2025 - 2026 FACTORY student led: Get involved: International Unionising in the Arts and Culture

Notes from November 2025 session at PAF. FACTORY - Student led: Get involved- International Unionising in the Arts and Culture.

MARCH 12, 2026 

Led by Stellar Meris, Olfa Arfaoui, Dana Andrei, Noah Storrs Gokul, Seta Astreou-Karides, Ilja Schamle, Liam Warren, Ayse Idil Idil, Despina Sanida Crezia, Henriks Eliass Zēgners, Josse Vessies, Ayris Taban, Masha Domracheva, Jamie Donald, Hannah van der Schaaf, Anahi Saravia Herrera 

When: 11:00 - 13:00

Location: Palestra 

At this factory in Matera, we want to build on the discussions initiated at the Nida factory around unionising and further develop ideas on how the DAI infrastructure can support or initiate struggles within the fields of arts and culture beyond its limits.

We want to think practically about what form this network could take: to continue mapping existing resources and struggles, expand and consolidate a mailing list of contact persons and draft a first invite. We want to take concrete steps toward establishing a structure that can be activated at different instances and find transnational tools of pressure. 

We will also discuss how to mobilise the existing DAI framework, the alumni community, the PTO history, and the institutions of the COOP to participate and join. 

JANUARY 20, 2026

Led by Stellar Meris, Olfa Arfaoui, Dana Andrei, Noah Storrs Gokul, Seta Astreou-Karides, Ilja Schamle, Liam Warren, Ayse Idil Idil, Despina Sanida Crezia, Henriks Eliass Zēgners

When: 17:30 - 19:00

Location: Conference Room

Following our discussions on strike and boycott, the increasing militarisation campaigns across Europe, and funding cuts for social and cultural projects, while seeing right wing groups filling the political vacuum with hatred and division we would like to gather in Nida for a factory on unionising in arts and culture. 

While many of us are already active in their local context, we want to make use of the international network of DAI to build a cross-Europe union for art and culture that is open and extends beyond the student body. How could we gather strength by connecting and mapping our struggles, sharing resources and building a sustainable artists union ?

What are the most pressing issues? 
What are our demands? 
What are our strengths as DAI community?
What are the existing and needed resources to unionise?

 

This student initiative is facilitated by DAI by making it part of the syllabus 2025-2026 and by providing space and time for gathering. It is embedded in the curriculum component WEAVER and participation is credited with ECTS.