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Application Form

For a one-year European programme for emerging creatives.

HAPPENING is built on a simple idea: entrepreneurship is about making an idea happen. We support emerging or soon-to-be creatives in:

- developing their own projects,

- understanding their ecosystems (local and European),

- strengthening their skills and confidence,

- evaluate their impact as cultural entrepreneur,

- shaping their own definition of cultural entrepreneurship.

What to expect concretely?
HAPPENING offers a ten-month  European Programme (October 2026 – May 2027), involving:

- Online Kick-Off: 12th November 2026

- Module 1 - Local and European ecosystems - 8th to 10th December 2026

- Module 2 - Creative Entrepreneur Key Competences - 26th to 28th January 2027

- Module 3 - Ethics and Sustainability in Creative Work - 23rd to 25th February 2027

- Mobility in Brussels - 13th to 15th April 2027

- Co-creation of a set of open-access digital tools - 19th and 20th May, 2027

- Return on experience - 28th September, 2027

- Networking with participants, professionals and partner organisations
- Delivering a Youthpass, a European certification of non-formal competences developed

As part of the training programme, you are warmly invited to a European webinar which will take place during the week 8-9 September 2026 and during which the consortium will be presenting the Creative Entrepreneur Compass, a tool designed for cultural entrepreneurs to self-assess their work and impact. Join us to enrich the discussion!

Be careful: when applying, please make sure to already block the dates on your calendars. If selected, you commit to be part of the whole project!

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for 27 young and emerging creatives who wish to develop their projects, skills and autonomy within a European collaborative framework. Eligible profiles include (but are not limited to):

Fields

- Performing arts (theatre, music, dance, contemporary circus, etc.)

- Cinematography

- Creative media (podcasts, audiovisual tools, sensitive and author-driven formats)

- Visual arts 

- Cultural managers, producers and cultural workers active in these fields

Requirements

- Resident in Belgium, France or Italy (no nationality requirement)

- Aged 20 to 35

- Comfortable working in English

- Motivated to engage in a collective, reflective and experimental processes

- Open to working in an international and diverse environment

By intentionally gathering participants from diverse artistic disciplines and professional profiles, the project will create a rich and heterogeneous ecosystem where tools are co-created through real exchanges of practices, experiences and perspectives — ensuring that future resources (educational online course available for free, audiovisual formats, toolkits) are grounded in reality and adaptable to a wide range of creative entrepreneurs in the future. 

Application and Selection Timeline

Application open from 10th March to 1st May 2026

Selection results: 30th June 2026

Waiting list open until: 30 September 2026

For more details on the Selection Process, please see below.

About you

Gender

Gender
A
B
C
D

Which artistic/cultural field(s) do you feel you belong to?

Tell us a bit about you: where are you from, what is your story, from which context does your project emerge?

About your project

By “project”, we refer either to a specific initiative or to a broader organisational structuring or development project.

Your project in one sentence

Name & creation date

If it isn't created yet, launch date

Tell us about it: what do or will you do?

What is your activity about - what needs do you want to address?

What are the current challenges of your project? What do you expect from this Programme to overcome them?

What are your needs as an emerging creative? What are your motivations to be part of this adventure?

Why do you want to bring your project to an international level?

If you already have some experience at European or international level, please describe it.

What is your vision of cooperation and collective approaches?

If you've already been part of a collective project, please tell us a bit more. If not, what is your vision of collective projects and cooperation?

What is your understanding of entrepreneurship?

Whether you already have a entrepreneurial approach, experience or not: what is your idea of cultural entrepreneurship?

If your project is selected, what would be your goals by the end of the programme?

Upload your resume/portfolio, anything that describes your work, projects and universe

How did you hear about this Programme?

How did you hear about this Programme?

What is your level English?

What is your level English?

Do you have the necessary tools to follow-up with online meetings? (Internet connexion, camera, mic,...)

Are you interested in taking part in the Evaluation process of the whole project?

Being part of the evaluation process of the project means that you will be a representative from your national team, alongside with other national representatives. You will be one of the management team's contact points, a person to which the other participants can refer to. You will also be included in the Advisory Board of the whole project (2026-2029), alongside with the management team and other cultural professionals and experts, to help us evaluate its impacts in the longer-term. Answering "yes" to this question is not a commitment: we will organise a meeting, in September-October 2026, to explain in more details.

I agree with HAPPENING Charter and Privacy Policy and commit to respect them during my whole involvement within the project.

I agree with HAPPENING Charter and Privacy Policy and commit to respect them during my whole involvement within the project.

If you have any special need, that we should be aware to support your online and physical participation to the project (i.e reduced mobility,...) please let us know here.

About the selection process

Applications open from 10th March to 1st May
Selection results: 30th June 2026

Each partner organisation (ALTER EGO (X) in France, Energie Alter-native in Italy and ICHEC in Belgium) will be responsible for the pre-selection of 9 candidates in their respective country. Please note that additional interviews may be required as part of the selection process.

A transnational selection meeting will then be organised by the consortium in order to finalise the selection and ensure a balanced group of participants, in terms of artistic practices, profiles, experiences and backgrounds.

By intentionally gathering participants from diverse artistic disciplines and professional profiles, the project will create a rich and heterogeneous ecosystem where tools are co-created through real exchanges of practices, experiences and perspectives.

A waiting list will be established and activated if needed (until 30th September 2026).

All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application. In case of non-selection, we commit to providing individual feedback on your application.

Participation Fees & Financial Coverage

HAPPENING is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Youth Programme of the European Union. Participation in the project is therefore free of charge.


The following costs are covered:

- Online activities and individual follow-up: fully covered

- Mobility activity (Brussels, 2027): participants benefit from Erasmus+ travel grants, calculated as lump sums depending on the distance travelled. A specific top-up is available for those opting for low-carbon (“green”) travel options:

From France (green travel mandatory): up to 200€

From Italy: up to 250€ / 400€ if green travel 

- Accomodation allowance: 85€ day/participant


Please note that participants will be responsible for booking their own travel, in coordination with the organising partners. Food costs are not covered, unless explicitly mentioned for a specific activity.


More detailed practical information will be shared with selected participants.

Any question ? Please consult our FAQ our feel free to write us at happening.eu@gmail.com