Teesside University invites contributions to major European artistic research gathering

Teesside University is calling on artists, researchers and community practitioners to take part in a major international gathering exploring new approaches to knowledge, creativity and place.

The University’s Institute for Collective Place Leadership (ICPL) is co-organising the European Artistic Research Network (EARN) Gathering 2026 in partnership with the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, marking Teesside’s first participation in this influential international network.

Taking place in Vienna, Austria, from 4–6 November 2026, the gathering, titled ‘Harvesting Otherwise’, will bring together a diverse global community to explore mutually beneficial, place-based approaches to knowledge production.

The event represents a significant opportunity to showcase Teesside University’s leadership in participatory arts, place-based research and cultural regeneration on an international stage.

At the heart of the programme is the concept of ‘harvest’, reimagined beyond its agricultural roots as a way of understanding how knowledge is grown, shared, sustained and regenerated across communities, ecologies and generations.

Professor Azadeh Fatehrad, Co-Director of the Institute for Collective Place Leadership at Teesside University, said: ‘We are delighted to be co-organising the EARN Gathering 2026, marking Teesside University’s first engagement with this important international network.

‘Harvesting Otherwise invites us to rethink how knowledge is created and share, moving beyond extractive models towards more collaborative, place-based, and community-rooted practices.

‘This gathering offers a unique opportunity to connect our work in participatory arts and cultural regeneration with global conversations, and to learn from diverse perspectives shaping more sustainable and inclusive futures.’

The organisers are inviting contributions that experiment with collaborative, creative and inclusive methods of working and thinking.

The call welcomes proposals in a wide range of formats, including:

• Participatory workshops
• Storytelling circles
• Listening sessions
• Panels and roundtables
• Film screenings
• Artistic interventions and installations
• Sonic and performance-based practices
• Collective and experimental formats

Submissions are particularly encouraged from those engaging with:

• Community-led and non-extractive research
• Place-based and ecological knowledge
• Migration, identity and belonging
• Cultural regeneration
• Ancestral and more-than-human knowledge systems
• Rural, post-industrial and underrepresented contexts

The deadline for submission is 30 May and successful applicants will be notified by 15 June.

There is no fee to submit a proposal. Participants will be expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs, although support letters are available to assist with funding applications.

For further information email A.Fatehrad@tees.ac.uk

---