

From feminism to the LGBTIQIA+ movement to postcolonial debates, people in Europe and around the world are demanding recognition, justice and participation. At the same time, these efforts are threatened by shrinking spaces of freedom, increasing radicalism and multiple crises.

What can living together in solidarity in inclusive, pluralistic societies look like? What role can Europe play here?

Cultural programme 2026/2027

Postcolonial Perspectives on Democracy
Le Rêve et l'Ombre

In 2026 and 2027, we will explore aesthetic and theoretical examinations of the current crisis of democracy. The focus will be on postcolonial perspectives that trace the genealogies of colonial and imperial forces embedded in the founding myths of Western European democracies. In doing so, they open up space for narrative corrections and democratic imaginations.

In cooperation with La Loge and Nele Möller
Listening Other·Wise

Listening Other·Wise is an event that forms part of the Listening Commons, a pan‑European cultural initiative by the Goethe‑Institut running from 2026 to 2027, which aims to foster meaningful dialogue across diverse social and cultural contexts through the practice of active listening.

Cultural programme 2025/2026

Humour as artistic strategy
Anaesthesia of the Heart

Can humour help us live with the world's many contradictions? What does humour as a cultural strategy tell us about the current state of the world?
From autumn 2025 to spring 2026, Goethe-Institut Brussels is inviting creative artists from the fields of art, theatre, illustration, literature, music, film, science and philosophy to investigate the paradoxes of humour.

Populism

artistic and discussion formats
Uncivil Society

Uncivil Society is a project of the Goethe Institutes in Brussels, Budapest, Milan and Oslo making use of artistic and discussion formats and working with local partners to address the Europe-wide phenomenon of right-wing violence and terror.

Mobility

Culture Moves Europe

Culture Moves Europe supports international cultural mobility between 40 Creative Europe countries. Funded by the European Union and implemented by the Goethe-Institut, it is open to artists and cultural professionals from the sectors of architecture, cultural heritage, design and fashion design, literature, music, performing arts and visual arts.

Culture and creative industries

Creative Flip

The culture and creative sectors perform various tasks for the economy and society. However, there are still structural problems which are holding these sectors back from achieving their full growth potential. The Creative FLIP project – co-funded by the European Union – is aiming to resolve this situation. Its main objective is to establish constructive and sustainable framework conditions in the fields of finance, learning, innovation and patenting for the cultural and creative sectors in Europe.

StartNet – network transition from education to employment

Youth unemployment in Europe remains a significant problem, despite slightly declining numbers, and it has severe consequences for young people, the economy and society as a whole.

Cultural relations

Halaqat

Europe and the Arab world are two rapidly changing regions, each with specific and varied local social, economic and political realities, but above all with many connections, historical and present. Building on these connections, the Goethe-Institut and Bozar present the project Halaqat. Halaqat – which in Arabic means multiple links and circles – aims to strengthen these entanglements and build bridges between both regions.

Support EU filmfestivals

Support to EU Film Festivals is a project initiated by the European Union and implemented by Cineuropa.org, Institut français and Goethe-Institut. The goal is to support the creation and enhance the quality of EU Film Festivals organized by the EU delegations worldwide outside of Europe.

Information in German!
EUNIC

EUNIC is the Network for Cultural Institutes of the Member States of the European Union. It was founded in 2006 and has more than 30 members operating in more than 150 countries.

Cultural open spaces

Freiraum

What does freedom mean in Europe today, where is it restricted or at risk? What is the value of freedom? These are the questions addressed by the large-scale project FREIRAUM.

Bullet holes on a building in the Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof cemetery in the foreground, a person and a blossoming tree in the background.

Culture of remembrance
80 Years After: War Memories Fading?

What lessons can World War II still teach us today and how can a lively culture of remembrance help prevent future wars? Author Elisabeth Luft explores these questions in conversation with political scientist Herfried Münkler.

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