International Conference & Artistic Reunion 15-17 October 2026

Cultural Literacies: Social empowerment through the arts

The Gustav Mahler Private University of Music is hosting a major international event of the Horizon Europe project dialoguing@rts. From 15-17 October 2026 Klagenfurt will be the host of a wide range of talks, roundtables, artistic interventions in unexpected places around the famous Wörthersee. The event is part of the project’s work package 3 „Ethnographies in dialogue: Case studies of arts education practice“ led by the University of Cologne (Institute for European Ethnomusicology) which focuses on best practices across Europe, promoting cultural literacy and enhancing social inclusion.

Cultural experts, policy-makers, musicians, researchers and representatives of major international organizations such as the UNESCO, the Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Academies de Musique et Musikhochschulen (AEC) and the European Music Council (EMC) will join forces to discuss how music and the performing arts can become a driver for social change and social justice in our societies with a broad European perspective.

Interdisciplinary discourse between the realms of music education, ethnomusicology, sound studies, dance studies, educational sciences, sociology, anthropology and heritage studies, complimented by artistic interventions, workshops and soundwalks providing real-life insights into the agency of dialogical arts education. Best practices will be presented and discussed by consortium members from Serbia, Italy, Germany, Norway. The Klagenfurt-based transcultural formation (Re)Shape will be the project ensemble.

Confirmed speakers and artists:
Rose Martin (Dean, Faculty of Education and Arts, NORD University, Norway)
Christian Rolle (Professor of Music Education, University of Cologne, Germany)
Karen Asatrian (composer, pianist and researcher, GMPU/mdw Vienna/Yerevan, Austria/Armenia)
Jens Knigge (Professor of Music Education, NORD University, Norway)
Jasmin Donlic (Ass. Prof. in Global Citizenship Education, University Klagenfurt, Austria)
Runa Hestad Jenssen (Faculty of Education and Arts, NORD University, Norway)
Marita Helen Hansen (Kulturskolerådet/Council of Cultural Education, Trondheim, Norway)
Finn Schumacker (Executive Director of the AEC, Brussels, Belgium)
Dr. Nicola De Martini Ugolotti (Bournemouth University, UK)

Klagenfurt is the capital of Carinthia, an Austrian region in the Southern Alps on the border to Italy and Slovenia. It has a population of 105.000 and is located by the famous lake Wörthersee. By car, the city can be reached from Germany ( via Salzburg) on the A10 Tauernautobahn, from Vienna, Graz and Italy (via Udine) on the A2 Südautobahn and from Slovenia (via Ljubljana) on the B119 Loiblpass-Straße. The local airport and the main train station offer several international connections to all these countries. For detailed information around your individual booking and travel planning see PDF “Travel and Location Information”!