Europe Day

Culture & Creativity as critical infrastructure.

Culture is not a luxury. It is what holds Europe together. Across a geopolitically challenged continent, artists, creative businesses and cultural organisations, and communities contribute to make European life meaningful; by building belonging, by sustaining identity and democratic culture. Democracy is more than institutions and infrastructure. Democracy entails solidarity, willingness to care, democracy is a culture. And people shape culture. This event brings together creatives, innovators, entrepreneurs, cultural organisations, and policymakers to highlight what European collaborations make possible and collectively imagine what must come next. Join us, as only together can we imagine how to strengthen European resilience!

Timeline 12:30 - 13:00 | Walk-in 13:00 - 13:15 | Joint Opening - Grote Zaal

Joint opening by EIT Culture & Creativity, European Cultural Foundation, DutchCulture | Creative Europe Desk NL, and Kunsten ’92.

13:15 - 14:00 | Who Cares? - Grote Zaal

War, democratic decline, climate change, and increasing inequality: Europe and the wider world are facing a growing list of crises. Yet many people who are not directly affected remain disengaged. How can the cultural and creative sectors not only raise awareness, but also inspire action?

14:15 - 15:00 | Traceability and the Future of European Fashion - Grote Zaal

How can digitisation open up access, strengthen transparency, and prepare Europe’s fashion ecosystem for what is coming? This session begins with a keynote by Borre Akkersdijk, whose work advances radical transparency in textile production, and brings together perspectives from academia and the fashion startup world to discuss how the transition to circularity, digital fashion, and Digital Product Passports collectively shape a more responsible and future‐ready industry.

15:00 - 15:15 | Bazaar break - Grote Zaal

Take a moment to stretch your legs, connect with others in the room, and meet representatives from organisations such as EIT Culture & Creativity, European Cultural Foundation, and DutchCulture | Creative Europe Desk NL, where you can learn about funding opportunities and other ways to get involved.

15:15 - 16:00 | Culture as Critical Infrastructure in Action - Grote Zaal

This session includes a panel with professionals from the news media and journalism sector, exploring how news media and policymakers can collaborate to safeguard democracy, combat misinformation and use AI responsible, positioning culture as a critical infrastructure for a resilient Europe.

15:15 - 16:00 | Get to Know EIT Culture & Creativity - Expo

Curious about how to engage with EIT Culture & Creativity, whether you are developing a business concept, building a startup, or looking to scale your work? In this session, Tuğçe Akbulut (Business Creation Programme Manager) and Gijs Gootjes (Director, Regional Hub North West) share more about funding opportunities, startup programmes from idea to scale, and collaboration pathways that support entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth in the cultural and creative sectors.

16:00 - 16:15 | Bazaar break - Grote Zaal

Take a moment to stretch your legs, connect with others in the room, and meet representatives from organisations such as EIT Culture & Creativity, European Cultural Foundation, and DutchCulture | Creative Europe Desk NL, where you can learn about funding opportunities and other ways to get involved.

16:15 - 17:00 | Digital Sovereignty in Europe’s Media Landscape - Grote Zaal

The session will start with a keynote given by Vivian Opsteegh about what’s to come in the European media landscape, followed by a panel with professionals from the audiovisual sector which will explore how audiovisual media serve as a strategic infrastructure. The discussion will also highlight practical insights into leveraging this infrastructure to amplify societal impact and address future challenges.

16:15 - 17:00 | Democracy Fitness - Expo

Have you ever wondered about how important it is to train your democratic muscles? Democracy is more than voting once every few years: democracy is about how we live and make decisions together. It is something we do every day. Hence why it is so important we are fit and trained. Perhaps your democracy muscle could use a little workout? Or maybe you are dealing with a weak muscle? Do you want to know where your democracy muscle is actually located? Don’t you worry. Guided by two energetic democracy trainers, you will get to work out your often somewhat neglected democratic muscle groups. It is super fun to do, and after the exercise we guarantee you have grown your democratic self-confidence!

