FPUE cultural programme: opening a dialogue between young Europeans

Until June 30, France will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union, with a programme defined around several ambitions: a “more sovereign Europe, a new European model of growth and a human Europe, proud of its culture, confident in science and knowledge”. France, “convinced that culture contributes to forging, among Europeans, a common sense of belonging and a bond of heart”, has decided to place it at the heart of its presidency.

Culture at the heart of the FPUE

Heritage, the living arts, literature and music form “a common asset that we owe it to ourselves to preserve and pass on to all”, wrote the Minister of Culture in her presentation of this cultural PFUE. In this spirit, a series of events have been programmed to show the full strength of cultural exchanges and to create “the conditions for a responsible culture, a culture that faces the challenges of diversity, equality and sustainable development”.

Three main types of events are on the programme for this six-month period:

• institutional events that will bring together Member States and professionals of the culture industry from all fields;
• a dozen iconic projects embodying the “values and meaning” of this presidency;
• about a hundred cultural events organised by public institutions under the authority of the Ministry of Culture, local authorities and/or actors from civil society and associations.

Key events, highlights of a programme for young people

Highlights of the cultural programme include several major iconic events about young Europeans, whether they are themselves creators or the target of the programme. Several of these projects aim to open a dialogue between young Europeans and bring them together in cultural and unifying projects. Such projects include:

• Danse l’Europe! (Dance Europe!) from January onwards, will put “bodies in the same vibration throughout Europe”. It is an application that will enable everyone, young and old, dance lovers or not, “to come together to share a moment of dance in a variety of cultural venues in different European cities, but also at home, in companies, in schools, in the public space, alone or in a group”;
• L’Étoffe de l’Europe (The fabric of Europe) is a scenographic and artistic installation of the Council of the European Union’s headquarters from January 1^st to June 30 in the Council of the European Union buildings in Brussels (Belgium). This spectacular installation, fruit of the imagination of young designers, is made up of fabrics and real or digital links, and “illustrates the closer ties necessary for a revival that the 27 countries of the European Union are building together, while embodying their cultural diversity”;
• Traversées d’Europe (Crossings of Europe) is a collective exhibition of young photographers, organised from January 20 to February 27 on the gates of the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, which takes “a singular look at Europe” to draw up “a sensitive and composite cartography”;
• A Nuit des idées (Night of Ideas) will be held at European scale January 27, throughout the world, in Europe and at the Collège de France in Paris. Initiated by the French Institute, this Nuit is a “global event”, consisting of three parts: the organisation of 26 Nights of Ideas in each EU Member State, the creation of discussions between major intellectual figures within the European Union and the implementation of a European youth forum at the Collège de France, which will bring together two young people from each EU country;
• Sorties d’écoles (School Trip), an exhibition of young artists from January 28 to May 1^st at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. It was designed in collaboration with the Grande Halle de La Villette in Paris, which is the culmination of an exceptional cooperation between the two institutions. This exhibition highlights “the know-how and international influence of French art schools, through a selection of 28 recently graduated artists, an exceptional showcase of young French creation”.
• EuroFabrique, from February 7 to 10, 2022 at the Grand Palais in Paris, is an art and design event that gives a voice to European youth to “question the idea of Europe and imagine its future”, in a Grand Palais Ephémère transformed for the occasion into a vast space of experimentation, at once a factory, a laboratory and an assembly. For four days, 400 students from French and European art schools from 14 countries will come together to “question and invent the forms of a new Europe”;
• La jeunesse met l’Europe en musique (Youth puts Europe to music), from February 19 to 26 at the Philharmonie de Paris, with an orchestra of 120 young musicians from the 27 countries of the EU, reflecting a “desire to bring together young musicians on the scale of the European Union and to share with them the values and enthusiasm of people who come together to play in harmony”;
• L’Europe en BD (Europe in comics) is an exhibition published in March on the gates of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, to illustrate the construction of Europe in comic strips, in order to bring together audiences of all ages, and in particular young people, “on the great founding moments of our common history”.

Many other events are detailed in the rich press kit of this cultural EUFP:

- Read the press release