During the 2025–2026 cycle, the European Creative Hubs Network continued to invest in mobility as a powerful tool for professional development, collaboration and knowledge exchange across Europe's creative hub ecosystem. Through its mobility programs, ECHN enables members to learn directly from one another, test new approaches in different contexts, and build lasting international partnerships that strengthen both individual organisations and the wider network.
At the heart of this initiative are two flagship activities: the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Learning program and the Staff Exchange program , which brought together creative hubs from across Europe to share knowledge, exchange practices and strengthen collaboration across the ECHN network.
The Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Learning program is designed for managers of ECHN member creative hubs who wish to strengthen their organisations through international collaboration. The programme supports exchanges between two creative hubs from different countries, enabling participants to explore shared challenges, exchange methodologies, develop new ideas and establish long-term partnerships.
During the 2025–2026 cycle, the program supports 10 exchanges, bringing together 20 creative hubs from 12 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Through these exchanges, hub managers are working side by side on topics ranging from community engagement and rural innovation to creative entrepreneurship, cultural programming and organisational development, reinforcing ECHN's commitment to peer learning, international cooperation and the strengthening of Europe's creative hub ecosystem.
The participants include Espazo A Maceta, Culture Hub Croatia, Subtopia, Moktamee, The Lissome, Barbot Bernardo / Saber Fazer, FarmLab, Lottozero, Nova Iskra, PAU, CRU, Le Textile Lab, ANDA, Onl’fait, Center Rog, PAS Rural Coliving, Buihno and Nowhere Desk.
The Staff Exchange program provides professional mobility opportunities for staff members working in ECHN member creative hubs, regardless of their role or level of experience. Whether participants are hub managers, communications officers, technicians, producers, accountants or administrative staff, the programme enables them to spend up to one week embedded in another creative hub. Through job shadowing, collaborative projects, workshops and day-to-day participation in the host organisation, participants gain first-hand insight into different ways of working, develop new skills and exchange knowledge with peers across Europe.
During the 2025–2026 cycle, the programme supports 10 Staff Exchanges, involving 20 creative hubs and cultural organisations across 11 European countries: Austria, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Through these exchanges, participants explored diverse areas of practice, including community engagement, cultural programming, makerspaces, textile innovation, organisational management, communication and creative entrepreneurship, returning to their organisations with new perspectives, practical tools and strengthened international relationships.
The participants include PAU, BIOS, BASIS, STPLN, Farmlab, The Artist & the others, Lottozero, La Finestra Community Hub, Genalguacil Pueblo Museum, Kaapeli, ANDA, Materahub, Le Textile Lab, BioLab Lisboa, Užupis Art Incubator, CRU, Stonesoup, Culture Hub Croatia and Onl'fait.
The current round of mobility activities will be completed by the end of September 2026, marking the conclusion of another successful cycle of exchanges across the ECHN network.
A new call for the 2026–2027 Mobility Programs will be launched in October 2026. ECHN members are encouraged to start identifying potential peer organisations, reconnecting with colleagues across the network and exploring common interests in preparation for the next round of exchanges. Building these initial connections early can help shape meaningful collaborations and strong mobility proposals.
If you're looking for inspiration, you can explore experience stories and reflections from previous Staff Exchanges and Peer-to-Peer Learning mobilities to discover how participants have benefited from the program and the lasting partnerships that have emerged through these experiences.
