The new year opens up a space for a fresh start for ARTeria – one full of cooperation, trust and shared concern for the culture we are shaping together. It is a moment when we look to the future with joy and strengthen what connects us most strongly.
The past months have been a time of dynamic change and creative development. In 2025, we supported local communities, strengthened European partnerships and implemented initiatives that have a real impact on the cultural and creative sector. Each of these steps laid the foundation for what lies ahead.
We are entering 2026 with new energy and a clear vision. We are returning to our regular newsletter, and soon we will launch ARTeria Academy – an open space for knowledge, tools and experiences developed as part of our international programmes and projects. It is a place created for artists and creative people who want to consciously develop their professional path.
This year is of particular importance to us – the ARTeria Foundation is celebrating its 20th anniversary. To mark the occasion, we have prepared a rich programme of activities: projects, research, events and new initiatives, which we will reveal to you step by step.
We look ahead with optimism, remaining true to our values: critical thinking, inspiring action, bringing people together and bold experimentation.
Thank you for being with us and helping to create this story.
See you in the next instalments of ARTerii💛
Wenancjusz Ochmann
Vice-President of the ARTeria Foundation
JANUARY 2026
REACT – project completion
In January, we are completing the REACT project, dedicated to accessibility in culture and the conscious design of cultural experiences open to all. The project confirmed that accessibility is a process that requires cooperation, knowledge and consistent action at local and European level. On 18 January, an event summarising the project was held at the Town Hall in Pyskowice and the MOKiS Exhibition Centre “Railways connect. Accessibility opens. Pyskowice and barrier-free exhibitions”. The meeting, combining a local perspective with European solutions, showed that barrier-free exhibitions strengthen culture as a space for dialogue and social integration.
We would like to thank MOKiS Pyskowice and Stacja Pyskowice for their excellent cooperation!
Creative Pact for Skills
In January, we took part in the plenary meeting of the Large-scale Skills Partnership for the Cultural and Creative Industries (LSP CCI – Creative Pact for Skills). The event was an opportunity to discuss priorities for skills development in the cultural and creative sectors in Europe – from green and digital transformation, through entrepreneurship, to cross-sectoral innovation and regional cooperation. As a member of the Creative Pact for Skills, the ARTeria Foundation is actively involved in shaping the future of skills development in the European CCIs ecosystem. This is an important step in further strengthening cooperation, knowledge exchange and joint actions for a more resilient and inclusive cultural sector.
Empowering Youth Talents – let’s get started!
We are energetically starting work on the first two key results of the project, which will set the direction for further activities and provide real support to young people planning a career in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs). We believe that talent is just the beginning, which is why we focus on developing the skills necessary to function in a dynamic and changing work environment. The project combines education, gamification and escape rooms, exploring how modern tools can effectively support creativity, collaboration, communication and adaptability among young creators. We are currently working on the Talent Transformation Handbook and a practical guide to using escape rooms and gamification in developing competencies in CCIs. This is just the beginning – more stages and inspiring results are ahead of us. More information (and the project website) coming soon!
City & Nature – Harmony and Diversity
Living in a city, are we still able to see and feel our connection with nature? The City & Nature – Harmony and Diversity project uses literature as a tool for building environmental awareness, showing that urban landscapes and nature are not opposites, but interconnected ecosystems. The project focuses on images of cities and nature present in contemporary literature of the Visegrad Group countries, which reveal shared experiences, values and transnational identities. The ARTeria Foundation is a partner in the project, continuing its cooperation with the Hungarian Literary Authors’ Collecting Society (MISZJE) that began in 2024. This is another step in combining culture, literature and responsibility for the future. More information coming soon!
GreenCCircle Academy Mini Seminars
A year full of knowledge, exchange of experiences and joint learning lies ahead of us – especially where culture meets sustainable development. In February, we invite you to another series of inspiring webinars with European experts in the field of sustainable development and the cultural and creative sectors. Morning Coffee and Study is a casual morning learning and networking format that allows you to develop green skills, strategic thinking and entrepreneurship, and learn about new technologies and financing opportunities. The events are aimed at cultural and creative professionals, educators, students, people from the public sector and anyone who wants to combine creativity with sustainable development. Check out the February events below and join the GreenCCircle Academy:
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Policy&Ethics – 5 February 2026, 10:00 – 11:30
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Digital innovation – 16 February 2026, 10:00–11:00
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Discover GreenCCIrcle Hub – 25 February 2026, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
AI4CREATIVITY – discover the creative side of artificial intelligence!
We invite you to take part in the AI4CREATIVITY e-learning course, which introduces you to the world of creative artificial intelligence and its applications in art. The programme combines knowledge, practice and inspiring educational experiences, showing how AI can support creative processes rather than replace them. s with a joint module that explains the basics of how AI works and how it can be used in creativity in an accessible way. Participants can then delve into five specific areas of art, discovering how new technologies can expand artistic language and open new creative possibilities. This is an offer for artists, creative people, educators and anyone who wants to work with AI consciously and creatively. Join the course and see how technology can become your creative partner!
YOUR.AI for people working with young people
We invite you to use free materials and courses that will help you understand artificial intelligence and incorporate it into your daily educational and creative work. We have created guides, tools and inspiration for people working with young people, combining theory with practical examples of activities. We particularly recommend the AI course – it’s a great way to develop digital skills, understand the ethical aspects of AI and prepare engaging workshops with young people in the spirit of responsible use of new technologies.