17:00 - 17:45 | Scaling Europe’s Creative Ecosystem - Grote Zaal

What does scaling mean in a more connected European landscape? This session takes the form of a conversation across city, start-up, and industry perspectives, exploring how creative businesses grow from local ecosystems to European scale through funding, networks, and market access. Through short interviews, we examine the role of cities in enabling innovation, the realities for startups on the ground, and how industry networks can help organisations expand and connect across borders. Expect perspectives rooted in Amsterdam, with the conversation reaching outward to wider European opportunities and moments of exchange such as SXSW London.

17:45 - 18:00 | Joint Closing - Grote Zaal

Joint closing by EIT Culture & Creativity, European Cultural Foundation, DutchCulture | Creative Europe Desk NL, and Kunsten ’92.

18:00 - 19:30 | Drinks & networking Panel - Who Cares? Ella Overkleeft Founder & Director, Rural Radicals Marieke Nooren Creative programme maker and project lead at Gouden Haas Paulien Geerlings Head of dramaturgy & international collaboration at Toneelmakerij Panel - Traceability and the Future of European Fashion Borre Akkersdijk Textielontwikkelaar, modeontwerper & co-founder Mariangela Lavanga Associate Professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam Troy Nachitgall Prof. dr. ir. at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Assistant Professor at TU Eindhoven Adriana Pereira Founder at The Fabricant Gabriela Milyanova de Vries Business Development Manager EIT Culture & Creativity Claire Teurlings Project Lead Actieplan Circulair Textiel (ACT) Panel - Culture as Critical Infrastructure in Action Marek Tuszynski Executive Director and co-founder of Tactical Tech Esther Hammelburg Senior lecturer at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Director of Society 5.0 Festival Geert-Jan Bogaerts Chair of the board Public Spaces Rajae el Morabet Belhaj Advisor for Creative Europe MEDIA Get to Know EIT Culture & Creativity Gijs Gootjes Director EIT Culture & Creativity - Northwest Europe Tugce Akbulut Business Creation Program Manager @EIT Culture & Creativity Panel - European Sovereignty in a Digital Media Landscape Vivian Opsteegh Executive Director Media Campus NL Abel Enklaar Editor-in-Chief at VPRO Medialab Susannah Montgomery Business Development Manager EIT Culture & Creativity Laura Palth Head of Development at Millstreet Films Panel - Scaling Europe’s Creative Ecosystem Linda Holleman Head of Partnerships at New Dutch Wave Suzanne Visser Chairwoman at Dutch Digital Design Heleen Rouw Director of the Creative Industries Immersive Impact Coalition (CIIIC) Tamas Egei Managing Director - Salon Javier Arias Director Business Creation EIT Culture & Creativity Shivam Dhawan Founder of Leren Leren Opening and Closing Together With André Wilkens Director European Cultural Foundation Jelle Burggraaff Director DutchCulture Gijs Gootjes Director EIT Culture & Creativity - Northwest Europe Astrid Weij Directeur Kunsten '92

More about Europe Day

We will explore the landscapes shaping Europe’s future:

• Democratic media and journalism
• European sentiment and cultural cohesion
• Innovation and responsible technology
• Fashion, textiles, and circularity
• Scaling Europe’s Creative and Cultural Industries

Europe Day is meant to be a celebration of unity, culture, and connection – a moment to rethink, gather, and celebrate what makes Europe home. The day will start with a joint opening and then split into two parallel programmes: Europe Day 2026 and the Satellite BEYOND and finish with a joint closing and networking drinks.

The Satellite BEYOND invites cultural professionals, policymakers and sector representatives to explore what fairness in labour relations means in today’s European context. Through dialogue across national and European perspectives, participants will reflect on shared values, emerging challenges and concrete opportunities for strengthening fair practice across borders. If you would like to know more click here.

This programme is organised by DutchCulture | Creative Europe Desk NL, EIT Culture & Creativity, European Cultural Foundation, Kunsten ’92.

About the moderator

Dymphie Braun is a freelance programme maker and moderator who uses design and creativity to develop new ideas and solutions around social justice.