Image credits: Tale Hendnes, Dansens Hus Oslo

The Right To Engage With The Performing Arts In Today’s Europe & Beyond

Today’s world is a challenging and complex place. The global political landscape is shifting dramatically, technological advancements are raising questions about the role of human creativity, and societies are becoming increasingly fragmented and individualised. Economic, ecological, and geopolitical pressures add further challenges, prompting governments to rethink priorities.

What does this mean for the performing arts? Is artistic freedom thriving or shrinking? Do all people have the right to enjoy and create art? Whose cultural rights are at risk?

We want to hear from everyone working in the performing arts - whether you are an artist, producer, manager, researcher, funder, or other professional involved in dance, circus, music, performance, theatre, outdoor arts, or interdisciplinary performing arts.

By gathering your input, we aim to identify key political and social trends that impact people’s ability to engage with the performing arts freely. Your response will help us map the landscape and highlight the gaps. We will also address emerging challenges and propose policy solutions to protect this fundamental right.

Take the Survey

The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and can be filled out anonymously. The personal data you share will only be accessible to the teams of the PAC organisations for the sole purpose of this survey. You will not be publicly referenced in any way.

You may save your progress at any point and return to complete the survey later. We are collecting responses until Friday, 17 April 2025.

About PAC

This policy action is led by five performing arts networks - ASSITEJ, Circostrada, EDN, EFA, and IETM, who have joined forces as the Performing Arts Coalition to advocate for the sector’s shared needs.

Your responses will be analysed and used alongside focus groups to form the basis of a policy document by the end of 2025. The goal is to highlight key issues and gaps - as well as to propose policy solutions at both EU and national levels.

EDN takes part in the Performing Arts Coalition in the context of Embodied Transformations, our EU-funded network project. The project connects contemporary dance professionals, organisations, and communities across Europe to foster a transformative and interdependent dance ecosystem.