Open Call: Research ERASMUS and the Making of European Belonging

A lesser known part of the European Cultural Foundation (ECF)’s history is the contribution to the development and implementation of the ERASMUS programme.

In 2027, ERASMUS celebrates its 40th anniversary. To mark this occasion, the ECF offers a Creative Research Fellowship with a grant of €10,000, inviting a professional creative practitioner to explore its historical archives, held at the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) in Florence, and rediscover the importance of the ERASMUS chapter in the making of Europe.

The resulting work will be presented at the House of European History in Brussels in September 2027, subject to confirmation.

Objectives and Outcomes

The Fellowship has three interconnected objectives:

• To rediscover and bring to light the European Cultural Foundation’s role in the development and implementation of ERASMUS, using the ECF archives as a primary source.

• To explore what ERASMUS has meant for European belonging, and what its history can tell us about the relationship between education, exchange and people’s experience of Europe.

• To look towards the future: to ask what a next ERASMUS could be — and what could help bring Europe closer to people today.

The fellowship is not intended simply to illustrate or retell the history of the ERASMUS programme. Rather, we are interested in proposals that reflect on what its history reveals about the Europe we have built over the past forty years—and the Europe that might come next.

The fellowship is research-led but not limited to a particular medium or discipline. We are looking for projects that translate archival research into a compelling public-facing outcome that can be experienced, presented or encountered in a cultural setting.

Who Can Apply?

• The Fellowship is open to professional creative practitioners who are prepared to engage with the ECF archives to investigate and interpret the history and legacy of ERASMUS.

• Applicants must demonstrate a professional track record and substantial experience in developing and presenting research-based work suitable for a museum context.

• Applicants must reside in a Council of Europe member state.

Application Deadline & Procedure

• Application deadline: 1 December 2026 at 17:00 CET

• Candidates must apply through the online application form.

• Applications and all supporting documentation must be submitted in English.

• Selection of the Fellow: second half of December 2026.

• Research stay: first trimester of 2027.

• Completion of the work: 31 July 2027.

• Public presentation: September 2027, House of European History, Brussels, subject to confirmation.