The European Commission established this strategic action in 2020 as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic to bolster the performing arts sector affected by the effects of the pandemic and reinforce existing support.

This Strategic Action comprised a Research track with The European Theatre Initiative’s study, a Community of Practices Track with the sector (European Theatre) Forum and as well as a specific funding scheme with Perform Europe Action.

Under the European Theatre Initiative, the European Commission has carried out 2 types of actions in close collaboration with the sub-sectoral stakeholders: : the study on theatre and the European Theater Fora.

Following the need for a comprehensive study on the challenges Europe’s theatre sector is facing, the European Commission published the study ‘The situation of Theatres in the EU Member States’ in the summer of 2020.

This study provided a comprehensive mapping of the social and economic profile and impact of the theatre sector, including the different support schemes that exist in EU countries. 

It contributed to collecting data on the sector and filled in important knowledge gaps, expanding on the existing data about the theatre ecosystem, its strengths and key challenges. 

The data collected directly fed policy making to design responses at European level to support the sector, as well as alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The European Commission, together with the German Federal Culture Ministry and the European Theatre Convention network organised the European Theatre Forum in November 2020. It aimed at establishing a path towards a more structured dialogue within the theatre sector and with policymakers at national and European levels through partnerships and international collaboration.

The 2023 edition of the European Theatre Forum brought together key stakeholders from the theatre community with policymakers to build a roadmap for addressing the critical priorities and main challenges that the sector faces this century.

The Forum highlighted the importance and political necessity of theatre and paved the way for the European institutions to go further in their specific support for the theatre sector. The event embodied a new form of dialogue with civil society. During this process, stakeholders provided key ideas and messages that could be shared with the relevant policy experts.

Find out more about the 2020 European Theatre Forum and its outcomes. [link: https://www.europeantheatreforum.eu/