International Call for Participatory Art
As part of its project activities, and with the aim of promoting art as a means of participation and inclusion in Europe, the EU-COM-E – European Circular Online Museum – Engaging in Communities project, co-funded by the European Union, is launching a participatory art competition entitled Open Arts – International Call for Participatory Art, governed by these Regulations.
Regulations
Article 1 – Purpose
The competition aims to promote art and creativity as tools for participation, communication and building relationships among people, communities and territories, while supporting intercultural dialogue and social inclusion.
The competition does not invite submissions of completed artworks and/or products, but rather project ideas to be developed and, if selected in the final stage, implemented together with a community.
Article 2 – Theme and scope of the call
The central theme of the call is art as a tool for connection, participation and community transformation.
The call is primarily aimed at projects in the visual, plastic and applied arts, including, by way of example, painting, drawing, illustration, sculpture, photography, installation, design and artistic craftsmanship.
In a spirit of openness to experimentation and the combination of artistic languages, interdisciplinary proposals incorporating performative, audiovisual, digital or multimedia elements are also eligible, provided that these elements contribute to a participatory artistic creation process and are compatible with the organisational, technical and logistical arrangements of the final Open Arts Experiences (see Article 10).
Applications will be assessed primarily on the quality and originality of the project idea, active community involvement and feasibility of the proposal, rather than on the specific artistic technique employed.
Proposals may relate to one of the following thematic areas:
To help applicants explore the possibilities of participatory art, the call proposes three thematic approaches that may serve as sources of inspiration:
1. SPACES – Transforming places
Projects exploring the role of art in transforming, reinterpreting, enhancing or reactivating physical, social and symbolic spaces, fostering accessibility and shared use.
2. VOICES – Connecting stories
Projects using artistic languages to tell stories and convey identities, memories and experiences, encouraging the expression of different perspectives and dialogue among people and communities.
3. FACES – Creating communities
Projects in which artistic practice becomes a concrete tool for collaboration, participation, inclusion and building new relationships within communities.
These approaches are not separate competition categories: applicants may optionally draw inspiration from one or more of them or develop proposals that do not fit specifically within any of these approaches.
No thematic classification is required for participation.
Article 3 – Participants
Participation is open to individuals aged 18 or over who work in, or have developed an interest in, pursued studies in, or gained experience in the fields of art and creativity.
Artists, designers, craftspeople, cultural practitioners, art educators and other individuals using creative practices are eligible to apply.
Applications may be submitted individually or collectively.
For collective applications, a contact person must be appointed to act as the main point of contact with the organisers throughout the competition. If a collective is selected as one of the winners, it will be invited to designate one representative to participate in the Open Arts Experience on its behalf. This representative may be different from the contact person initially appointed. Travel and accommodation support will be provided for one representative per winning collective, under the conditions set out in Article 10.
There are no nationality restrictions. However, in the event of winning, participants must meet the requirements for travelling to and staying temporarily in the country hosting the final Open Arts Experience (Germany, France or Italy) (see Article 10).
Article 4 – Characteristics of proposals
Applicants must submit an artistic project idea that involves the active participation of a community or group of people.
The proposed project may involve the creation and/or production of artworks, temporary installations, events, workshops, digital content or other artistic outcomes, provided that these can be documented and form part of an active participatory process.
Ideas selected in the first stage will subsequently be developed further through the support activities provided by the call, also taking into account the characteristics of the territory and community that may host their implementation (Article 7).
Article 5 – Application period and procedure
Participation in the EU-COM-E Open Arts competition is entirely free of charge.
Applications may be submitted from 3 November 2026 to 20 January 2027.
The application deadline is 20 January 2027 at 23:00 CET (Central European Time, UTC+1).
Any extensions to the deadline will be announced through the official EU-COM-E project channels and on www.circularmuseum.eu.
Applications must be submitted exclusively through the online form available at the following link:
The organisers may request clarifications or additional information strictly necessary to verify eligibility.
The form may be completed in any official language of the European Union.
As EU-COM-E Open Arts is an international initiative, English will be the common working language during the subsequent stages of the competition and the Open Arts Experiences. However, the organisers will seek to facilitate communication and provide linguistic support and mediation wherever possible.
Article 6 – Application documentation
To enter the call, applicants must complete the online form, providing the following information:
- Applicant details (first name, surname, country, city, email address)
- Artistic profile (brief description of their activities or artistic interests)
- Provisional title of the proposed idea
- Predominant thematic area (SPACES, VOICES or FACES)
- Brief description of the project idea
- Optional supporting materials (images, sketches, portfolio or other references useful for explaining the idea)
- Personal photograph of the participant or collective in JPG or PNG format
- For collective applications, a representative must be appointed by completing the dedicated form.
The form will also include declarations concerning acceptance of these Regulations and the processing of personal data.
Artistic CVs, academic qualifications and previous exhibition experience will not be mandatory.
Article 7 – Competition structure and selection stages
The competition consists of three main stages: IDEA – DEVELOP – CREATE.
Stage 1 – IDEA
Participants submit a simple project idea using the online form.
Applications will undergo an initial eligibility check by the organising partners and will be assessed according to the criteria set out in these Regulations.
