International Conference & Artistic Reunion 15-17 October 2026

Cultural Literacies: Social empowerment through the arts

The Gustav Mahler Private University of Music is hosting a major international event of the HORIZON project dialoguing@rts.

From 15-17 October 2026 Klagenfurt will be the host of a wide range of talks, roundtables, artistic interventions in unexpected places around the famous Wörthersee.

Cultural experts, policy makers, musicians, researchers and representatives of major international organizations such as the UNESCO, the Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Academies de Musique et Musikhochschulen (AEC) and the European Music Council (EMC) will join forces to discuss how music and the performing arts can become a driver for social change and social justice in our societies with a broad European perspective.

Interdisciplinary discourse between the realms of music education, ethnomusicology, sound studies, dance studies, educational sciences, sociology, anthropology and heritage studies, will be complimented by artistic interventions, workshops and soundwalks providing real-life insights into the agency of dialogical arts education. Best practices will be presented and discussed by consortium members from Serbia, Italy, Germany, Norway and the Klagenfurt based transcultural formation (Re)Shape will be the project ensemble.

Confirmed speakers and artists:
Rose Martin (Dean, Faculty of Education and Arts, NORD University, Norway)
Christian Rolle (Professor of Music Education, University of Cologne, Germany)
Karen Asatrian, (composer, pianist and researcher, GMPU/mdw Vienna/Jerewan, Austria/Armenia)
Jens Knigge (Professor of Music Education, NORD University, Norway)
Jasmin Donlic (Ass. Prof. in Global Citizenship Education, University Klagenfurt, Austria)

More details coming soon!
For further information and registration please contact the conference team