The Island We Share

Oracle Cultural Network is the main partner within the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre’s project, The Island We Share! The project aims to integrate and activate the local community in Gdansk (Poland) through cultural activities. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, the project will create symbolic “islands” of cooperation, creativity, and social solidarity, where European artists and experts meet with Gdańsk residents to share experiences, values, and work towards the common good.

The project will feature workshops, lectures, and social and artistic initiatives aimed at local groups such as children, youth, seniors, teachers, and community leaders. These activities will focus on community-building, intergenerational dialogue, sustainable development, and cultural diversity. By directly engaging and collaborating with European specialists, participants will gain tools and concrete inspirations to help build a more open, sustainable, and inclusive society. This is an opportunity not only to share experiences but also to seek and establish partnerships that may help turn project-generated ideas and initiatives into real-life actions in the future.

Realised within the project:

  • "Post-Apocalyptic Community building" – workshop / social experiment
    Date: 7-9 March 2025
    Leader: Robert Alagjozovski (North Macedonia)

  • "Education for Sustainable Development" – theatre workshop for teachers and educators
    Date: 14-16 March 2025
    Leader: Sunčica Milosavljević (Serbia)

  • Philip Parr’s socially engaged theatre (United Kingdom)
    Date: 20-23 March 2025

  • "DidaDiv" – Czech cardboard puppet theatre – theatre workshop for children
    Date: 25-26 April 2025
    Leader: Jindrich Krippner (Czech Republic)

The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the cultural program of the Polish Presidency in the Council of the European Union within the SYNERGIE grant program.

ORACLE Members: Call for Proposals 2026!

We are excited to invite you to take part in the new edition of the cultural-educational project The Island We Share, prepared by the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre in partnership with the ORACLE Cultural Network.

We are calling on ORACLE Network Members/Affiliates to propose workshop(s) or multi-day processes with local communities in Gdańsk, to be carried out between May and September 2026.

This year, the project is shaped by a new strategic focus of the national programme we are applying to:

Programme aim – 2026 edition

The aim of the programme is to support local communities in the process of building a sense of togetherness through cultural-educational-animation activities in shared public spaces. The programme creates conditions for the activation and inclusion of all age and social groups, in line with one of UNESCO’s guiding principles: Leave No One Behind (LNOB).

A key carrier of community-building in this programme are elements of Europe’s diverse cultural heritage (traditions, customs) which connect its citizens, as well as contemporary approaches to culture that draw on the potential of creative industries and digital arts.

About the project

Inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest, The Island We Share brings together cultural practitioners, creators, educators, and community activists from across Europe (and beyond) to co-create a symbolic shared “Island” of creativity, exchange, and collective learning within and around the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre.

Your workshops or community processes should open a space for shared experiences, cooperation, creativity, and practical skill-building. You will have the opportunity to work with community groups of your choosing: juniors, seniors, teachers, community leaders, residents of various districts in and around Gdańsk. Your involvement will help empower participants and strengthen their sense of belonging, openness, and agency.

 What kind of activities are we looking for?

This year we do not accept lectures, presentations or purely performative events.

We are looking exclusively for:

Workshops, hands-on practices, and multi-day community processes (from a few hours up to 4 days)

We are particularly interested in:

  • Non-standard, innovative, or experimental approaches,

  • Methods that we could not carry out ourselves without your unique experience, skills, or creative ideas,

  • Activities that directly involve community members in shared creation, exploration, or collective learning,

  • Formats that transfer practical skills relevant to community-building, cooperation, creativity, or problem-solving,

  • Processes rooted in heritage, contemporary culture, creative industries, digital practices, or any combination of these,

  • Concepts that meaningfully animate shared public spaces in the theatre and /or around the city.

Workshops can focus on one or several thematic areas related to community-building, inclusiveness, heritage, creativity, cooperation, and shared cultural environments.

You may apply individually or in teams of 2–3 people.

Please keep in mind that our travel budget is limited; proposals generating very high travel costs may not fit within the available funds.

What we offer

  • A chance to work closely with local communities in Gdańsk, sharing your expertise and methods.

  • A stay in Gdańsk for 3 to 7 days between May and September 2026, with travel and accommodation provided.

  • A fee ranging from 500 to 1000 euros, depending on the level of engagement and duration of stay.

  • Support from the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre team in promotion, coordinating participants, spaces, and logistics.

 To apply

Please fill out the application form: https://forms.gle/E24VzfKyemNQtBJg7

Deadline: Sunday, 22 February 2026, by midnight (CET).

Please note

The call is open only to registered ORACLE Cultural Network members or affiliates, with the option of inviting a non-Oracle artist/collaborator to join your activity. Please note that pairs or groups share the fee.

Members from Poland may apply only if partnering with a colleague from abroad, as the call requires international cooperation.

For any questions, please contact Ms. Marta Nowicka: mtnowicka@gmail.com

All applicants will be informed about the results after we receive confirmation of our funding (April 2026).

We look forward to your creative, bold, and inspiring proposals — and to building meaningful, community-centred experiences together in Gdańsk!

Let’s make great use of this opportunity.