Immerse yourself in the ever-changing cultural landscape of Europe in Pakhuis de Zwijger. Today, we tackle key European themes through the lens of arts and culture. Rather than political monologues or debates as a way to understand the elections the next day, we bring stories as expressed by artists, thinkers, films and performers will illustrate, nuance and offer new perspectives to the challenges of our time. Together with a broad group of European partners we make sure you get to know people and places from various European countries. Join the conversations that resonate with you ahead of the European Elections by customizing your Finest Hours in this programme; registration to all programmes is free. Will we meet you on the 5th of June?

In conversation with
Touria Meliani
Wethouder Kunst en Cultuur, Evenementen, Inclusie- en Antidiscriminatiebeleid, Amsterdam
Klasja van de Ridder
Head of Representation bij European Commission
Farouk Ebaiss
Artist and Human rights Activist
Hanna Hrabarska
Photographer, journalist and photography teacher
Anton Shebetko
Artist, photographer, curator and writer
Nadiia Zaionchkovska
International Content Licensing, Production and Business Development Executive
Kateryna Snizhko
Conceptual artist and writer
Víctor Santamarina
Artist
Nixon Mukiza
designer and founder Maison Mukiza
Sára Kučerová
Designer
Ouassila Arras
Artist
George Parry-Jones
Grant Officer at Culture Moves Europe
Sander Joon
Filmmaker
Ross Higgins
Investigator and trainer at Bellingcat
Lili Takács
Journalist at 444
Wendy Hassler-Forest
Strategic Development Manager at Musicians Without Borders
Ianthe Mosselman
Programmamaker Kunst en Literatuur en kernredactie bij De Balie en schrijver
Jan Beranek
Ecological activist, energy expert, politician, employee of Greenpeace
Michiel van Iersel
Urbanist and Curator
Nahuel Cano
performer, researcher
Christiane Bosman
Embassy of the North Sea
Leanne Hoogwaerts
Medewerker netwerk en beleid bij Kunsten '92
Friso Wiersum
Communications manager European Cultural Foundation, co-director Expodium, free lance moderator
Angeliki Tsoukaneli
Communication Specialist | Intercultural Mediator | Translator (EN-FR-EL)
Marten Hahn
Foreign Correspondent | Co-President Foreign Press Association of the Netherlands
Hugo Emmerzael
Film and music critic
Thijs de Zeeuw
Landscape architect
Sheng Wen Lo
Artist
TIMETABLE
12:00 - 12:30 | Plenary opening

During a fantastic opening filled with music and stories, we will discuss the importance of cultural exchange between the city of Amsterdam and Europe as a continent and how culture and arts can be the breeding ground for conversations about important themes for the future. Joseph Kearney will host the opening and will tell everything about the festival. We start the day with a mesmerizing fusion of cello, synthesizers,. flutes and Ukrainian folk by SonCe Trio. An international musical threesome made up of members from Ukraine, Catalunya, Turkey. After we have a conversation about the importance of culture and stories in and outside Europe with Touria Meliani, Klasja van de Ridder, Hanna Hrabarska and Farouk Ebaiss.

09:30 - 14:30 | Creative Europe Day

In this special edition of the Creative Europe Day, as part of the Europe’s Finest Hours programme in Pakhuis de Zwijger on June 5, we demonstrate how the Creative Europe programme positively contributes to democracy and democratic values in wider Europe.

Click here for more information about this programme.

13:00 - 14:00 | Young & Animated (SHORTS - ENG)

Get to know the creative energies and storytelling by emerging Estonian and Lithuanian animators – what’s their take and what’s at stake for a young generation in these Eastern European nations?

Click here for more information about this programme.

13:00-14:00 | Unity in Diversity: Languages of Europe (WORKSHOP - ENG)

This discussion will focus on multilingualism and its advantages. Rather than discussing the importance, utility, and official status of languages, we explore how languages coexist in diversity, and whether that makes for a more open-minded European community. How can multilingualism help build a more inclusive and interconnected European community? Can it be a real alternative to Euro-English? With our panel, we will explore the importance of multilingual consciousness from different perspectives – generational, professional and cultural.

Click here for more information about this programme.

