DECONFINING: Deconfining arts, culture and policies in Europe and Africa

The DECONFINING project aims to create new, equal cultural ties between Europe and Africa by developing a sustainable reference cooperation model to be later extended further to other regions of the world. Building on the close collaboration between the two continents and the integration of their Capitals of Culture programmes, the project will bring together cultural practitioners, policymakers, performing, media/visual artists, in-field universities and audiences from both continents to explore and demonstrate new ways of intercontinental artistic and cultural (policy) cooperation and to contribute to a better understanding of confinement patterns from different points of view in an intercontinental perspective. All this in order to break free from paternalistic and colonial views in favor of a strong participatory attitude and to provide better access and information for intercontinental mobility and transnational co-creation.

The project is designed and led by 12 partners from 11 European and one African country, and will feature 4 forums, 4 micro-conferences, a mobility platform, an interactive policy toolkit, a DECONFINING anthology ebook, newly created artworks including performances, installations, 20 podcast episodes presenting (tandem) artistic practices, 12 art tours and a rich open digital archive.

The Institute for Transmedia Design: ITD will take care of the visibility of the project, managing the transnational communication and the dissemination of project activities and results in Europe and Africa. ITD’s CEO Sara Božanić is part of the project steering committee, which is responsible for the strategic segment of the project and for making recommendations for EU policy in the field of transnational cooperation.

Institute for Transmedia Design (ITD)

(Partner)

All projects of Slovenian producer

Institute for Transmedia Design: ITD

(Partner) Murska Sobota

All projects of Slovenian producer

TECH(ing) TALES WITH A TWIST for the children of the present

Foreign producers in the supported project

ITI Zentrum Deutschland (leader)

Germany (EU)
PRO PROGRESSIONE (partner)

Hungary (EU)
Bodø24 (partner)

Norway
Kulturhauptstadt Bad Ischl - Salzkammergut 2024 (partner)

Austria (EU)
National Kaunas Drama Theatre (partner)

Lithuania (EU)
Croatian National Theatre „Ivan Zajc“ (partner)

Croatia (EU)
ART TRANSPARENT (partner)

Poland (EU)
Arts and Theatre Institute (partner)

Czech Republic (EU)
On the Move (partner)

Belgium (EU)
Goethe Institut Madrid (partner)

Germany (EU)
Culture Funding Watch (partner)

Tunisia

Funded projects

Studio Virc – Mini Slate 2025: Izzvenelo bo, Dolasilla, princesa usode, Tujek, Pobeglo srce

NOSOROGI – Mini Slate 2025: Three Waters Meet, The Healers, Liar, Thief, Flea-Eater

Mono O – Mini Slate 2025: The Happiest Day, The Last Roast, After Sunday

Cvinger – Mini Slate 2024: Before the Eyes Turn Black, Reckoning by the Sea, Project North

Venice Eastern Gate

ECHOES from Invisible Landscapes

PORT OF DREAMERS

ACuTe: Culture Testbeds for Interactivity, Performance and Technology

Rail2Dance (Rail to Dance)

Innovation through media collaboration: Digital assets exchange platform (MEDEXCHANGE24)

Animation HUB (A-HUB)

Word: Enhancing European Graphic Novel Perception, Circulation and Market Development

Roma Soul Food (ROMASOUL)

Tying the European Cultural Landscapes with Knots and Patterns (Knots and Patterns)

Hiking Heritage Trails (INHERIT)

Sensory Artistic Experiences for the Blind (Multisensory Art)

PASS – Pass the Street (Art), Shake the Hand

Slow Performing Arts Festivals for Improved Wellbeing, Mental Health and Social Inclusion (Festival SPA)

Staragara – Slate 2024 (The Colour of the Doubt, Black Swan, Removal, We would have told each other everything, Kozmonavti)

PAGE: Project for Advancing coGnitivE accessibility in publishing

NEB COOLTOURS: Transforming Tourism Through Cultural Innovation and Environmental Stewardship in Alpe-Adria

Bridges

Transition to 8: European societies in flux

ENACT – Easy-to-understand News for Collaborative Transformation

THRIVE – Talent Harvest: Rural Intangible Heritage and Value Empowerment

Land of Lace

CAFE: Redefining Historic Cafés as European Cultural Heritage

ArtElevate – Fostering Inclusive Cultural Expression in Europe

CARE – Culture for Mental Health

Glassmaking Between Tradition and Innovation (GTMI)

WONDERCUT – Collaboratively Exploring the Public Value of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Next Level Cultural Experiences

Heroes Unleashed: Implementing a Sensory Reading Program in European Public Libraries (HERUN)

DATAS – The Data and the Sovereign

TALKING HEADS – Conversation with the art of the past

Libraries of Emotions for Good – LOE for Good

GreenHeritage – Nurturing a sustainable future in the gardens of time

G-BOOK 3 – Audience engagement activities for the social and emotional education of EU teens through gender-positive literature and digital technology

DIGITAL on STAGE – Unleashing the Performing Arts Experience through Digital Innovation

OASis – Open Art Spaces in Synergy

Transport: Sustainable puppet co-creations for European young audiences

Danube Dance Alliance for Development of Contemporary Dance Scene in the Danube Region

Mind the GAP

Beletrina Digital

WOMEN interACT – participatory theatre against the double exclusion of women

TECH(ing) TALES WITH A TWIST for the children of the present

DoSEL – Drama of Smaller European Languages

MUSICVILLE – Green European Opera

Operation Nova - OPE.N

Kino x Games

FASIH - Future Art and Science Industrial Heritage

CULTURAL BEES: Promotion of entrepreneurship skills in the Cultural and Creative Industry among youth

Is this us?

Climate Art Fusion Caravane (CARAVANE)

Moving Balkans

Youth Art for the Earth (YAFE)

Shadow Pandemic: Hidden Voices

Open House Europe (OHEu)

Third Stage

VERSOPOLIS – WHERE POETRY LIVES

December: Uncomfortable Beings, Azra, Best Imaginary Friends Forever

LINA - Learn, Interact, and Network in Architecture

reCITYing – Reactivating Unused Urban Spaces Through Architecture and Arts 2024–2028

Art Nouveau: a new EUtopia

Creative Industries Development Centre (KUL)

Web 3.0 Accelerator for Sustainable Cultural Tourism (Web3Tour)

Studiotopia: Enter the Symbiocene with Arts and Science (Studiotopia 2)

Bio Awakening - developing bio-art practices in Western Balkan (Bio Awaking)

TestArt

GREENSTAGE

Connecting Emerging Literary Artists (CELA)

Transmedia stories of insularity (TRAST)

Female Digital Creativity (FLUX)

Planet Hope (New European Fiction) – PH

More than a Story (MTaS)

Our Little Library: Through literary bridges to reading adventures (OLLLB)

Connected with Books (CWB)

Exploring Expanded Publishing: EX-Pub

Thinking Publishing (ThinkPub)

Novel Europe (NovelEU)