The 2025 Grant Holders Meeting, organised by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), brought together coordinators of newly funded Creative Europe Cooperation projects for two days of exchange, collaboration, and strategic reflection. Held in Brussels on 17–18 September, the event served as a key platform for fostering dialogue among cultural, educational, and interdisciplinary initiatives from across Europe.
Menelaos Sotiriou of Science View participated in the meeting as the coordinator of the funded project STEAM Innovation, a forward-looking European initiative promoting the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics into creative, inclusive, and sustainable learning environments.
A Hive of Ideas: The Meeting’s Open Exchange Format
This year’s Grant Holders Meeting adopted an Open Space Technology approach, inviting participants to shape the agenda around the central question:
“What challenges do you face, and what opportunities have you identified when cooperating at EU level?”
Over two days, attendees generated 27 discussion sessions, contributing insights that were later synthesised into five thematic areas:
- Cooperation & Partnerships
- Sustainability & Ethics
- Creativity & Artistic Freedom
- Tools, Innovation & Impact
- Policy & Advocacy
Inspired by the metaphor of a beehive, the meeting emphasised collective intelligence, shared responsibility, and cross-pollination of ideas—key qualities that define successful European collaboration.
STEAM Innovation: Bringing Creativity and Science into Dialogue
The presence of Menelaos Sotiriou highlighted the strong connection between the event’s themes and the ambitions of STEAM Innovation.
This project, coordinated by Science View, aims to create dynamic learning ecosystems where the arts and sciences intersect, empowering learners and educators to develop creativity, critical thinking, digital competence, and interdisciplinary problem-solving.
The meeting offered an opportunity for STEAM Innovation to:
- Connect with cultural and educational innovators across Europe
- Exchange best practices in creativity-driven cooperation
- Strengthen links with policy priorities on sustainability, inclusion and digital transition
- Position STEAM methodology within the wider Creative Europe landscape
Reflections and Next Steps
The discussions and collaborative spirit of the Meeting underscored a shared commitment to strengthening Europe’s cultural and educational sectors through innovation, ethics, and partnership.
For STEAM Innovation, the event provided a valuable launchpad for the project’s upcoming activities, reinforcing a European vision where creativity, science, and community engagement are mutually enriching.
The event reaffirmed a central message: when diverse voices come together with curiosity and purpose, innovation becomes not just possible, but inevitable. STEAM Innovation will continue contributing to this shared European journey, helping shape a future where creativity and scientific thinking drive positive, sustainable change.
