D6: Culture in Transit

21/10/2026

🌱💫Coming soon....

Join us for the first MATCH Dialogue – Creative Practice, Climate and Community Gardens to hear directly from artists working with community gardens in response to the climate emergency. The online session includes...

✨ Community and Activism – Lizzie Reid, Maya Agniadis and Nafsika Hadjichristou
✨Systems of Exchange – Joana Amora and Hannah Taylor
✨Land and Collaboration – Swati Devichi and Christina Zampoulaki

🌱Who are the Dialogues for?
Wherever you’re based in the world, whether you're an artist, activist, environmental practitioner, community organiser, work with community gardens, or are interested in creative approaches to climate action, these exchanges are for you.

Free registration here... https://zoom.us/meeting/register/TLLRktRjQQiREAKbFvEHhA?_x_zm_rtaid=EfmYpl5nR4q_fUAj_J3f9A.1791374395004.49dfe387e112e823a47c1addc9847884&_x_zm_rhtaid=216 #/registration

MATCH Dialogues: Session 1 - Creative Practice, Climate and Community Gardens

Date: 27 October
Time: 15.00 - 17.00 WET / 16.00 - 18.00 CET / 17.00 - 19.00 EET

Join us for the first of three online events exploring the issues at the heart of the MATCH programme.

Addressing pressing issues of water scarcity, extreme heat and wildfires, the MATCH artists have been exploring how creative practice in community gardens can address the ways that the climate emergency is being felt across the Mediterranean.

In this first event, the MATCH artists will share the research they have developed during the MATCH programme and reflect on critical questions that connect their practices.

Register for the event here: https://zoom.us/j/99163592670?pwd=1JFpQ4ws9Xi3rjgkmBRSY83fyx9kbP.1

20/10/2026

🌍✨ Our latest D6 newsletter is packed with stories of artists, collaboration and international exchange.

Inside you'll find...
🌱 An invitation to join the free MATCH Dialogues exploring art, climate action and community gardens
💫 Updates from Contested Desires, including how D6 artists are building new international collaborations
👏 News of D6’s Producer Matt Denham's appointment to the Artists Now's Advisory Group
🌿 A new Julie's Bicycle's case study featuring MATCH

At the heart of it all are artists, collaboration and shared learning across borders.

💌 Read the latest edition https://lnkd.in/eAkkd534

And subscribe for future updates from D6 via our website www.d6culture.org

Image: MATCH artist Swati Devichi presenting research in progress at La Friche, Marseille, France. Photo: Clara Prat

07/10/2026

*Last chance to sign the petition*

An urgent call... If you believe in the value of cultural exchange and collaboration with Europe, please add your name to this petition calling on the UK to join Creative Europe.

Many of D6's most rewarding international projects were made possible through Creative Europe, creating a wealth of opportunities for artists in the North of England to enrich their practice and gain international experience, and helping us build lasting partnerships with artists and organisations across Europe.

The opportunities for artists and organisations across the culture sector would be huge! Join us...

**Petition closing in four days!**

https://www.openpetition.org/uk/petition/online/united-kingdom-to-join-the-creative-europe-programme-from-2027

With the Forum on EU-UK Cultural & Media Relations

29/09/2026

What a way to celebrate the final international residency of Contested Desires. 💫

At the Xarkis Festival in Kalavasos, all 22 artists came together to share artistic research developed over three years and shaped by encounters with place, history and community.

It was a joy to see D6 artists Ziza and Paul Nataraj presenting work alongside artists from across Europe, Africa and South America. Through residencies in Cyprus and beyond, they've built relationships, gained new perspectives and developed ideas that will continue to shape their work back home in the North of England.

We were also delighted to reconnect with Elisabeth Efua Sutherland, Andreas Mallouris, AFROSCOPE, Maria Luigia Gioffre and Rafael Guendelman Hales, who have been part of our residency programme in Newcastle.

Thank you to the Xarkis team and people of Kalavasos for this incredible opportunity for collaboration and cultural exchange.

As this chapter closes, we're celebrating the friendships and creative possibilities that will carry on long after the residency ends. Thank you to every artist who joined us on the journey. 💫

Contested Desires examines the impact of colonial legacies through artistic collaboration. Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. In the UK we are grateful for support from Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Community Foundation North East & Newcastle Council's Culture Investment Fund.

The programme is implemented in partnership with: Eccom - Idee per la Cultura D6:EU, Xarkis, La Bonne, Centre de Cultura de Dones Francesca Bonnemaison Herengracht401 Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência Museo delle Civiltà, Pro Progressione Bjcem - Association Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée, Museo Egizio, Torino Creative Court, Fabrique Art Studio

Associated Partners:

In collaboration with: , Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, RMCG -

Images from the Xarkis Festival taken by: Andreas Gregoras .g_photography | Andrea Constantinide © Xarkis

09/09/2026

Greetings from Kalavasos where we're delighted to join all 22 artists taking part part in Contested Desires for the final international residency!

Hosted by the Xarkis Festival in the beautiful village of Kalavasos in the foothills of the Troodos mountains, the residency marks the culmination of the three-year programme exploring how colonial legacies continue to shape contemporary society, culture and identity. And what a privilege it is to witness where that journey has led.

D6 artists Paul Nataraj and Ziza have been exchanging ideas with fellow artists and the people of Kalavosos in Cyprus, encountering the place through local memories, former copper miners, wheat weaving, herb foraging, silk cocoons and archival images. This process will give rise to new work, which will be shared at the Xarkis Festival during the final three days.

