This publication grows out of the Cultural Mobility Webinar organised by On the Move in collaboration with HowlRound, which brought together practitioners, policymakers and advocates to explore how municipalities are developing travel grants, bilateral and multilateral exchange programmes, artist residencies and other initiatives that support the international mobility of artists and cultural professionals. The report takes stock of successful initiatives implemented through flagship frameworks such as the European Capitals of Culture programme.
The conversations that emerged confirmed what many in the field already sense – that city-led schemes are creating genuine opportunities to expand careers, build relationships across different regions of the world, and strengthen both artistic practice and long-term professional sustainability – yet they remain insufficiently recognised and under-promoted relative to the ambition and impact they represent.
This report is addressed to all cultural stakeholders with a view to providing concrete and actionable recommendations. These recommendations are grounded in the sources and practices analysed throughout and reinforce observations and proposals emerging from relevant policy documents addressing the needs and challenges of artists and cultural professionals across a wide range of contexts. They point towards policy changes, funding initiatives and collaborative frameworks that can enhance international opportunities for all cultural practitioners, with particular attention to those who face the greatest structural barriers to mobility.
