zusa

02/06/2026

How do you document, interpret and represent experiences that make up the contemporary historical archive? We invite you to discuss the approaches you have found in your own practice at the “Tactful Commemoration, Artistic Documentation, and the Social Archive of Heritage” Workshop as part of the Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність Programme.

We will be joined by:
Kateryna Demerza — philosopher, translator, Head of Communications at the VETERANKA Movement.
Larysa Denysenko — lawyer, human rights advocate, writer, women’s rights activist, and a JurFem board member.
Kateryna Semeniuk — cultural manager, curator, co-founder of the Past / Future / Art platform, and Head of the NGO Cultural Practices.
Marta Syrko — Ukrainian artist and photographer, featured in Forbes’ “10 Women Preserving And Shaping Ukrainian Art And Culture”

23rd June, 14:00 CET / 15:00 EET. Participation is free of charge, the event will be held in Ukrainian with English translation.
Register now: https://forms.gle/gwWmDTdbwnoBRHLb6

Keep an eye for the upcoming open calls, the 4th round of Individual Grants will open soon.
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The “Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність“ is a project co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme and implemented by the European Cultural Foundation (NL), Інша Освіта / Insha Osvita (UA), zusa (DE) and Рух Veteranka (UA).

02/06/2026

friends of zusa news 🗣️

Only a few weeks in and we have already raised over €8000 - that’s beyond our wildest dreams and shows the appetite for investing in transnational communities! Thank you! Now is the time to double down. So. Can you help us raise the next €4000 so that we can establish majority ownership and at the same time secure support for the zusa culture-worker-at-risk residency program? Caring is sharing!

Tag someone who should be a fozzie. 👇

🔗 Did you sign up already: https://eu.jotform.com/260613071152041?

26/05/2026

The MitOst Festival goes to Armenia from 17–20 September 2026! ❤️

While we were still in Chișinău, it was clear that the spirit of the MitOst Festival would continue beyond that moment. The conversations, connections, and shared energy carried us forward and with them, a promise was made to meet again. We are happy to host the 22nd Festival – and celebrate our 30th anniversary! – in collaboration with the local hosts and one of our long standing partners, EcoHub Foundation.

We’re looking forward to gather in a different context to explore new perspectives and conversations.

📌 Registration will open very soon! Until then, we invite you to book these dates in your calendar and stay tuned.

The 22nd MitOst Festival is organized by MitOst in collaboration with local host organization EcoHub Foundation and Bosch Alumni Network.

26/05/2026

A question for the cultural sector:
Who owns the organisations doing the work we say we believe in?
Usually: a founding board. An institutional parent. A funder with strings attached.
zusa is trying something different. friends of zusa is a community co-ownership model — alumni, partners, and people who care holding real shares in a transnational cultural social enterprise.
Unique? Maybe. Most of all: we think this model is worth proving. And we're inviting people to be part of the proof.
If you work in arts management, cultural policy, or international exchange — or if you just think the sector needs more experiments like this — take a look.

🔗 Read more: https://zusaculture.org/friends-of-zusa-foz/
🔗 Fill in the form:https://eu.jotform.com/260613071152041

Want to know more? Reach out to Jotham Sietsma.

19/05/2026

Something unusual is happening at zusa.
This year, the people who care about zusa's work — programme alumni, partners, colleagues, friends of friends — are buying a majority stake in the organisation.
Not a board. Not a funder. A community. friends of zusa (foz) is the community co-owner of zusa. We currently hold 25% of shares. Our goal is to add more than 25% and become majority owner, putting the people who've lived and breathed this work in the driver's seat.
If you've been part of Tandem, VAHA, Culture Helps, AiR zusa, or any of the programmes and partnerships in zusa's orbit: this is your invitation.

Contributions start at €100. There's no wrong amount. What matters is that you're in.

Want to know more? Reach out to Jotham Sie.

