Annual meetings

Our main goal is to organize annual gatherings by and for professionals in the network. Each forum is held in a different country and focuses on a contemporary theme in the field of culture and arts. The annual meetings aim to:

  • promote the network's values

  • exchange experiences and best practices

  • build relationships and foster collaboration among members from various countries and disciplines

  • establish connections with local cultural operators in the host country

  • expand knowledge about the realities of working in culture across diverse social, cultural, and political contexts

  • improve the knowledge about European, national and regional cultural policies and practice

  • develop professional capacities and managerial skills by collecting a new experience of working in different cultural fields

  • prepare participants to play active roles in reform democratic processes and use innovative and efficient practices in local development

  • support integration and cooperation within European Union and non-European countries

Annual Meetings so far: Kamnik 2025, Delphi 2024, Bale 2023, Struga 2022, Skopje 2020, Budapest 2019, Gdansk 2018, Maastricht 2017, Casablanca 2016, Pilsen 2015, Delphi 2014, Aries/Marseille 2013, Copenhagen 2012, Madrid 2011, Luxembourg 2010, Seville 2009, Ljubljana 2008, Vienna 2007, Ohrid 2006, Brussels 2005, Oulu 2002, Belgrade 2001, Paris 2000, Lille 1999, Tatihou 1997, Krakow 1994.

The 2026 annual meeting in Zagreb 23-25 April

PROGRAMME (PDF)
INFORMATION PACK (PDF)
REGISTRATION (ONLINE FORM)

Culture, Public Space & Democracy in Times of Disruption

Across Europe, cultural actors are operating in an environment marked by structural disruptions: shrinking civic space, political polarisation, hybrid threats and disinformation, funding instability, digital transformation, climate pressure, and shifting public governance models. In this context, culture is not only a sector — it is infrastructure for democratic life. Cultural spaces shape public discourse, enable civic participation, and foster trust across differences. Yet these same spaces are increasingly contested, instrumentalised, or economically fragile.

This year’s Oracle Cultural Network Annual Meeting explores how cultural professionals can strengthen democratic resilience through safeguarding and activating public space (physical and digital), developing sustainable and cooperative cultural models, defending artistic freedom and pluralism, and building transnational solidarity mechanisms across Europe. By combining local case studies from Zagreb with cross-European exchange, the meeting aims to move from reflection to practical strategies for action.

Zagreb offers a compelling context for this discussion. Over the past decades the city has developed a vibrant independent cultural scene that has shaped public space, civic participation and new models of cultural governance. Today Zagreb positions culture as a driver of urban life — a city where culture does not only happen in institutions but actively  creates the city itself. This makes Zagreb a particularly interesting place to reflect on the role of culture in democratic and urban
transformation across Europe.