An AI course dedicated specifically to artists and creators will also be available soon – follow us to stay up to date!
Culture at the heart of Europe
On 3 February 2026, the Cultural Deal for Europe will take place in Brussels (Bozar). Annual Policy Conversation – one of the key events in the European debate on the future of culture. At a time when work is underway on the new EU budget and Culture Compass, the Cultural Deal for Europe initiative reminds us that there is no future for Europe without culture – as the foundation of democracy, security and sustainable development. The ARTeria Foundation is actively involved in this European conversation.
Transferability Conference – a meeting on the skills of the future
The Transferability Conference is an international forum dedicated to the transfer of skills, knowledge and good practices at the intersection of education, the labour market and the social sector. The event brings together innovators, decision-makers, researchers, artists and entrepreneurs from across Europe, focusing on practical ways to strengthen the potential of people and organisations. Anna Ochmann will participate in the conference in Stuttgart as a speaker, and Wenancjusz Ochmann will present projects implemented by the ARTeria Foundation: GreenCCircle and AI4CREATIVITY.
Education in the age of artificial intelligence
Anna Ochmann, president of the ARTeria Foundation, will take part in international study visits to Estonia and Finland, organised under the auspices of the Estonian Council for Education and Youth (Harno). The meetings will focus on good practices in digital education and AI, strengthening the competences of leaders and teachers, and exchanging innovative methods and tools. The experience gained will support the development of the ARTeria Foundation’s artificial intelligence projects – AI4CREATIVITY and YOURAI – as well as further initiatives for the responsible and conscious use of digital tools in the cultural and creative sector.
Resilient Ties
Resilient Ties is a European conference for cultural leaders dedicated to building social and cultural resilience in times of uncertainty and the role of culture in creating lasting ties between people, institutions and regions in Europe. Organised in Gdańsk by the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre as part of the Satellite BEYOND programme of the Culture Action Europe network, the event will be a space for attentive dialogue and cooperation. The programme will include debates, workshops, artistic activities and joint work on the future of culture, covering topics such as wellbeing, artificial intelligence, green transition, artistic freedom and the role of cultural institutions. The ARTeria Foundation, as part of the Culture Action Europe network and Polish HUB CAE, is involved in preparing the event and co-creating this international space for exchange. We will announce the detailed programme soon, so save the date and join us!
GreenCCircle: from local laboratories to European impact
For the GreenCCircle project, 2025 was a moment of transition from idea to practice. Across Europe, local and online Living Labs brought together people from the cultural and creative sectors, education, research and public policy to jointly test and co-create tools for a more sustainable sector. Thanks to their involvement, we developed and refined the GreenCCircle Academy and GreenCCircle HUB before their official launch.
After a series of laboratories in Gliwice, Dublin, Matera, Košice, Vilnius, Tallinn, Kouvola and the European Living Lab in Venice, among others, the project is entering its next phase. In the coming months, we will invite you to two Local Living Labs organised in Poland, which will be a space for joint work on the real challenges of sustainable development in culture and creativity. Details coming soon!
How has the meaning of exhibiting and collecting art changed — and for whom are exhibitions created today? We recommend Anna Ochmann’s article “… and only mice and I see it all!”, written as part of the REACT – Resources for European Accessible Cultural Tours project. It is a reflective journey through the history of exhibition-making, leading to contemporary questions about accessibility, inclusivity and diverse ways of experiencing culture, including from the perspective of neuroatypical people.
How to promote projects in a non-standard way? The latest issue of the magazine “Europa dla aktywnych” (Europe for the Active) (4/2025) features an article by Anna Ochmann, president of the ARTeria Foundation, devoted to non-standard approaches to promoting project results. The text is a guide and refers, among other things, to the escape room workshops held during the “Echoes of Erasmus Plus” seminar, organised at the invitation of the National Agency. We encourage you to read the entire issue, which is full of inspiration and practical tips.
Should students learn to draw before they start working with AI-based tools? How and when should AI be introduced into art education, and what criteria should be used to evaluate technology-assisted creativity? These are pedagogical, philosophical and ethical questions that educational institutions are increasingly facing. We recommend an article by Ivy Wei from Goldsmiths, University of London, written especially for the AI4CREATIVITY project. The author looks at when image creation is a learning process, why it is still important to “how to create” and not just “what to choose”, and what role art teachers play in the AI era.
The latest issue of Cultural Policy Tracker, a prestigious quarterly publication of the international ENCATC network devoted to research and forecasts in the field of cultural policy, is entitled Frameworks for the Future and reflects on the directions of development of the cultural sector in Europe. The issue includes an article by Anna Ochmann entitled “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Cultural and Creative Sectors. Tool, Author, Creator?”, on the role of AI in creative processes and questions of authorship and creativity in the age of technology. We encourage you to read and reflect on the future of culture:
How can cultural heritage be combined with the social engagement of young people? The Mediate Your Future project, implemented by the ARTeria Foundation in cooperation with partners from France, Belgium and Italy, shows that heritage can become a living space for dialogue, reflection and change. Through cultural mediation, young people discover local history to build identity, express shared values and engage in civic action. We recommend the article “From quarrel to book – how I became a writer, researcher and publisher all in one…”, which shows how a personal story can transcend the boundaries of dialogue and become an educational and social tool.