🔗 Read more and fill in the form: https://zusaculture.org/friends-of-zusa-foz/

06/05/2026

📝 Apply for the 3rd open call of Individual Grants
We are opening the third call for individual grants within the «Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність» project. For those who did not manage to apply for the previous rounds of individual grants - the third round has already been opened.
Conditions are unchanged: we provide up to 1200€ for psychological support for cultural professionals and activists who support people who have been forced to relocate and/or are returning from military service – helping them to (re)integrate into new communities. Funds can be used for psychotherapy, retreats, visits to museums and theatres, art therapy activities and workshops, etc.
🔹 Deadline for applications: May 18, 2026, 13:00 (CET) / 14:00 (Kyiv)
🔹 Read more about the open call here and submit your application via this link: https://culture-of-solidarity-fund.grantplatform.com/
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The “Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність“ is a project co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme and implemented by the European Cultural Foundation(NL), Інша Освіта / Insha Osvita(UA), zusa (DE) and Рух Veteranka(UA).

09/04/2026

19/03/2026

📝 Apply for the 2nd open call of Individual Grants

We are opening the second call for individual grants within the «Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність» project. Because when everything around is falling apart, we rely on our own strength and resilience. Which cannot last without support.

This is the aim of the grant: we are providing up to €1,200 for psychological support for cultural professionals and activists who support people who have been forced to relocate and/or are returning from military service – helping them to (re)integrate into new communities. Funds can be used for psychotherapy, retreats, visits to museums and theatres, art therapy activities and workshops, etc.

🔹 Deadline for applications: April 6, 2026, 13:00 (CET) / 14:00 (Kyiv)
🔹 Info session: March 24, 13:00 (CET) / 14:00 (Kyiv); You can register via this link: https://bit.ly/40Fuexa
🔹 Read more about the open call here and submit your application via this link: https://culture-of-solidarity-fund.grantplatform.com/
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The “Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність“ is a project co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme and implemented by the European Cultural Foundation(NL), Інша Освіта / Insha Osvita(UA), zusa (DE) and Рух Veteranka(UA).

03/03/2026

Cultural workers across and Europe are helping communities stay connected, supported and resilient.

The new Culture Helps Solidarity website is now live, bringing together information, resources, and opportunities for Ukrainians working in culture during times of war. The recordings from the recent information and matchmaking sessions are now available.

The Individual Care Grants session helps applicants prepare for the next call opening on 16 March. The Collaboration Grants session supports organisations developing cross-border cultural projects, with the current call open until 31 March.

Culture Helps Solidarity is a Creative Europe-funded programme implemented by the European Cultural Foundation in partnership with Інша Освіта / Insha Osvita, zusa, and Рух Veteranka.

Explore the resources and the website: culturehelpssolidarity.eu/resources/

03/03/2026

Community (Dis-)Connections: How Culture Helps and Has Its Limits. On March 5, from 15:00 Amsterdam time / 15:00 Kyiv time, we will explore these questions during a webinar within the “Culture Helps Solidarity”.

On the agenda:
▪️Alona Karavai, co-founder of Insha Osvita and Asortymentna Kimnata. She will discuss the «Scattered Communities» program and the mechanics of staying connected within the Ukrainian art community across borders.
▪️Yevhenia Nesterovych, cultural manager and head of the NGO “Post Bellum-Ukraine”. She will speak on memory work and creating spaces for difficult conversations.
▪️Olena Herasymiuk, poet and “Hospitallers” paramedic. On the art-therapeutic integration of veterans and the “MAK 4.5.0” project.
▪️Nastya Khlestova, curator and co-founder of the “Garage 127” project. She will share her experience working with the Ukrainian art community in Graz.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4s5OJyq
Participation is free and will be considered an advantage for those applying for project grants within the program. Language: Ukrainian with English interpretation.
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The “Culture Helps Solidarity / Культура допомагає: Солідарність“ is a project co-funded by the EU Creative Europe Programme and implemented by the European Cultural Foundation (NL), Інша Освіта / Insha Osvita (UA), zusa (DE) and Рух Veteranka (UA).