Welcome to ACEnet
Arts and Culture Education Network
Connecting policymakers, educators, and cultural leaders to strengthen arts and cultural education across Europe.
ACEnet is a European platform fostering cooperation, dialogue, and policy development in arts and cultural education. We bring together ministries, institutions, and experts committed to ensuring that arts education remains a fundamental pillar of lifelong learning.
Our Mission
ACEnet promotes arts and cultural education as a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of inclusive, high-quality lifelong learning.
We aim to:
- Foster collaboration between ministries, cultural institutions, research bodies, and civil society organisations across Europe.
- Share inspiring practices, policy innovations, and research findings.
- Support the integration of arts and culture into formal, non-formal, and informal education systems.
- Strengthen the role of arts education in European cooperation and policy frameworks.
Why Arts and Cultural Education Matters
Arts and cultural education is not an accessory to education systems — it is essential to democratic, sustainable, and innovative societies.
Arts and cultural education helps young people:
Discover their creativity and identity
Engage critically with society and cultural diversity
Build empathy, collaboration, and intercultural understanding
Develop key competences for life and work
Strengthen resilience and social cohesion
Ensure that arts education is accessible as a fundamental and sustainable component of a high quality renewal of education.
UNESCO, Seoul Agenda (2010)
What We Do
ACEnet:
- Organises international conferences and forums for exchange between policymakers and practitioners.
- Facilitates cross-sectoral dialogue between education, culture, youth, and research sectors.
- Supports research, policy development, and knowledge exchange at national and European levels.
- Encourages participation in EU programmes such as Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps.
- Contributes to European and international discussions on arts education policy.
Latest Highlights
October 6th – 8th, 2025
Oulu 2025
ACEnet participated in the Nordic Diversity Connections in Arts and Culture Seminar as part of Oulu 2025.
May 7th – 9th, 2025
Cardiff 2025
ACEnet joined Creative Learning Cymru to celebrate 10 years of transformative arts education in Wales.
November 20th – 22nd, 2024
Edinburgh 2024
ACEnet meeting focused on: How can Arts Education contribute to Peace and Sustainability?
2024
Belgium’s Co-Presidency (2024–2028)
Belgium assumed the co-presidency of ACEnet, reinforcing renewed collaboration and visibility for arts education across Europe.
Join the Conversation
ACEnet is a space for dialogue, collaboration, and inspiration.
Join us in shaping the future of arts and culture education in Europe.