zusa

we practice and promote the art of collaboration as a force for systemic change. We create, open and give space to process, playfulness and experimentation.

We are zusa, an international organisation working for and with cultural and civil society actors that strive for change in their social and cultural contexts. We practice and promote the art of collaboration as a force for systemic change. zusa is based in Berlin and works in Europe, North Africa, West Asia and beyond. At the core of our work and values is a do-it-together approach. Together with

partners we create and implement programmes based on collaborative principles. We see our role primarily as supporting others to get better at their work by introducing tools of collaboration, acting as a backbone and forging more alliances. We like trying new ways of working and we remain curious about the possibilities that our different experiences, knowledge, and perspectives can bring to our joint work. zusa was established in 2021, born out of the Cultural Exchange department of MitOst e.V.. The Cultural Exchange department has developed and implemented programmes such as Tandem - Culture without Borders and Actors of Urban Change. Now zusa operates independently while remaining a driving force in the MitOst network. Since its founding in 1996, MitOst connects active citizens in an open and diverse network in Europe and its neighbouring regions.

30/06/2026

zusa events series

Dates: opening 3rd of July from 17:30; exhibition open on 4th of July 11-14:00
Location: residency space (please reach out for further details)

We are happy to host “Ritual plays”, a photography exhibition created by two friends - Dzvinka Hotsyk and Thu Nguyen. Despite being in very different points in their lives, the two formed a close friendship last year and are celebrating their reunion through their collaborative photography project. It aims to explore and reflect on contrasts and similarities in their personalities and how they come together to build a connection, as well as the ritual of building a friendship itself.
Join us on July 3rd at 17:30 for a friendly and cozy opening, or come on July 4th from 11:00 to 14:00 to see the photos in a quieter setting. Bring a friend or make a new one at the event. We’ll be happy to see you there!

📢 Call for creatives: With this event, we are officially announcing that our space is available to host other cultural events, exhibitions and workshops. If you have an idea, please feel free to reach out to us!

10/06/2026

📢 zusa community call
There are many exciting developments in our cosmos these days: the campaign for co-ownership with friends of zusa, a Tandem alumni event in Berlin and much more. If you want to know more about these activities or simply want to spend an hour with friendly faces, please join us on Wednesday, 24 June at 16:00 CET.

Calendar link: https://calendar.app.google/dvuMPSaXLxvYbecj6

09/06/2026

📩 Apply for the 4th open call of Individual Grants
We are opening the forth 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 forth 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: 29 June 2026, 13:00 (CET) / 14:00 (Kyiv) time
🔹 Info session: 11 June at 14:00 (CET) / 15:00 Kyiv time
🔹 Please find more details about the open call and the Info session registration links in the comments below.
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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

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

Adresse

Herzbergstraße 84
Berlin
10365

Webseite

http://www.zusaculture.org/

Benachrichtigungen

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