#DemocracyinAction! CEsA joins a European consortium in a €3 million Horizon Europe project to investigate political expression and participation through grassroots culture and the arts
The CEsA – Centre for African and Development Studies (ISEG RESEARCH/ISEG – University of Lisbon), under the coordination of Dr. Iolanda Évora and Dr. Jessica Falconi, hosted a group of over 20 European researchers on 12–14 February 2025 for the Kick-Off Meeting, marking the beginning of the Portuguese centre’s collaboration in the international project #DemocracyinAction: Grassroots Culture, Arts and Cultural Spaces for Political Participation and Expression Online and Offline in a Resilient Europe.
The project is led by Dr. Sara Brandellero and Dr. Kamila Krakowska Rodrigues from Leiden University, Netherlands, and is funded by Horizon Europe with a budget of €3 million, under the Work Programme on Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society.
#DemocracyinAction aims to study grassroots cultural and artistic organisations in physical spaces, as well as their presence on social media and in the metaverse. At a time when democracy in Europe faces unprecedented challenges, this research seeks to understand the critical potential of these initiatives in promoting democracy by identifying solutions to enhance meaningful political expression and civic participation in four key areas of social transformation:
- Nightivism: exploring urban nightlife culture as a form of political engagement;
- Women’s Rights Mobilisation;
- Racial and Ethnic Civic Participation through Cultural Expression;
- Youth Activism and Civic Education.
CEsA (Portugal) & CSIC (Spain) Work Package: Race, Ethnicity and Civic Participation
The Iberian Peninsula has been chosen as a paradigmatic case of cultural productions and manifestations led by communities that, despite facing racialisation and ethnic discrimination, have significantly reshaped national cultural landscapes and contributing to democratic processes.
Within this context, the CEsA team will lead the Work Package on Race, Ethnicity and Civic Participation, focusing on the cultural and artistic productions and the spaces created by Afro-diasporic communities, identified by their ethnic-racial belonging. As a case study, the research will explore the experiences of the Afro-diaspora, alongside the cultural productions of the Romani community in Portugal and the Moroccan-origin community in Spain.
The research will be developed in collaboration with local organisations such as Associação Passa Sabi and AfroLink in Portugal, and Radio Africa Magazine in Spain. Passa Sabi is dedicated to empowering Afro-diasporic and Romani youth in multicultural and economically vulnerable neighbourhoods. AfroLink is a digital platform promoting Black entrepreneurship, particularly among women. In Spain, Radio Africa Magazine serves as a bridge between cultural movements in Europe and initiatives from African and Afro-descendant communities worldwide.
Innovation and Impact
Collaboration with community centres, theatres, exhibition halls, and artists, brings tested creative tools to mobilize people into civic participation and mitigate polarization. Working with digital designers and developers, #DemocracyinAction tests the unknown potential of virtual immersive spaces, including novel trends of virtual nightclubs, to deliver cutting-edge research and policy recommendations for a democratic and safe use and design of social media and metaverse environments.
About the Consortium
The consortium is composed of nine partners based in six European countries:
- Leiden University (Netherlands) – Coordinator;
- Santagata Foundation for the Economy of Culture (Italy);
- Jagiellonian University (Poland);
- Centre for African and Development Studies (CEsA) (Portugal);
- DE/MO Foundation (Netherlands) – Promoting democracy and culture among youth;
- National Research Council CSIC (Spain);
- VibeLab (Netherlands) – Urban nightlife research and advocacy;
- Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal (Germany);
- Institute of Public Affairs (Poland) – Think-tank.
The project will also engage stakeholders from all EU regions, as well as from the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, in both democratic and non-democratic contexts.
For more information, follow updates on the official CEsA website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and CEsA Agenda.
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Author: CEsA Communication (comunicacao@cesa.iseg.ulisboa.pt)
Images: CEsA/Reproduction
