On the Move has embarked on a one-year international research and action project dedicated to the situation of at-risk and displaced artists. Its aim is to identify policies and (related) good practices in EU Member States as well as the UK and the USA, that support displaced artists’ professional development and bring them on an equitable level with support available to artists who are native to or legally settled in these countries.
The overarching aim of this research project is to identify policies and practices in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, that support the active inclusion of displaced artists and culture professionals. This comprehensive review will map out existing support schemes, success factors, and gaps, enabling support organisations and institutions to better monitor their programmes, share innovative responses, and update policies and programmes as needed.
The ultimate objective is to propose operational instruments that specifically address the active inclusion and long-term support of displaced arts professionals.
On the Move has been particularly active in this area through the activities of its working group on (en)forced mobility, which began in 2018 and has been renamed since 2025 At-risk and displaced arts workers. In this context, On the Move, following an initial proposal by Dr Mary Ann DeVlieg, has embarked on a year-long research process. This process is being be articulated around four main publications:
- Scoping review
- Policy analysis
- Comparative studies and interviews / focus groups
- Towards new instruments
The coordination team and the researchers can count on the experience, expertise and commitment of an Advisory Committee consisting of On the Move members:
- Anupama Sekhar – independent expert (United Arab Emirates)
- Birgit Ellinghaus – alba KULTUR (Germany)
- Bojana Panevska – DutchCulture / TransArtists (The Netherlands)
- Clymene Christoforou – D6: Culture in Transit (United Kingdom)
- Dirk de Wit – Kunstenpunt / Flanders Arts Institute (Belgium)
- Dr Mary Ann DeVlieg – independent expert (Italy)
- Dr. (habil.) Gokce Dervisoglu Okandan – researcher (Turkey)
- Fairooz Tamimi – Action for Hope (Belgium)
- Geoliane Arab – Onda, Office national de diffusion artistique (France)
- Ghita Khladi – Afrikayna (Morocco)
- Ivanna Karpeniuk – Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (Ukraine)
- Ixone Sabada Fernandez – Moving Artists (Spain)
- Gracie Golden – AFI, Artistic Freedom Initiative (United States of America)
- Julie Trébault – ARC, Artists at Risk Connection (United States of America)
- Laëtitia Manach – On the Move France
- Lara Bourdin – independent expert (Canada)
- Lina Allia – Phd candidate On the Move France, Radio Grenouille / Euphonia, Lyon University (France)
- Liudmyla Kozhekina – Ukrainian Cultural Foundation (Ukraine)
- Olga Yurkova – Ukrainian Institute (Ukraine)
- Ouafa Belgacem – Culture Funding Watch (Tunisia)
- Outi Elena Valanto – TGR, The Green Room (Germany)
- Simon Dove – CEC ArtsLink (United States of America)
- Yelyzaveta Sidelnykova – Ukrainian Institute (Ukraine)
The research-project is co-funded by the European Union, with additional support from the French Ministry of Culture and CEC ArtsLink.
