April 9, 2026
Take Art continues to play an active role in SPARSE Plus, providing advocacy, evaluation, and research support. As we enter the final year of the project, we’re excited to share three key developments.
To revisit the spirit of the project, you can watch a short video from our joyful kick-off meeting in Marche, Italy in 2023.
In October 2025, partners gathered in Prague for a symposium exploring the challenges and opportunities of rural touring across Europe. We were delighted to welcome leading cultural thinkers François Matarasso and Justin O’Connor as guest speakers.
François spoke about how the arts remain vital during times of global uncertainty, highlighting the importance of co-creation—where artists and communities collaborate for mutual benefit. (Find out more about his work here). Justin drew on ideas from his recent book Culture Is Not an Industry (2024), arguing that the arts should be valued as a fundamental public good, alongside health and education, rather than purely for their economic impact.
The symposium also featured a panel discussion, moderated by Ralph Lister, focusing on the role of the arts in rural Europe and future opportunities as new funding programmes emerge.
We are preparing to publish new research into public funding for the arts in rural Europe, carried out by Chloe Sustainability. A recording of their presentation is available here. (Insert link)
The full report will be published in April 2026 and will offer valuable insights into how rural cultural activity is supported across Europe.
The SPARSE Plus consortium is developing a new application to Creative Europe. Alongside maintaining partnerships across 10 countries, the project aims to expand its reach by including new partners in Austria, Croatia, Latvia, Portugal, and Spain.
Final Tours and Celebration
As we approach the final round of tours in 2026, planning is underway for a celebratory event in Budapest, Hungary in September—marking the achievements and impact of the project.
