OPEN CALLS

Our Picks | Open Calls across Arts, Culture & Media to apply in May

Our monthly curated list of seven open calls closing in May and early June 2026, supporting projects in music, journalism, design, food research, cultural innovation, and cross-sector mentoring.

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

Press Freedom Has Reached Its Worst Point in 25 Years

Reporters Without Borders' 2026 global index reveals the catastrophic state of an industry under siege, spanning locations from Gaza to Guatemala and from Washington to Warsaw. For the first time in 25 years, half of the world's countries have difficult or very poor conditions for the press. 

Latest
Why listening is the most important democratic skill of the digital age
Open Call
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism 2026 - call for submissions
Open Call
International Scholarship for Cultural Practitioners Working with Heritage & Collections
And Fashion for All: Embedding Accessibility into the Heart of Garment Design
Our study looked at teens’ social media behaviour in 43 countries – those from disadvantaged backgrounds face greater harms
Open Call
A curated tour for those building creative places in rural Europe
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Open Call
Philanthropy

Retreat for journalists about Trauma, Resilience and Ethical Reporting in Greece

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GCJT and iMEdD | Call for European Journalists' Retreat

Open Call
Public funding

Design and business strategy experts are invited to become NEB mentors

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New European Bauhaus | NEB Mentors Open Call 2026

Artificial Intelligence

Children's data harvested on vast scale as global watchdogs find age checks routinely bypassed

A co-ordinated sweep of nearly 900 websites and apps found that more than half demand sensitive personal information from young users, with nearly three quarters of age-verification systems easily circumvented.

Why listening is the most important democratic skill of the digital age
The more commodified your job, the more likely AI can do it – lessons from online freelancing
An arms race over disinformation: using AI to detect AI
Two verdicts in two days: How American courts are rewriting the rules for Big Tech and children

Interviews

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Jordi Baltà Portolés: 'We Need A Stronger Recognition Of Culture In International Frameworks'

Neda Rusjan Bric, Soul of the Borderless ECoC: "Just Keep Going"

Matej Drlička: We need a European Artistic Freedom Act

Lars Ebert: “Now is the moment to start talking about European culture”

Inclusion

EU Forces Meta's Hand as Brussels Launches Age Verification App

The European Commission has declared Instagram and Facebook in breach of DSA after finding that children under 13 can bypass age restrictions simply by entering a false date of birth.

Our study looked at teens’ social media behaviour in 43 countries – those from disadvantaged backgrounds face greater harms
Expert Panel Holds Second Session For Child Online Safety After Flagship Age Verification App's Presentation
EU Commission unveils ‘technically ready’ age verification app to protect children online
“Deaf” wins the 2026 LUX Audience Award

Case Studies

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And Fashion for All: Embedding Accessibility into the Heart of Garment Design

Rebuilding War-Torn Ukraine with Renewable, Community-Led Materials

KONTEJNER: Reanimating a Void Through Bio-Art and Sensory Practice

From Roubaix's Ruins to a National Network: How Fashion Green Hub Proved That Sustainability Creates Jobs

Working Conditions

Available but invisible: Europe's cultural works are losing the algorithm

A major new European Commission study finds that in the digital environment, availability is no longer enough. For music, books, and the arts, the real battle is discoverability — and Europe is losing it.

Press Freedom Has Reached Its Worst Point in 25 Years
The commission updates EU competition rules for technology licensing agreements
The EU Opened the Books on €2.44 Billion in Cultural Funding. Here's What the Data Shows
European Commission and EUIPO Join Forces to Crack Down on Online IP Theft

Ukraine Crisis

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Rebuilding War-Torn Ukraine with Renewable, Community-Led Materials

From Insight to Impact: Powering Quality Journalism with Audience Data

Commissioner Micallef in Rome to build financial support for multilateralism through culture and cultural heritage

G. Micallef: "Ukraine's future is Europe's future. And culture belongs at the center of that future"

Greening

Thirty Projects Win Continent's Most Prestigious Conservation Awards

The European Commission and Europa Nostra announced on Tuesday the winners of the 2026 European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, honouring 30 exemplary projects and champions from 18 countries across the continent.

Belgian Ruin and Slovenian Temporary Theatre Win Mies van der Rohe Awards 2026
Rebuilding War-Torn Ukraine with Renewable, Community-Led Materials
Celluloid: the story of the plastic that made Hollywood
Buildings consume 30% of global energy – digital twins could be the key to cutting their waste