Ireland is welcoming delegates from across Europe as the Creative Europe Desks Meeting takes place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin on 30 October 2026. Representatives from 24 countries, alongside European cultural agencies and sector experts, are discussing how European funding and inclusive cultural mobility can support artists, creative professionals and communities.
The meeting is being held in partnership with Creative Europe Desk Ireland and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, on the occasion of Ireland’s EU Presidency. It brings together stakeholders from the cultural and creative sectors to share policy ideas, practical experience and opportunities for international collaboration.
Creative Europe Desks Meeting focuses on wider access
Creative Europe is the European Commission’s flagship programme for supporting Europe’s culture and audiovisual industries. National Creative Europe Desks provide guidance on European funding, partnerships and opportunities for organisations and professionals working in these fields.
A central theme of the Dublin meeting is how Creative Europe Desks can reach a broader range of cultural sectors. Delegates are also examining the role of inclusive cultural mobility schemes in enabling cross-border exchange and collaboration.
Key topics on the agenda
- Artist and cultural professional mobility across Europe
- Public libraries, reading promotion and literacy policy
- Equality and gender-positive literature for young people
- Support for forcibly displaced and at-risk artists
- Culture Moves Europe funding for residency hosts
Representatives from the European Education and Culture Executive Agency and the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture are taking part, together with experts and other stakeholders from across Europe.
Libraries, literacy and international artist support
Policy discussions will explore how public libraries can strengthen their multiple roles in communities and how European reading and literacy initiatives can benefit citizens. Delegates will also hear about the G-Book Project, which supports the circulation of gender-positive teen literature across the European Union.
On the Move will address the challenges faced by forcibly displaced artists and cultural professionals. Its contribution will focus on international working opportunities and approaches to hosting artists who are at risk or displaced.
The programme will also examine Culture Moves Europe funding for residency hosts. This support can help connect residency organisations with artists and cultural professionals to develop collaborative projects.
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Ireland’s cultural sector gains a European platform
Lucy Tevlin, Head of the Culture Office at Creative Europe Desk Ireland, said the gathering would offer delegates insight into Ireland’s national and local arts landscape. The programme will also highlight European cooperation projects involving Irish partners.
The meeting provides an opportunity to build stronger relationships between Irish and European cultural organisations. It also demonstrates how funding programmes can connect libraries, artists, publishers, residency hosts and creative communities across borders.
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What the Creative Europe meeting means for Ireland
The Dublin event places Ireland at the centre of a European conversation about cultural cooperation, mobility and access to creative opportunities. Its discussions may help identify practical ways for cultural organisations and professionals to collaborate internationally and connect with European funding.
Key takeaway: the Creative Europe Desks Meeting highlights the importance of inclusive funding, international partnerships and cultural exchange in strengthening Ireland’s links with the wider European creative community.
Article/Image Courtesy: gov.ie