UAxEU | Advocacy and Cultural Policy – Perspectives from Ukraine and Across Europe
28 October 2026
13:00 – 15:00 CET, Brussels time | 14:00 – 16:00 (UTC+3), Ukraine time
The first of four knowledge exchange session hosted by the UkrAinian cultural eXchange with European Union (UAxEU) initiative is taking place Wednesday 28 October 2026 and will explore how advocacy, cultural policy, and international cooperation can strengthen collaboration between Ukraine and the wider European cultural sector.
This first session explores how advocacy, cultural policy, and international cooperation can strengthen collaboration between Ukraine and the wider European cultural sector. Through an informal exchange, we hope to contribute to an interconnected Ukraine-EU cultural community grounded in solidarity, exchange, co-creation, and care.
The session brings together two expert perspectives that build on each other. The first will outline the context in which Ukrainian cultural actors operate, including how the sector has changed since the start of the war, and their current priorities for action. The second will connect this to the European cultural policy landscape: how networks, partnerships, and engagement with EU institutions can help cultural actors shape policy, funding, and international cooperation, and why this matters.
Together, these perspectives explore how cultural practitioners, artists, changemakers, and institutions can engage in collective advocacy and strengthen the visibility and representation of the Ukrainian cultural sector within European frameworks.
After the conversation, participants will join discussion groups to reflect on how European frameworks relate to their work, which issues affecting the Ukrainian cultural sector need greater visibility, and what forms of international collaboration are most relevant today.
What participants will share will help shape the themes and priorities of the remaining three sessions, ensuring they respond to the needs, questions, and experiences emerging from participants and the wider UAxEU community.
Agenda
− Welcome & Introductions
− Expert Contributions: Cultural Policy & Advocacy with moderated discussion and Q&A
Moderator: Philipp Dietachmair, Head of Programmes at European Cultural Foundation
Experts:
Julia Kolomak, Executive Director at Coalition for Cultural Actors
Luiza Moroz, Head of Policy at Culture Action Europe
− Break
− Breakout Discussions
− Plenary: Key Insights from the Groups
− Closing Words and Next Steps
Phillip Dietachmair, Kerem Çelikoğlu (Culture Action Europe)
Advocacy and Cultural Policy – Perspectives from Ukraine and Across Europe
28 October 2026
13:00 – 15:00 CET, Brussels time | 14:00 – 16:00 (UTC+3), Ukraine time
Image: Students at Lviv National Academy of Arts, Ukraine | Photographer: Alina Kindyak, 2026