Expression of Interest For Artistic Production And Performance As Part Of Europe Week 2026 Programme: Open Space

Expression of Interest for Artistic Production and Performance as Part of Europe Week 2026 Programme: "Open Space Every year, the European Union Delegation to Albania celebrates Europe Week to mark Europe Day and the 1950 Schuman Declaration, the first step toward European unity. Through a diverse programme of cultural, educational, and civic events, Europe Week promotes the EUs core values, engages citizens, and highlights shared achievements. These activities strengthen dialogue, diversity, and inclusion, while fostering participation, particularly among young people, and deepening the connection between Albanian citizens and the European project. In 2025, the Europe Week programme introduced a new artistic component, inviting Albanian artists and cultural actors to contribute original productions across theatre, music, visual arts, dance, and cross-disciplinary performance. A total of 11 artists and collectives were selected to create works presented across 33 cultural events throughout Albania. The open call attracted 214 applications, reflecting an exceptional level of interest and demonstrating the need for continued opportunities for artistic expression within the Europe Week framework. Under the theme A space to create, artists were invited to reclaim arts place in public life and to respond to the social and cultural challenges that often restrict creative expression. The call emphasised arts power to question, unite, and inspire, and to open spaces for dialogue rooted in European values of democracy, inclusion, and freedom. The Scope The call invites artists from across Albania to take part in a collective act of openness: open to change, open to imagination, open to diversity, open to new ideas, open to equality, open to the future, open to Europe. An open space is never static. It evolves with those who enter it, and with the stories, sounds, and movements they bring. Through this openness, Europe Week 2026 aims to sustain a living and thriving dialogue between art and society, encouraging participation, experimentation, and exchange across disciplines and communities. Through a series of artistic performances encompassing theatre, music, visual arts, dance, and cross-disciplinary practices, the programme seeks to foster art production, performance, and community engagement across Albania. These performances should reflect the openness that defines European identity: an openness to difference, to dialogue, and to creative freedom. The European Union Delegation to Albania invites artists and cultural actors to contribute new works that embody this spirit of openness, highlighting how Albanias creativity continues to expand and enrich the shared European space. Supported performances This call aims to support up to eight artistic performances, culminating in the organisation of the following events: Theatre performances Theatre performances should be scheduled to be performed in up to three dates, possibly also outside Tirana. Live music performances Classical, contemporary or alternative or a mix of them. Music performances should be scheduled to be performed in up to three dates, possibly also outside Tirana. Visual or conceptual art exhibitions Exhibitions should be scheduled to stay open at least for the whole duration of Europe Week. Contemporary dance performances Contemporary dance performances should be scheduled to be performed in up to three dates, possibly also outside Tirana. Cross-disciplinary art exhibitions or performances Crossdisciplinary performances should be scheduled to be performed in up to three dates, possibly also outside Tirana, or scheduled to be exhibited at least for the whole duration of Europe Week. Collaborative performances involving artists from different disciplines or between emerging/established artists are encouraged. Implementation Selected performances are required to start implementation from 09.02.2026 and must be performed during Europe Week, scheduled between 0922 May 2026. Event dates By participating in the Europe Week programme, applicants acknowledge and agree that the final event dates will be determined by the Europe Week organisers based on programming requirements. Event sites and venues The geographic distribution of performances and activities is strongly encouraged. Performances, including theatre productions, contemporary dance performances, and musical concerts, are recommended to take place in state-owned theatres or auditoriums. Art exhibitions may be hosted in non-profit cultural art spaces. Joint visibility, promotion and communication between venues, artists and Europe Week is highly encouraged. Where performance content requires, outdoor venues such as cultural heritage sites may also be considered, provided that environmental factors, such as weather, noise, and lighting, do not compromise the quality of the event. Applicants must propose suitable performance venues as part of their application. However, final venue confirmation is subject to the approval of the Europe Week organisers during the implementation phase. The organisers of Europe Week are committed to providing support to artists in securing their proposed venues when necessary. Event branding and communication Each event will be branded in alignment with the Europe Week visual identity, as developed by the Europe Week creative team. Artists may be requested to provide inputs such as photographs, sketches, drawings, or other artworks to support this process. Social media communication regarding the events must be coordinated exclusively with the Europe Week social media team to ensure consistency and adherence to branding guidelines. Tender Link : https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/tenders_en