We are Europe launches new website and media platform

The cooperative of festivals behind We are Europe are embarking on the next phase of their project, with the launch of a new website and media platform. Aimed at reporting throughout the year on the cultural transformations shaping the Europe of tomorrow, it will feature stories from all over the continent, as told by the very people driving these changes.

The last few years have seen significant change in the cultural and creative industries. This has been caused not only by technological progress and the outbreak of COVID-19, but also by the powerful impact of social movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter.

As cultural actors, we must address and respond to these changes. We have a duty to reflect on our activities, practices, events and, most importantly, to amplify the voices of those who are fighting for fairer societies. While our democratic regimes are increasingly challenged, it is up to us to create accessible spaces for citizens to connect, work together and collectively reinvent the European project.

We are Europe was created out of a will to formulate and advance a new vision of Europe, powered by its activists, change makers, artists and citizens. In just over five years, the events we have organised around the continent and further afield have enabled hundreds of people to meet, share ideas and collectively rethink our present and future. Although such a context is full of challenges, a European digital media platform such as ours can create a new online space in which to pursue these activities all year round.

What to expect from this new project?

— Multiple storytelling formats. We enjoy reading features, but we also love watching videos and listening to podcasts. We want to experiment with multimedia narratives, ensuring that every story is told in the best way possible.

— Opportunities to engage with a wider community. Communities have always played an essential role in our activities. Finding ways to develop community engagement, both physically and online, remains one of our top priorities.

— A variety of topics, ranging from club culture to the challenges facing democracy. Our content is structured around seven collections, based on topics that we believe are key to changing our societies: Beyond the City, Arts, Agora Europe, Nightivism, Cyber Space, Planet: Reconnect and Culture: Reset!.

Read and watch our first stories

🎥TEASER: The Movement behind the Club — an exclusive conversation between Zviad Gelbakhiani, founder of the Tbilisi-based Club Bassiani, and French DJ Laurent Garnier. Full interview out on 23 February 2021.

🎥 The Dancefloor as a Political Ring — in an age of empty dancefloors, closed clubs and bullied parties, how can we think of a dancefloor policy that would restore the night to its role of democratic effervescence?

🎶📝Club to Cloud #1 — Opium (Vilnus)  — dive into the first episode of our series on European nightclubs. This week, we meet with Vidmantas Čepkauskas, artistic director of the iconic Vilnius-based Opium club.

We’re always on the lookout for stories that may have slipped under our radar. We aim to collaborate with writers, creators and contributors from all over the continent and beyond. 

👉 Visit our website to find out what topics we’re interested in at the moment

👉Email your pitches and suggestions to hello@weare-europe.eu

We are Europe is a Creative Europe cooperation project powered by c/o pop Festival & Convention, Elevate, Insomnia, Nuits sonores & European Lab, Reworks Festival & Reworks Agora, Sónar & Sónar+D, TodaysArt and Unsound.