IETM - International network for contemporary performing arts

🎯 In 2025, IETM and Liveurope led a campaign to double the budget of Creative Europe. Now, the proposed 30% cut to AgoraEU is threatening the future of culture, independent media, civil society and democracy itself 🗣️ This morning, we took our message to the streets and joined Culture Action Europe and other arts, media, cultural and civil society organisations at the Schuman Square in Brussels. IETM Secretary General Ása Richardsdóttir spoke on behalf of the performing arts in Europe, asking: 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔, 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒘? ‼️ Culture already receives only a tiny fraction of the EU budget. The proposed cut would reduce AgoraEU from €8.58 billion to €6 billion - this would mean fewer opportunities for artists, less support for press freedom and fewer resources for organisations defending democratic values across Europe For the IETM network, this funding is vital as it enables artists and cultural organisations to collaborate internationally, develop their practice and reach new audiences 📣 Earlier this week, we shared a campaign kit with our EU-based members, asking them to contact their national Minister responsible for European Affairs and urge them to defend AgoraEU and reject any reduction to its budget 𝐖𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐄𝐔, 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲!

⏳ The Deadline to apply to the IETM Advocacy school is next week! 🗣️ Do you already work on advocacy through your everyday work? Have you ever thought about how you could make your efforts more focused and strategic? Apply today to the IETM Advocacy School: across five sessions in November into December - and for only 12 hours of your time - you’ll gain the tools to make your advocacy more effective and create a concrete roadmap for action 📅 Apply by 4 November 23:59 CET here: https://lnkd.in/eAuerRSB *The IETM Advocacy School is reserved for IETM members only

The EU is now negotiating what it will fund between 2028 and 2034 and national governments have just proposed to cut the budget of AgoraEU by 30% 🚨 This would mean a third fewer books, films and performances, fewer independent investigations, and less support for organisations that defend our rights 🗣Join Culture Action Europe and several artists, cultural workers and organisations this Thursday 29 October in Schuman Square, Brussels to call for the funding our cultural and democratic life needs! Find more information here: https://lnkd.in/dz4U3cm2

💡 New IETM Publication on #CommunityBuilding! 🫂 Over the past few years, community-building has surfaced with striking persistence across conversations within the IETM network: How are we situated within our local realities? And how can performing arts organisations move beyond simply reaching people towards developing relationships that are sustained, reciprocal and meaningful? In this publication, ‘Community Building in the Performing Arts - Stories, reflections and lessons from practice’, authors Matina Magkou and Herman Bashiron Mendolicchio seek to understand what happens when artists and organisations develop sustained relationships with the people and realities around them 🧱While the outlined case studies work across different geographical, political and social contexts, they offer a offer a vocabulary for thinking about what makes relational artistic practice possible 📖 🎧 Download, read and listen to the publication here https://lnkd.in/ey9NhRv5

🚨 Due to the security update that affected many websites globally on Wednesday 21 October, we were unable to receive some submissions yesterday for the call for session proposals for the IETM Larnaka Plenary Meeting 2027 The issue has now been resolved, and we have decided to extend the deadline until Monday, 26 October at 16:00 CET Submit your proposal here: https://lnkd.in/ej2aEaFF ❗This opportunity is reserved for IETM members only❗ – The IETM Larnaka Plenary Meeting 2027 is co-organised by IETM and Larnaka 2030

#SECTORNEWS 💬 The new 'State of Culture' report, written by Elena Polivtseva, will be presented at Culture Action Europe’s online launch this Wednesday, 21 October at 11.00 - 12.00 CEST Two years ago, the first State of Culture report asked whether culture could be heard at all. This year’s edition of the State of Culture asks the harder question: now that culture has been heard, what is it actually allowed to do? 🔗 Find out more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eAq5Szxf

On 20 and on 21 October 2026, IETM Secretary General Ása Richardsdóttir will take part and speak at the conference ‘Shaping Ecological Futures: Arts, Institutions and Cultural Policy’, co-organised by IETM Associate Member DGARTES and CEIS20, and hosted by the Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal ♻️ The conference is set to situate the current ecological crisis within broader historical, political and cultural frameworks and how imagination and artistic practice can function as tools for resilience and survival 🔎 Find out more about the conference here: https://lnkd.in/e-7NnQc2

📣 Applications are now open for the first edition of the IETM Advocacy School! Over five online sessions, IETM members will work with advocacy experts from within and beyond the performing arts who will equip them with tools to build their strategy, sharpen their message and create a roadmap for action! 📅 23 November, 13.00–15.00 CET Why advocacy, and what do you want to change? With Alberto Alemanno 📅 24 November, 13.00–15.00 CET Building confidence and getting your message across With Katherine Heid 📅 30 November, 13.00–17.00 CET Communicating ideas others may not understand or share: storytelling for advocacy With Charlelie Jourdan 📅 1 December, 13.00–15.00 CET Power, relationships and alliances: who do you need to reach? With Rosa Meriläinen and Julie Ward 📅 3 December, 13.00–15.00 CET From strategy to action: where do you begin? 👉 Ready to join us? Apply now: https://lnkd.in/eAuerRSB ⏳Deadline to apply: 4 November at 23:59 CET *The IETM Advocacy School is reserved for IETM members only

📢 The deadline to apply to Global Connect is TOMORROW! 👀 Will you be one of our next Global Connectors? 📩 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/e5gfyRSe

#MEMBERSNEWS Check out these upcoming opportunities from IETM Members: 🔹Viirus GUEST 2027 – 2029 Open Call - Theater Viirus (Finland) - https://lnkd.in/e_TjejG9 ⏳DEADLINE: 15 October 🔹 Ireland takes first step towards a Performing Arts Tax Credit - Performing Arts Forum (Ireland) - https://lnkd.in/eXWhf8zR 🔹 Equal Arts: Micro-Learning Curriculum, Units 1–3 (available in English, Spanish and Italian) - InDance International (Spain) - https://lnkd.in/etVFVhUU ⏩ Find all news by IETM members here: https://lnkd.in/eAbc6kJU