Join the working group on Artistic Freedom launched by TEH and RESET!

A working group is a formally defined but ephemeral group of network members that meet regularly to discuss collectively around a pre-defined topic. Each working group should have a clear purpose and agree upon communication channels. Each WG is coordinated by a person in charge of the regular monitoring of the meetings, reports, and in-person activities.

Reset! and Trans Europe Halles have been collaborating for several years, as both networks bring together and support independent cultural and media organisations. Supporting:

• artistic autonomy
• freedom of expression and
• cultural independence is therefore a pillar and advocacy priority for both networks.

For this reason, in 2026 we decide to launch a joint Working Group to explore these issues more deeply collectively. Through this collaboration, Reset! and Trans Europe Halles aim to gather their members' visions, needs, ideas, and challenges related to artistic freedom, in order to develop policy proposals to safeguard artistic freedom in Europe.

This Working Group is connected to ongoing exchanges within the Reset! network, Trans Europe Halles, their members, and partners. It also links to the policy brief on artistic freedom, coordinated by Reset! and developed as part of Culture Action Europe's Towards the Culture Compass: A Sector Blueprint. Through the Working Group, members will continue shaping these discussions together by grounding them in their own practices, experiences, and challenges related to artistic freedom, and by contributing collectively to future advocacy and policy processes.

As artistic freedom faces increasing repression across Europe-from censorship and politicised funding to the erosion of freedom of expression-it has become urgent to take collective action and advocate for the autonomy of cultural actors and artists.

The objective of this working group is to:

• discuss and share the challenges faced by Reset! and Trans Europe Halles members in relation to artistic freedom;
• map the stakeholders involved in monitoring artistic freedom across Europe;
• connect both networks with other European stakeholders active in this field;
• design monitoring instruments that can help safeguard artistic freedom within the cultural sector in Europe;
• contribute to shaping the Reset! and Trans Europe Halles advocacy strategy on artistic freedom, as part of the Culture Compass and other EU initiatives.

Any member from the Reset! network and from Trans Europe Halles interested in the topic is welcomed to join. A diverse composition of the WG members is encouraged, as different perspectives, contexts, and experiences will enrich the discussions

If you are interested in joining this Working Group, fill in this registration form.

The duration of the WG is from April 2026 to April 2028:

• Frequency of the meetings: the WG participants will meet online according to their needs and availability. One offline meeting is also planned.
• At the end of the WG, a final report summing up the discussions and conclusions elaborated during the WG meeting should be elaborated. The final deliverable format can be discussed among the WG members.
• A paid-researcher will be commissioned by the Working Group to work on some of the ideas developed by the WG.

• January-February 2026: Open call launch
• 7 April 2026 in Athens, Greece (during the Reset! General Assembly)
• 17th April 2026 in Marseille, France (during TEH Conference 101): WG Kick-off meeting.
• September 2028: Expected conclusion deliverables from the members of the WG.