*Please be aware that the programme is currently under development and will be subject to change in the near future.
Day 1 – Makers & Practice
8 May | Pakhuis de Zwijger | Amsterdam
Design sprint | 12:00–18:00
Drinks&bites | 18:00-19:00
The first day focuses on the experiences and realities of cultural workers and makers. After the joint Europe Day opening programme, participants begin the Fair Practice Design Sprint. We warmly welcom everyone within the European cultural ecosystem – from artists and institutions to policymakers, funders, networks and researchers.
During Sprint 1: Value Mapping, participants identify the values that should underpin fair cultural work. Individually and in groups, they reflect on which principles are non-negotiable in their practice, what national examples there are and which of these values require a European framework to be effectively safeguarded.
In Sprint 2: Dilemmas, groups examine real-world tensions in cultural labour. Cases where freedom and flexibility can lead to unfair remuneration and security can lead to restrictions on freedom within the sector. Input from participants will be analysed during this sprint to reveal where values, interests and structural circumstances clash.
The day concludes with Sprint 3: Practice Interventions, where participants design concrete tools or mechanisms that could be implemented in practice immediately. This may involve transparency agreements, minimum conditions for cooperation, contractual clauses or discussion tools aimed at strengthening fairness/fair practice in (cross-border) cooperation.
The day ends with a brief presentation of the proposed interventions. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for informal networking during drinks.
Day 2 – Advocacy & Systems
9 May | DOMO | Amsterdam
CAE member-only session | 10:00-12:00
Design sprint | 12:00–15:30
Drinks | 15:30-16:30
The second day shifts the focus from practice to systems and policy. Insights and interventions developed on the first day serve as the starting point for exploring how fairness can be strengthened at the structural level across Europe.
Following a recap of day one, participants continue the design sprint in newly mixed groups.
In Sprint 4: Ecosystem & Power Mapping, participants analyse the structures of influence within the European cultural ecosystem. Through a visual mapping exercise, they identify where decision-making power lies – from EU institutions and national governments to funding bodies, cultural organisations and networks – and where leverage or blockages for fair practice exist.
The final phase, Sprint 5: Policy Prototyping, translates practical experiences into concrete policy proposals for the European level. Each group develops a short proposal outlining the problem, possible European instruments (such as the Culture Compass, etc.), key actors, and a first realistic step within the next six months. The aim is to transform lived experience into actionable policy input for the cultural sector and European institutions.
At the end of the sprint, participants present their proposals and collectively prioritise the most urgent ideas. These outcomes will feed into a BEYOND reference publication, contributing to ongoing discussions on fair practice and cultural labour in Europe.
Lunch on the second day is included in the programme, and the event concludes with an informal networking drink (own expense).
Further details, such as the exact schedule for the day and the speakers, will be announced shortly.