Empowering Change-Makers for a Harmonious Europe

ongoing

ECHO (Empower Change-makers for a Harmonious Europe) is a two-year initiative designed to foster active citizenship and promote democratic participation through the arts. Collaboratively conceived by partners from the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, and Greece, the project's mission is to move beyond traditional political engagement methods and leverage art and culture to empower underrepresented voices in the European conversation. Central to this initiative is promoting enduring democratic dialogues beyond mere election cycles, aiming for a democracy that celebrates diverse discourse. Our key activities are: * Organize five academies across Europe (Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, Athens, and Sofia) to empower 75 young artists for enhanced civic participation. * Roll out 15 campaigns focusing on pressing EU societal topics including AI/Digitization, Biodiversity/ Climate, War/Peace, Migration, and Democracy. * Host 15 ECHO and 5 Reverb events fostering dialogues between artists, young people, policymakers, experts, and MEPs. * Expand the ECHO community through four transnational hybrid activities including 2 online seminars led by MEPs, one online event to present the campaigns, and a final symposium organized in Brussels. * Conduct impact research to assess the role of art in democratic engagement. Overall, our project will reach out to * 665 Young European artists and creatives (18-35 years) viewed as the catalysts for change and expected to mobilize a broader audience. * 100,000 young Europeans (18-35 years) with an emphasis on those not actively engaged in political discourse, such as those with less education or marginalized backgrounds. * 210 local policymakers/experts and MEPs who will be engaged in dialogues on both local and EU topics. In essence, ECHO is more than a project: it represents a movement towards a united, informed, and engaged Europe, echoing the EU priorities and values.