SAR Newsletter Summer 2025

Artistic Research: A Powerful Engine for Europe’s Prosperity, Global Competitiveness and Societal Resilience

As part of the Artistic Research Alliance (ARA), Society for Artistic Research welcomes the doubling of the budget of Horizon Europe for the period 2028-2034 that was proposed by the European Commission. However, there are still pitfalls to overcome in view of raising the excellence and international competitiveness of the European Research Area and its constituents.

In our collective response statement to the initial proposals for Horizon Europe 2028-2034, we present a set of recommendations on how to fully leverage arts and culture, heritage, and creativity in the further development and implementation of the programme, with a particular focus on the role of artistic research.

To maintain global significance and achieve its long-term strategic objectives, the European Union must invest in forward-looking, high-impact research ecosystems. By stimulating and supporting artistic research, the EU will not only strengthen its competitiveness in key industrial areas but also strengthen its transformative capacity and societal resilience.

The ARA represents the diverse field of artistic research, encompassing academic institutions, independent research institutions, and all artistic disciplines. With a network of approximately 1,000 institutions, we bring collective expertise to inform and shape key discussions on policy, funding, and assessment frameworks.

Read the full response statement here

Endorsed by:

• AEC - European Association of Conservatoires
• CILECT - International Association of Cinema, Audiovisual and Media Schools
• CAE - Culture Action Europe
• EAAE – European Association for Architectural Education
• ELIA – Globally connected European network for higher arts education
• EQ-Arts
• GEECT - European Grouping of Film and Television Schools
• MusiQuE 
• SAR – Society for Artistic Research
  
  

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About the Artistic Research Alliance

The Artistic Research Alliance represents a unified effort to advocate for artistic research (AR) at both European and international levels.

The Artistic Research Alliance stands for artistic research in all its diversity, from academic institutions to independent research actors, and including research in all art practice disciplines: architecture, design, film, photography, fine art, media and digital arts, music and the performing arts, creative writing, circus etc., as well as transdisciplinary efforts.

Through regular knowledge exchange, the partners will develop and implement a shared advocacy strategy. This will include joint campaigns, policy papers, representation in stakeholder consultations and participation in interdisciplinary forums for policy and discourse development.

See the Artistic Research Alliance's first statement here