The FilmEU Summit 2026 took place this year at LUCA School of Arts campuses in Brussels. The 2026 Summit brought together students, teachers, researchers, artists and industry professionals from across the FilmEU Alliance for three inspiring days of collaboration, discussion and creativity.

Held under the theme "ENACT CHANGE – Weaving the A(rts) into STEM," this year's summit explored how the arts can transform STEM education by fostering creativity, critical thinking, storytelling and imagination, creating new opportunities for interdisciplinary education, research and innovation.

Running across five days, the programme featured keynote lectures, work package presentations, panel discussions, screenings, workshops and networking opportunities, while the second edition of the FilmEU Film Festival celebrated emerging filmmaking talent from across the world with almost two hundred submissions.

Opening Day

The summit opened with welcoming remarks from Veerle Van der Sluys, President of LUCA School of Arts, and Manuel José Damásio, FilmEU Coordinator, who highlighted the alliance's continued commitment to building a truly European university for film, media and the arts.

The first keynote, "Enact Change – Weaving the A(rts) into STEM," was delivered by Professor Dr. Katrien Kolenberg (KU Leuven), who explored how artistic thinking can enrich scientific education and inspire new ways of approaching complex societal challenges.

This was followed by Fabienne Beernaert, lecturer-researcher at LUCA School of Arts, whose keynote focused on the role of creativity and imagination in driving societal transformation. She presented an inspiring vision of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary education for a regenerative future, demonstrating how arts education develops the competences, skills and attitudes essential to the evolving STEAM landscape.

The opening day also featured the presentation of the new Joint BA in Music & Sound by the WP6 team, showcasing one of FilmEU's latest collaborative educational initiatives designed to strengthen cross-border learning opportunities.

Second Day

On the second day, the FilmEU offices were presented, followed by the inauguration of FilmEU Inc., marking a new phase of collaboration and research across the alliance. The programme also featured presentations from FilmEU's dynamic clusters—including Animating Together, EU-Script, and On Essayism—which showcased innovative approaches to artistic research and creative collaboration among the partner institutions.

A major milestone of the summit was the official launch of the FilmEU Observatory, an important new initiative that will support research, data collection and knowledge sharing across the European audiovisual and creative sectors.

Final Day

The final day highlighted the alliance's commitment to inclusion, student engagement and international collaboration. Linda Carroll and Christina Reynolds (IADT) presented FilmEU Without Borders: Stories, Impact & Next Steps, showcasing the achievements and future ambitions of one of FilmEU's flagship initiatives.

This was followed by a WP5 session on FilmEU Inclusive, where Dovilė Lapinskaitė (LMTA), Linda Carroll (IADT) and LUCA student Angela Wu discussed equity, diversity and inclusion, student support services, and the importance of student voices in shaping the future of higher education.

The programme also featured the presentation of the AGORA Position Paper: Mapping the Narrative of STEAM, encouraging dialogue on the growing importance of integrating artistic perspectives into science and technology education.

FilmEU Film Festival

Throughout the summit, attendees also enjoyed the second edition of the FilmEU Film Festival, celebrating the creativity and diversity of emerging filmmakers from FilmEU member institutions, the alliance's joint programmes, and partner universities in Ukraine (SUMDU and I.K. Karpenko) and Armenia (SAFAA and YSITC). The festival once again demonstrated the power of storytelling to connect cultures, inspire dialogue and showcase the next generation of European creative talent.

Looking Ahead

Across three days of inspiring discussions, innovative presentations and artistic exchange, the FilmEU Summit 2026 reaffirmed the alliance's mission to shape the future of higher education by placing creativity at the heart of innovation. By weaving the Arts into STEM, FilmEU continues to strengthen collaboration across disciplines, empower its international community and help build a more inclusive, sustainable and imaginative future for Europe.