On 26 and 27 June 2026 the conference ‘Bridging the Gaps. Connecting the Dots’ will present Deconfining Cross-continental Collaborations between Africa and Europe in Chemnitz (Germany) at the festival THEATER DER WELT.
DECONFINING – breaking down boundaries, opening up spaces, challenging privileges. For four years, this guiding principle shaped the artistic exchange between 12 European organisations and their African partners – spanning Burkina Faso and Lithuania, Croatia and Tunisia, Poland and Zambia, Germany and Tanzania, Austria and Togo, Slovenia and Senegal, Norway and Mali, Spain and Uganda, Belgium and Morocco.
The collaboration within the framework of the Deconfining Arts, Culture and Policies in Europe and Africa project has given rise to a dense network with diverse cross-connections amongst its members and with other cultural organisations and artists on both continents. Their shared goal is to overcome paternalistic and colonial perspectives, strengthen participatory approaches, and create better access to information for intercontinental mobility and transnational cooperation.
After four years, the project reaches its final milestone at the festival THEATER DER WELT in Chemnitz (Germany), with the conference ‘Bridging the Gaps. Connecting the Dots’. The conference takes stock, reflecting on challenges and achievements while simultaneously identifying next steps and prospects for the future. The conference will have:
- workshops and discussions on cultural policy, mobility, and equitable exchange
- research findings, policy recommendations, and artistic works developed throughout the project
- space for dialogue on future forms of collaboration and partnership
On the Move Secretary General Marie Le Sourd will be presenting on Schengen Visa Code and cultural mobility on 26 June, as well as moderating a discussion with Ukhona Ntsali Mlandu on the topic of the cultural mobility ethic from an African perspective.
