SHARED FUTURES: Open Call

Shared Futures is a European cooperation project that brings cultural and creative professionals together with communities, environmental actors, and funders to imagine more sustainable futures for the sector. At a time when culture is expected to respond to climate change, inclusion, and wider social change – yet is often pushed into short-term, reactive work – the project creates space for collective visioning, dialogue, and scenario-building across sectors. By fostering structured collaboration between artists and stakeholders, Shared Futures turns sustainability from a policy expectation into a shared cultural practice and supports a more resilient, inclusive, and future-oriented cultural sector.

Project partners:

• Valley of Arts (HU) – parceiro líder
• Liv.in.g. (IT)
• SCIAENA (PT)

Valley of Arts is a leading Hungarian non-profit cultural organisation and the organiser of the Valley of Arts Festival, the country’s largest interdisciplinary arts festival, held annually over 10 days across the villages of Kapolcs, Taliándörögd and Vigántpetend in the Balaton Uplands. In 2026, the festival marks its 35th jubilee edition, welcoming more than 220,000 visitors and presenting over 3,000 programmes across around 40 venues. Deeply rooted in its local context while maintaining strong international connections, Valley of Arts combines artistic excellence with community engagement and European cooperation. Sustainability is a central pillar of its mission: the organisation has introduced long-term waste reduction measures, reusable and biodegradable materials, low-impact mobility solutions, local sourcing practices and environmental awareness programmes. These efforts have produced measurable results, including a rise in recyclable waste from 18% to 65% between 2018 and 2022, increased uptake of eco-friendly travel, and recognition through several sustainability awards and certifications, including the Good Travel Seal Silver Certificate.

Liv•in•g is an Italian social enterprise committed to promoting fair growth in cultural cooperation and internationalization. It serves both established and independent cultural and creative organizations, as well as public and private institutions, nationally and internationally. Liv•in•g is founded by a passionate group of professionals Cristina Carlini, Cristina Cazzola, Giuliana Ciancio, Carlotta Garlanda, Giulio Stumpo with the valuable  collaboration of Eleonora De Caroli. Since 2018 it offers creative and strategic planning through international networking and matching, tailor-made training, mentoring, consultancy and research to manage cultural projects of different scales, using “learning by doing” methodologies. Known for its active international engagement, Liv•in•g is a member of several prestigious networks, including Culture Action Europe, IETM International network for contemporary performing arts and On the Move.

Sciaena is a Portuguese environmental NGO focused on ocean conservation and sustainable fisheries. Known for organizing Scianema, an annual environmental film festival, Sciaena actively promotes environmental awareness and education through cultural engagement, reaching diverse audiences including schools and universities. With extensive experience in EU-wide initiatives such as the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and as an active partner in Creative Europe’s large-scale project The Big Green, Sciaena combines environmental expertise with strong interests in art and culture as strategic tools for sustainability. In this consortium, Sciaena brings critical environmental perspectives, serving as a pilot model for successful collaborations between environmental NGOs and the CCS. Their role ensures effective integration of environmental expertise into project methodologies, significantly enhancing the project’s impact and replicability among other NGOs across Europe.

As part of the project, we’re looking for Social Dreamers, who will take on a key creative role of helping guide conversations that connect culture, sustainability, and social imagination.

Interested in the project? Read the full open call here:

Shared Futures project is co-funded by Creative Europe programme of the European Union.