UkrAinian cultural eXchange with European Union

forthcoming

UAxEU is an urgent initiative that strengthens the resilience of Ukraine’s cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) by fostering an interconnected Ukraine-EU community of solidarity, exchange, co-creation and care. Building on the strength of ELIA’s unique UAx community (2022-2025), UAxEU shifts post-war recovery from unilateral support to a dynamic ecosystem where knowledge, skills, and resources enable capacity-building and inter-collegial networking. UAxEU confronts the most pressing challenges facing Ukraine’s CCSI: extensive ‘brain drain’ and skills shortages, with 37% of cultural professionals and artists leaving the sector; dramatic destruction of cultural heritage; and the threat to the well-being of an entire nation. UAxEU unites six cultural powerhouse networks and arts universities across Ukraine and the EU, forming the largest cross-sectoral CCSI partnership of its kind. Led by ELIA, the project leverages the collective resources and networks of three Ukrainian partners – Lviv National Academy of the Arts, Coalition of Culture Actors, Ukrainian Museum Association—supported by an associated partner, State Agency of Ukraine for Arts and Art Education—and two EU partners, HKU University of the Arts Utrecht and Culture Action Europe. UAxEU will significantly impact the CCSI skills landscape, arts education, culture heritage, and social cohesion in Ukraine. It will provide training and professional development for 450+ artists and cultural professionals, mentorship for 90 emerging artists, and internships for 30 cultural workers and educators, aligning with the European Skills Agenda and preparations for EU integration. Key peer-learning events in Ukraine and the EU will feature networking sessions, panel discussions, focus groups, and learning opportunities. By placing arts and culture education at the heart of post-war recovery, UAxEU upholds both artistic and democratic values supporting people and institutions in Ukraine to rebuild from within.