At the end of the first stage, 18 applicants will be selected to proceed to the next stage.
Stage 2 – DEVELOP
The 18 shortlisted applicants will be invited to further develop their project ideas through the EU-COM-E Coaching Sessions, a targeted support activity designed to help define and develop their project ideas for the final submission.
This stage will include a local in-person workshop and/or an online workshop, with the possibility of additional follow-up support where needed and feasible.
The activities will provide participants with useful tools to explore:
- methods for participation and community engagement;
- definition of project objectives, activities and resources;
- adaptation of the proposal to the host territory.
Following this stage, applicants may submit a more detailed version of their proposal, which will then be assessed by an international Jury.
Participation in at least one workshop, either in person or online, is required to continue in the selection process. Further details on the schedule and participation arrangements will be communicated to shortlisted applicants.
Stage 3 – CREATE
The international Jury will select three winning projects, which will be implemented through three Open Arts Experiences organised in the three partner countries (Germany, France and Italy).
The Experiences are expected to take place between September and November 2027.
Each winner will take part in one Experience. The destination will be assessed and determined so that the characteristics of the proposed idea are, as far as possible, compatible with the resources offered by the host partner.
The three selected projects will be developed in collaboration with the host organisations and local communities identified during the support stage.
The final implementation arrangements will be agreed with the winners, subject to available resources and timeframes.
Article 8 – Exclusion Criteria
Applications submitted after the deadline will be automatically excluded.
Proposals that are clearly incompatible with the aims of the competition or lack the information required for assessment, offend public decency, contain discriminatory or violent elements or elements contrary to applicable law, or infringe third-party property rights will also be automatically excluded.
Article 9 – Jury and selection
Given the multidisciplinary nature of the call, an international Jury of six members with complementary expertise in contemporary artistic practice, social inclusion and cultural project development will assess proposals against the initiative’s objectives, prioritising participatory and innovative potential, conceptual quality, the capacity to engage communities and project feasibility.
The assessment will not seek to compare specific technical skills across different artistic disciplines, but rather the overall quality of proposals in relation to the objectives of EU-COM-E.
The final selection will also consider the feasibility of the project in one of the three hosting cities.
The Jury’s decisions are final and not subject to appeal, and will be published in a dedicated section of www.circularmuseum.eu.
Article 10 – Awards and opportunities
The three winners, selected from among the 18 candidates shortlisted during the first phase, will have the opportunity to participate in the EU-COM-E Open Arts Experiences: international participatory art experiences designed to support the development and implementation of their proposed projects in collaboration with a local community.
The Open Arts Experiences are expected to last approximately five days. They will take place in the EU-COM-E partner countries (Germany, France and Italy) and will include co-creation activities, dialogue and cultural exchange, with organisational and professional support from the host organisations.
Within the limits of available project resources and under the conditions communicated to the three winners, each Open Arts Experience will include:
- Project implementation: the opportunity to develop and implement the project, or an agreed part of it, in Germany, France or Italy.
- Implementation support: provision of the materials, spaces, equipment and organisational assistance required for the planned and agreed activities.
- Travel and accommodation: coverage of travel costs from a European airport and accommodation costs during the Experience, subject to the conditions and spending limits established by the organisers.
- Community engagement: collaboration with the host partner to involve the local group with which the project will be implemented.
- Mentoring: professional guidance during the preparation stages.
- International visibility: documentation and promotion of projects and their outcomes through EU-COM-E communication channels and its digital platform.
- European networking: opportunities to meet and collaborate with artists, cultural organisations and professionals from the partner countries.
- Final presentation: exhibition/presentation of the projects and their outcomes during an international event planned in Berlin.
The three finalist projects will also be featured in a dedicated catalogue.
The results will be announced by 20 July 2027, and winners will be informed individually by email.
All applications received and the 18 proposals selected in the first stage will be presented on the project platform and showcased internationally in the Open Arts Call section.
In the event that a selected candidate withdraws or is unable to participate in the subsequent stages of the competition, the organisers reserve the right to offer the opportunity to another eligible candidate, taking into account the results of the selection process and the organisational feasibility of the replacement.
Any replacement will be communicated directly to the candidates concerned.
Article 11 – Release and authorisation
Participation implies unconditional acceptance of these Regulations.
Participants guarantee the originality of their work, are responsible for the materials submitted, and grant the EU-COM-E consortium the right to use images for publications, exhibitions and promotional activities planned within the project. Images received during the competition and documentary material produced during the Open Arts Experiences will be retained for the project stages and the creation of the catalogue.
The use of images and testimonials of people involved in the activities must comply with applicable provisions on consent, privacy and the protection of the individuals concerned.
Article 12 – Processing of personal data
Participants authorise the EU-COM-E project to process their personal data pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 for inclusion in the database.
By entering the competition, participants consent to the processing of data for purposes connected with competition administration, assessment of applications, organisation of activities, communication of results, and project reporting and documentation obligations.
The privacy notice attached to the application form will specify the data controllers, purposes, legal bases, retention periods, any recipients of the data, and the rights of data subjects.
Date: 3rd November 2026
For information, please contact: circularmuseum@gmail.com