Inspiration Day Explores New Perspectives on Artistic Collaboration with the Global South

On 27 April 2026, colleagues from across the arts and higher education sectors gathered in Ghent for the first Inspiration Day for Schools of Arts on collaboration with partners in the Global South. Jointly organised by the conservatoires of AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts, HOGENT and Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the event created an open and reflective space for artistic educators, researchers, international officers and cultural practitioners to engage with one of the most urgent and complex questions facing international collaboration today.

Rather than presenting polished success stories, the organisers intentionally designed the day around practice-based learning, openness and critical reflection. Through a rich programme of case studies, discussions and co-creation sessions, participants explored how Schools of Arts can engage meaningfully and responsibly with partners across unequal global contexts. Central themes included reciprocity, ethics, funding structures, artistic agency, institutional responsibility and the tensions between creative processes and administrative frameworks.

Among the contributors was AEC Executive Director Finn Schumacker, who presented the Horizon Europe project d@rts (dialoguing@rts) of which AEC is a project partner. His presentation, Cultural Literacy Through Artistic Dialogue, explored how performing arts can foster cultural literacy through embodied, dialogical and practice-based collaboration. The presentation highlighted how the project addresses questions of resource asymmetries, institutional constraints and the role of artistic dialogue in building more equitable forms of international collaboration.

AEC warmly thanks the organisers and especially Charlotte Saelemakers for the opportunity to participate and learn from a rich programme that succeeded in bringing together diverse perspectives while fostering an atmosphere of genuine dialogue.

 IN.TUNE Summit

The 2026 IN.TUNE Summit, hosted by University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna from 11–13 May, brought together nearly 250 participants from across Europe’s leading arts universities and partner organisations for several days of intensive exchange, strategic reflection and artistic collaboration. Representatives of all alliance partners, alongside students, working groups, governing bodies and associated partners, gathered in Vienna to reflect on the future of higher arts education in Europe and to shape the next phase of the alliance’s development.

Almost two and a half years after the launch of IN.TUNE, the Summit clearly demonstrated how the alliance is evolving from an ambitious vision and planning process into a mature and active European cooperation structure with visible impact across institutions. What began as discussions around common objectives, governance models and work packages is increasingly materialising in concrete activities, new educational formats, collaborative projects, mobility initiatives, research cooperation and shared approaches to artistic and institutional development.

As several speakers underlined during the Summit, IN.TUNE carries a special responsibility as the only European University Alliance dedicated specifically to arts universities. Artistic education engages people not only intellectually, but also socially and emotionally, thereby helping to create shared spaces across cultural, linguistic and political divides. In this sense, the alliance contributes not only to institutional cooperation, but also to the development of a real European space for learning, artistic exchange and democratic coexistence.

AEC participated in the Summit as an associated partner of the alliance, represented by AEC Executive Director Finn Schumacker. AEC warmly thanks the IN.TUNE Alliance and the colleagues at mdw Vienna for the opportunity to participate in and contribute to important discussions. For AEC, IN.TUNE’s position as the only European University Alliance within higher music education makes the alliance an essential representative of the arts sector when advocating for culture and higher arts education at European level.

Photo credits: Stephan Polzer

AEC at EUphoria 2026

AEC was represented at EUphoria 2026, Liveurope and Ancienne Belgique’s annual musical celebration of Europe, held in Brussels on 6 May. The event brought together artists, policymakers and representatives from across the music sector for an evening that combined live performance with timely discussions on the future of Europe’s music ecosystem.

The programme opened with a conversation between European Commissioner Glenn Micallef and Cypriot artist Della, winner of the Music Moves Europe Awards. Their exchange addressed the role of music in Europe’s democratic future, the realities facing emerging artists, and the importance of mobility and visibility for artists working across borders. Commissioner Micallef underlined music’s unique power as a form of communication and highlighted European initiatives such as Liveurope and the Music Moves Europe Awards as important platforms for bringing artists to the forefront of Europe’s cultural landscape.

A central part of the evening was the panel discussion “Europe, turn up the volume!”, featuring MEP Emma Rafowicz, rapporteur of the AgoraEU file in the European Parliament’s CULT Committee, alongside music sector experts. The discussion focused on what the EU can do to support a strong, diverse and resilient music ecosystem in the context of the next MFF and the proposed AgoraEU programme. Particular emphasis was placed on the need for a dedicated sectoral approach for music, supported by a clearly defined budget.

The evening concluded with performances by emerging European artists, including ROZA from Belgium, Della from Cyprus and SexyTadhg from Ireland, showcasing the diversity, creativity and connecting power of Europe’s music scene. For AEC, the event provided a valuable opportunity to follow the ongoing European policy debate on music, mobility and AgoraEU, while reaffirming the importance of strong EU support for the full music ecosystem – from education and artistic development to performance, circulation and professional careers.

AEC at ANMA & NORDPLUSMUSIC FORUM 2026

AEC Executive Director Finn Schumacker attended the Assembly of Nordic Music Academies (ANMA) meeting in Stavanger, hosted by the Faculty of Performing Arts at the University of Stavanger. The meeting brought together representatives from Nordic and Baltic higher music education institutions for two days of exchange under the theme Learning Culture in Music Education and Innovative Practices.

ANMA is a cooperation platform for the managements of more than 30 NordplusMusic member institutions and associate members. During the meeting, participants also engaged with the recently adopted Nordic Values Framework, which highlights relational, educational and societal values, including trust, equality, artistic excellence, mobility, democracy, inclusion, artistic freedom and sustainability.

The programme included keynote reflections on learning culture in higher music education, institutional presentations on innovative practices, discussions on Nordic futures and activities, and sessions dedicated to the music studies situation across Nordic and Baltic countries.

Finn Schumacker contributed with a presentation on European educational and cultural policies, including an update on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034 and its relevance for higher music education, culture, mobility and artistic development. His presentation also opened a discussion on possible areas of collaboration between AEC and Nordic institutions in relation to European advocacy and policy developments.

AEC warmly thanks ANMA and the University of Stavanger for the invitation and for the opportunity to exchange with Nordic and Baltic colleagues on shared priorities for the future of higher music education in Europe.