Call for expression of interest - Artistic production and performance as part of Europe Week 2026 programme: "Open Space"
Context
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 EU’s 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 art’s place in public life and to respond to the social and cultural challenges that often restrict creative expression. The call emphasised art’s power to question, unite, and inspire, and to open spaces for dialogue rooted in European values of democracy, inclusion, and freedom.
Rationale
Following the success of the 2025 edition, which engaged artists across the country and inspired new audiences, Europe Week 2026 continues to recognise art as a vital force within Europe’s civic landscape. Art has always been central to Europe’s identity and political evolution. It inspires ideas, shapes democratic values, and fosters empathy and dialogue across differences.
In times of shifting priorities, when economics, and policy often limit the space for creative practice, art remains an essential field of reflection, critique, and imagination. Supporting artists means supporting the freedom to think, to connect, and to envision a shared future.
In 2025, Europe Week opened “a space to create,” a collective gesture to safeguard artistic expression and to reaffirm culture’s public role. In 2026, this space remains open. It continues to welcome new artists, perspectives, and stories that enrich the common European narrative. By keeping this space open, the European Union Delegation to Albania reinforces its commitment to accessibility, inclusivity, and continuity, ensuring that art remains a living expression of Europe’s democratic spirit.
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 Albania’s 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
Cross–disciplinary 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 09—22 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.
Budget, rules and eligibility
- Maximum budget per performance should not exceed: 12.000 EUR
- The budget should encompass artist fees, logistical and materials costs, equipment rentals, and venue expenses. No equipment can be purchased under the contract.
- The financial support provided is not a grant; instead, Europe Week organizers will directly cover performances expenses and member fees as outlined in the proposed budget lines.
- Each performance team member will be engaged through a separate contract as an independent contractor issued by the Europe Week organizers. The contract will cover their fees specifically as well as their tasks as per the proposal.
- Performance team members will be responsible for managing their own national insurance, social security contributions and tax obligations, including the applicable 15% income tax.
- Any expenses involving third parties must be invoiced directly to the Europe Week organizers.
- Kindly note that prepayments cannot be accommodated.
- Proposals that are co-financed are not eligible for selection.
- Budget lines for communication, social media, advertising, and graphic design will not be accepted.
Questions
Questions may be submitted via email by 09.01.2026. All inquiries will receive a collective response by 16.01.2026.
Application documents
Please submit the following documents in pdf format:
- Application form
- Artist portfolios/CVs
All documents must be in English.
The total size of the submitted files must not exceed the specified limit of 20 MB.
Submission
Applications are to be submitted exclusively via email no later than 23.01.2026 (23:59 GMT+1).
Evaluation and selection
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Concept of the proposal: 40%
Proposals will be evaluated on clarity, originality, and alignment with the programme’s goals. A strong concept will demonstrate innovation, relevance to the theme, and feasibility within the proposed timeline and resources. The geographic distribution of the performances will also be encouraged as initiatives that engage diverse audiences.
Human resources and artistic portfolio: 40%
The artistic background, style, and body of work of the team will be assessed. The selection will focus on how well the team’s artistic vision and previous work support the proposal’s goals and feasibility.
Budget: 20%
The budget should be realistic, well-structured, and demonstrate efficient use of resources. Proposals will be evaluated on the ability to achieve objectives within the given financial limits.
Successful proposals will be selected by a panel composed of independent experts. The evaluation process might include negotiations with candidates. All applicants will be informed of the results via email, and the selected proposals will be announced on the EU Delegation’s social media channels by 09.02.2026.
Applicants may send selection appeals by email no later than 5 days after the selection results are communicated.
Contact
The following email address will be used for all communications, including submissions and inquiries.