The residency also brings together artists who have taken part in residencies with D6 in Newcastle, including Elisabeth Efua Sutherland, Andreas Mallouris, AFROSCOPE, Maria Luigia Gioffre and Rafael Guendelman Hales, continuing relationships built through shared learning and collaboration.

If you're in Cyprus, come celebrate their journeys at the Xarkis Festival.

📍 Xarkis Festival
📅 11-13 September 2026
📌 Kalavasos, Cyprus

Contested Desires examines the impact of colonial legacies through artistic collaboration.

It is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. In the UK we are grateful for support from Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Community Foundation North East & Newcastle Council's Culture Investment Fund.

In collaboration with Bjcem - Association Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée Creative Court, D6:EU, Eccom - Idee per la Cultura, Herengracht401, La Bonne, Centre de Cultura de Dones Francesca Bonnemaison, Museo delle Civiltà, Museo Egizio, Torino, University of Lisbon's Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Pro Progressione, Xarkis, University of Technology, Larnaka 2030 - European Capital of Culture, Casa Árabe Madrid, the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries at University of Leicester, Foundation and Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos

📸 .g_photography

08/09/2026

07/09/2026

We're delighted to be in Cyprus joining the 22 artists taking part in Contested Desires for the final international residency.

Hosted as part of the Xarkis Festival in Kalavasos, the residency marks the culmination of a three-year programme exploring how colonial histories continue to shape contemporary society, culture and identity.

For D6 artists Paul Nataraj and Ziza, it is an opportunity to present their work internationally, expand their practice and build meaningful connections across borders.

The experience will strengthen their work at home too, bringing fresh perspectives to the North of England, deepening local collaborations, and creating new opportunities for communities to engage with artists and global cultural exchange.

If you are in Cyprus, come and see their journeys at the Xarkis Festival in the beautiful village of Kalavasos in the foothills of the Troodos mountains.

Xarkis Festival | 11-13 September 2026 | Kalavasos, Cyprus

Contested Desires examines the impact of colonial legacies through artistic collaboration.

It is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. In the UK, we are grateful for the support of Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Community Foundation North East's and Newcastle City Council's Newcastle Culture Investment Fund.

03/09/2026

It’s been such a delight having Paul Nataraj in residence at D6 this summer as part of the international programme.

Over the past few months we've watched a collaboration continue to grow and deepen. Building on his 2025 residency, Paul returned to spend more time with the brilliant women of Sangini, nurturing relationships and exploring where shared stories might lead.

At the heart of Paul's practice is listening. Through conversations, shared meals, creativity and trust, stories surfaced that connected lives in the North of England today with histories of migration, empire and belonging. The result was a beautiful and thought-provoking new collaborative work, 'The Ballad of the Scapegoat (after N Bose)'.

It's a powerful reminder of what can happen when artists and communities are given the time and care to build genuine connections.

Read the full story via the link in our bio.

Paul’s next stop is the Xarkis Festival in Cyprus with all 22 artists who have taken part in Contested Desires. Presenting their work within a truly international context, they will exchange ideas with the community in Kalavasos, learn from one another and continue conversations that have developed across multiple countries and contexts.

Warmest of thanks to all at Sangini, Paul, Padma, and D6’s Producer in Residence Aisha Khateeb.

Contested Desires examines the impact of colonial legacies through artistic collaboration.

It is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. In the UK , Community Foundation North East & Newcastle Council's Culture Investment Fund.

📸 workshops with Paul Nataraj and Sangini creating The Ballad of the Scapegoat (after N Bose), 2026. Photos: Paul Nataraj | Aisha Khateeb | Helen Holtom

13/08/2026

As Europe once again witnesses devastating wildfires, extreme heat and other escalating impacts of the climate crisis, we know that engaging citizens and enabling societal change is essential to adapt to and mitigate this new reality.

That's why we're proud to see MATCH (Mediterranean As The Climate Hotspot) featured by Julie's Bicycle, a leading international organisation championing climate action through arts and culture.

The Mediterranean is one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions, facing increasing pressures from rising temperatures, water scarcity, biodiversity loss and wildfire risk. Against this backdrop, MATCH brings together artists, cultural organisations, community gardens and local communities across Cyprus, Greece, France, Spain and Türkiye to explore how creativity, local knowledge and collective action can support climate resilience and environmental justice.

At the heart of the project are ten international artists whose residencies, interventions and community collaborations create space for dialogue, reflection and action on climate change. Their work demonstrates the important role that arts and culture can play in helping people understand complex environmental challenges and imagine sustainable futures.

And as part of this, one of the most powerful aspects of MATCH has been the international collaboration and knowledge exchange across borders to develop responses to a shared challenge.

🔗 Read the case study to find out about the artists’ interventions, project’s mapping of best practices and its forthcoming tool to help cultural organisations capture and communicate impact:

https://juliesbicycle.org/resource/mediterranean-as-the-climate-hotspot/

Bjcem - Association Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée, das Ideas, of the future, Contemporary Art Center, La Escocesa, Friche la Belle de Mai, Duncan Dance Center Athens, Maya Aghniadis (FLUGEN), Argyro Toumazou, Clymene Christoforou, Garance Maurer, Nafsika Hadjichristou, Christina Zambulaki, Joana Amora, Caterina Miralles Tagliabue, Annalisa Zegna, Lizzie Reid, Hannah Taylor, Swati Devichi

Explore the impacts of Mediterranean Climate Change through the lens of artists in this vulnerable region facing unprecedented challenges.

21/07/2026

Around the D6 table with good food and people to celebrate the end of this chapter with PaulNataraj in residence. We’ll miss you and the fantastic partnership with Sangini A Friend. Good times! And thank you .mp4 and Padma Rao for the special cupcakes 💛