Cultural Mobility Forum 2025 Background Note

Text of the Forum on a coloured background.

Revisiting the International Mobility of Young and Emerging Arts Workers

29 & 30 April 2025 in Riga, Latvia, & online

Background Note by Yohann Floch, Director of Operations, capturing insights from On the Move’s members to guide the Forum’s content curation.

As the world emerged from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the career trajectories of young and emerging artists and culture professionals faced profound challenges. For many, their early careers began in the context of remote-only training, virtual internships, or online graduations, conditions that hindered vital networking and sector engagement. The pandemic interrupted the journeys of emerging artists and, in too many cases, led to abandonment of artistic pursuits altogether.

Data is scarce on those who may have reoriented their paths, raising questions: In 2025, who is genuinely prepared to pursue an artistic career in the face of such profound uncertainties? How digital development, mobility justice issues, climate concerns and global uncertainties influence their appetite to embrace an international pathway?

Entering the international arts and culture sector

Graduates in the arts and cultural fields are finding the transition into the professional sphere increasingly difficult. The pandemic-era limitations on face-to-face learning, internships, and international networking events disrupted the ability of young practitioners to build foundational industry connections. Many emerging artists, even those with some pre-pandemic experience, struggled to regain their footing, as the shutdown stalled opportunities, undoing years of professional growth. This situation calls for critical discussions on how to better support young graduates during this vulnerable entry phase, addressing issues around employability, discoverability, and integration into a rapidly evolving field.

Working conditions

The precarious working conditions in the arts and culture sector have long been acknowledged, but the pandemic exacerbated these challenges. Economic instability, funding cuts, and rising travel costs are deterring young talent from entering or staying in the sector, particularly in under-resourced regions (e.g. in the global South), where financial support for the arts remains scarce. These economic pressures are deeply intertwined with an increasingly lack of stability or predictable opportunities. The question now is whether the available international funding mechanisms can adapt to these new realities. Have reduced funding and mobility restrictions shifted emerging creatives’ perceptions of international opportunities?

International mobility barriers and exclusions

Despite a strong desire for international exchange, young artists and culture professionals face considerable barriers to mobility. While some constraints – such as geopolitical conflicts, economic hardships – are longstanding, more recent issues like the rising cost of living, reduced global North support mechanisms and/or ethical questions around sources of funding further complicate the prospect of international engagement.

In regions where travel is essential for sustaining a career in the arts, the financial burden of balancing home expenses with travel costs creates additional pressures. For those in economically disadvantaged areas, the affordability of mobility remains a significant and often overlooked issue. The risk is that a generation may forgo international careers, not by choice, but due to systemic barriers that limit access to global opportunities.

Mental health and well-being: The weight of sustainability

The mental health of young artists and culture professionals is an urgent issue. Post-pandemic studies across Europe and globally have highlighted increasing mental health concerns among young people, including those in the arts. In crisis-affected areas, young creatives hesitate to travel due to fears about career sustainability and the personal toll of continual movement and uncertainty. Visa restrictions further intensify this stress, limiting opportunities for those who need international exposure for their work. While recognising that mobility-related challenges impact professionals across all generations, it’s essential to address both the logistical and emotional barriers that young arts workers face. Examining how mobility inequities contribute to mental health struggles highlights the need for more inclusive support systems for emerging professionals.

Access to mobility information and opportunities: Breaking down structural barriers

For young artists and culture professionals seeking to take their work internationally, access to reliable information remains a critical barrier. Many are uncertain about where to find updated resources or who to contact, with defunct websites and outdated information often leaving them hesitant to pursue international opportunities. This gap in accessible, up-to-date mobility information hinders the ambitions of young artists and culture professionals, who are often without established networks or institutional support.

On one side, we observe that Western and Northern European artists today are showing less enthusiasm for international mobility than previous generations. Whereas transnational movement was once seen as essential to artistic growth, many younger artists now question the long-term sustainability of frequent travel, especially with a growing awareness of the climate crisis and the personal toll of a career that requires constant movement. Mental health concerns and a need for more stable, rooted lives are making people question the appeal of a career that requires relentless travel. For many, reducing mobility is an easy first step toward aligning with climate goals, as they reconsider the environmental impact of creating, producing and presenting work internationally.

On the other hand, artists in less-resourced world regions encounter entirely different obstacles, including accessing visas, and yet international mobility is often more a question of necessity than preference, as it can lead to essential opportunities that can sustain creative careers. However, without benefiting from the same resources and infrastructure, these artists often face complex financial and logistical barriers that restrict their ability to connect with global audiences and sustain their career.

Navigating market pressures and artistic integrity

The dominance of Western markets often pressures artists from other regions to adapt their work to fit Western-centric standards, which can push them towards a superficial exoticism. The digital realm has introduced new dynamics in the arts, where social media platforms, while offering visibility, can turn their work into mere commodities, shaped by commercial trends rather than artistic integrity. Even collaborative transnational projects intended to foster cross-cultural exchange may, under commercial pressure, reinforce stereotypes or distort artistic visions, creating an exploitative dynamic where authentic voices are overshadowed by market demands. The challenge is to foster inclusivity and encourage artistic expression free from market-driven constraints.

Through these themes, this Cultural Mobility Forum 2025 will foster critical dialogue on the pathways forward for young and emerging artists and culture professionals, offering perspectives on how international mobility, inclusivity, and sustainability can be reimagined for a resilient arts and culture sector.

Read more about the Forum updates here.

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