The Festival Academy at the EFA Roundtable on ‘About Europe’ with EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef

On 3 February 2026, The Festival Academy participated in a Roundtable of Arts Festivals organised by the European Festivals Association (EFA) at BRONKS - Theatre for Young Audiences in Brussels. The meeting marked the launch of the public conversation ‘About Europe’ and took place in the presence of Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.

The roundtable brought together festival leaders, artists, city representatives, and cultural policymakers to discuss the vital role of festivals in shaping the future of Europe. Against a backdrop of armed conflict, democratic backsliding, economic instability, and climate crises, festivals continue to serve as resilient spaces where communities gather, exchange ideas, and imagine alternative futures.

TFA’s General Director Inge Ceustermans highlighted the global reach and impact of The Festival Academy’s community of young leaders: “Through The Festival Academy, Europe has access to young festival leaders from all over the world. These young leaders build, day by day and step by step, a different reality. They nurture spaces of belonging, care, and community where the social system falls short. They protect cultures, languages, nature, the earth, our rivers… life. What are they fighting for? They are fighting for our humanity, our soul.”

Inge also called for these voices to be seen, heard, and valued in the ongoing dialogue About Europe. She stressed that festivals offer more than cultural entertainment - they are platforms where new ideas can be nurtured, empathy cultivated, and hope sustained even in times of global uncertainty.

The Festival Academy connects more than 1,500 young festival leaders from over 100 countries, including regions affected by war, climate crises, censorship, or extreme social inequality. Through their work, these leaders reach audiences of over 40 million people worldwide, generating solidarity, understanding, and new perspectives that extend far beyond the European continent.

The event underscored the unique role festivals play in European civic life, combining artistic expression with social responsibility, community engagement, and democratic participation. By nurturing spaces where creativity, solidarity, and resilience flourish, festivals contribute not only to cultural life but to the very values that sustain Europe’s societies. The Festival Academy with its global community of young festival leaders aims to strengthen future collaboration with European institutions.

For more information about the roundtable and the ‘About Europe’ initiative, visit: https://www.european-festivals.eu/news/arts-festivals-and-festival-cities-launch-a-conversation-about-europe-in-the-presence-of-glenn-micallef-eu-commissioner-for-culture