Artistic freedom and cultural autonomy are under intense pressure in Europe today. Political manipulation, economic insecurity, armed conflicts, the ecological crisis, and the shrinking of civic space are profoundly transforming the working conditions of artists and cultural professionals across the continent.

Given this context, ten member institutions of the European Alliance of Academies have joined forces in Re:Create Europe. The art of resilience and resistance: empowering artists and cultural professionals in the face of new challenges in Europe, a transnational project co-financed by the program Creative Europe of the European Union which will take place between 2026 and 2029. Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid It is the Spanish institution that is part of this consortium.

Re:Create Europe stems from a fundamental conviction: in the current context, resilience cannot be understood solely as the capacity for adaptation, but rather as a cultural, ethical, and civic responsibility. Through mobility programs, in-person residencies, hybrid workshops, international conferences, and a public digital map of threats to artistic freedom in Europe, the project supports professionals from diverse disciplines and regions, strengthens transnational solidarity, and fosters dialogue among institutions, cultural agents, and policymakers.

The project's work is structured around a different thematic axis each year: the transformation of cultural policies in 2026, recovery after war and aggression in 2027, economic threats in 2028, and climate change and the environment in 2029.

The project will be launched with an online kickoff meeting on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, from 14:00 PM to 16:00 PMAt this meeting, partner institutions will present their perspectives and define the roadmap for the next four years, with a special focus on the role of artistic and cultural practices in strengthening resilience, institutional autonomy, and civic engagement. If you would like to participate, You can register at this link.

The consortium of partner entities consists of:

Akademie der Künste (Germany),
Arts Council Malta (Malta),
Croatian Association of Fine Artists (Croatia),
Academy of Fine Arts and Design Bratislava (Slovakia),
Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid (Spain),
National Academy of Arts Sofia (Bulgaria),
National Academy of Arts of Ukraine (Ukraine),
Romanian Association of Contemporary Art (Romania),
Society of Hungarian Authors (Hungary),
Villa Decius Kraków (Poland)

The initiative is part of the trajectory of the European Alliance of AcademiesFounded in 2020, the Alliance currently comprises 72 European art academies and cultural institutions. Since its inception, the Alliance has actively championed artistic freedom through public actions, statements of solidarity, artistic cooperation, and advocacy in cultural policies. Re:Create Europe transforms this commitment into a structured, practical, and far-reaching collaboration.