14:00 - 15:30 | Meet the makers: Emerging artists in Europe (TALK - ENG)

The makers Víctor Santamarina, Nixon Mukiza, Sára Kučerová and Ouassila Arras will be guiding us through both past projects and future plans through quickfire presentations – showing what they are looking for in collaborations and how they navigate Europe as artistic professionals. Join this programme if you’re eager to learn about their stories, want to grow a network of European peers and after the presentations, get to know a very practical way to fund your project through the Culture Moves Europe programme, with tips from funding advisor George Parry-Jones.

After the presentations and the discussion, you have the opportunity to explore European artistic connections, with advisors from Het Nieuwe Instituut, Institut Français, DutchCulture, TransArtists and Culture Moves Europe.

Click here for more information about this programme.

14:30-15:30 | Posthuman Futures (SHORT FILMS - ENG)

Can we shape the future of Europe through film and art? A nuclear power plant worker obsessed with counting has set a limit on the amount of energy he is willing to use until his death. In this macabre but masterful film poem in 35 mm with strong mathematical undercurrents, Marie-Magdalena Kochová tells the story of a man whose life is slowly transforming. A loving embrace of the fact that we are not only our body, but also our energy.

Click here for more information about this programme.

14:30-15:30 | Redesign Europe (WORKSHOP - ENG)

Can we Re-design the contours of the European Union?

15:30-16:30 | Cultural Deal for Europe (TALK - NL SPOKEN)

Er wordt in ‘Brussel’ van alles besloten waar de culturele en creatieve sector in Nederland direct mee te maken heeft, denk aan arbeidsomstandigheden en de Green Deal. Met de Cultural Deal for Europe (CDEU) campagne dragen initiatiefnemers Culture Action Europe, Europa Nostra en de European Cultural Foundation beleidsvoorstellen aan die onze sector op Europees niveau verstevigen, én bijdragen aan een een breder gedragen Europees gevoel. Zonder oog voor cultuur staat de toekomst van Europa op het spel, alleen komt het cultuurbeleid nauwelijks aan bod in discussies over de toekomst van ons continent. Tijd om daar verandering in te brengen!

Tijdens deze werksessie diepen we met CDEU eisen uit voor de Nederlandse context. De uitkomsten worden gepresenteerd aan belangrijke stakeholders, zoals de MEPs die de volgende dag het Europese Parlement in worden gestemd. Waar moeten de Nederlandse beleidsmakers op Europees niveau op inzetten om de culturele en creatieve sector in Nederland te versterken?

Klik hier voor meer informatie over deze workshop.

16:00-17:00 | Culture VS. War (SHORTS FILMS - ENG)

‘CULTURE VS WAR’ is an artistic study about Ukrainian artists who defend their country and create new meanings of Ukrainian culture. The ‘CULTURE VS WAR’ project represents the stories of creators who retain the ability to feel and act bravely despite all the horrors of war.

Artists have protected and preserved Ukrainian culture for centuries, and since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, they stand side by side with all citizens. In this double bill, we will take a closer at the portraits of Ukrainian writer Serhiy Zhadan (16 min) and Ukrainian cinematographer Serhiy Mykhalchuk (11 min), followed by a discussion about culture during wartime. Ukrainian film producer Nadiia Zaionchkovska, photographer Anton Shebetko, and conceptual artist Kateryna Snizhko will participate in a conversation.

Click here for more information about this programme.

16:00-17:00 | Representing Nature (TALK - ENG)

How do we give a cultural voice to ecosystems in Europe? How would this link with ecosystems look like in the future, and what role does culture play in this? How can we learn from indigenous customs?

Click here for more information about this programme.

Please note: the programme in the Expo on the first floor is part of the Creative Europe Day. You can find more information about this programme on this page.

 

Time table

Programme seriesDe toekomst van Europa

In 2024 kan de halve wereld gebruikmaken van haar stemrecht. Een heus verkiezingsjaar. In juni is het de beurt aan ons continent om te stemmen voor een nieuw Europees Parlement. De invloed van Europa is enorm, maar de kennis en aandacht hiervoor is vaak minimaal. Nu de (Europese)verkiezingen voor de deur staan vinden we het daarom des te belangrijker om een programma reeks te ontwikkelen over Europa en de verkiezingen. Waar stemmen we precies voor en wat doet een Europarlementariër eigenlijk? Tijdens deze programmareeks leer je alles over de werking van de Europese Unie, welke besluiten er worden gemaakt in Brussel en verkennen we de huidige staat- en de toekomst van Europa.