CFP

PA4OW: PartArt4OW 3rd Open Call

Website	https://partart4ow.eu/third-open-call
Submission link	https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=pa4ow
Submission deadline	March 10, 2026

Topics: community engagement sustainable practices environmental preservation blue economy

DISCLAIMER: the information reported here are a short version of what included in the Guide for Applicants which you must read carefully before the submission.

Topics: community engagement sustainable practice environmental preservation blue economy

The PartArt4OW Third Open Call Challenge: Communities for a Sustainable and Equitable Blue Economy

Why does this matter?

The ocean and inland waters are essential to planetary health and to the well-being of communities everywhere. They regulate climate, sustain biodiversity, shape local cultures and economies, and nourish billions of people. Yet current uses of marine and freshwater resources are increasingly unsustainable. Climate change, overexploitation, degraded habitats, disrupted food systems, and linear economic models all threaten the resilience of these ecosystems.

The UN Ocean Decade and the EU Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy call for a profound shift toward practices that are carbon-neutral, circular, socially just, and ecologically sound. Achieving this shift requires more than technological solutions: it demands cultural imagination, new knowledge pathways, and strong community participation. Artists, scientists, and citizens have an essential role to play in making visible the transformations already under way, questioning dominant narratives, and co-creating alternative futures in which people and waters can thrive together.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for projects that engage communities - coastal or inland - in rethinking and reshaping a sustainable, resilient, and equitable blue economy. In this context, blue economy refers to any economic activity relating to the ocean and seas, as well as rivers, lakes and other water systems. It covers a broad range of established and emerging sectors, including but not limited to fisheries, aquaculture and tourism to energy, transport, conservation, biotechnology and water-based food systems.

Proposals should combine scientific research, artistic experimentation, and active citizen participation to generate new understandings of how societies interact with oceans, rivers, and water-dependent economies.

We particularly welcome proposals that:

adopt whole-system perspectives linking ecological, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of water-based sustainability;
explore lesser-known or overlooked aspects of the blue economy, including its environmental trade-offs and societal impacts;
investigate the invisible or intangible: carbon flows, social inequalities, labour conditions, ecosystem thresholds, or cultural shifts that are not immediately perceptible;
co-create new narratives, methods, and sensory experiences that help communities working towards sustainable water futures;
amplify local voices, especially those historically underrepresented in ocean governance.

What is expected from applicants?

To ensure that proposed projects are grounded in real contexts and capable of generating meaningful impact, applicants are required to collaborate with at least one economic actor of the blue economy. Such partnerships strengthen the relevance and feasibility of the work, foster dialogue between art, science and practice, and support the active engagement of communities whose lives and livelihoods are connected to water systems. Therefore, a letter of intent from the participating organisation(s), demonstrating their commitment to supporting the proposed activities, must be included (Annex 4). This is needed also if the selected actor of the blue economy is part of the proposal consortium.
Design and deliver one public event, ideally serving as the final event of their Participatory Art Initiative. This event should meaningfully showcase the project’s artistic outcomes, engage citizens and stakeholders, and contribute to raising awareness on blue-economy challenges and the protection of oceans and inland waters. The event may take different formats, such as an exhibition, performance, workshop, public presentation, or community activation, but it should clearly reflect the participatory, intersectoral and transdisciplinary nature of the PAI. Applicants must provide a Letter of Intent from a hosting organisation/institution (museum, aquarium, cultural centre, municipality, etc.) that agrees to provide public space or venue for the PartArt4OW final event, confirming the feasibility of the event (Annex 5). This is needed also if the hosting organisation is part of the proposal consortium.
If the applicants rely on external actors for the engagement of specific groups of citizens (such as schools for engaging students, or trade organisations for workers) then a letter of intent from these organisations is also needed. This is needed only if such actors are not already part of the consortium (Annex 6)

More details are available in the Guide for Applicants.

Questions & Contact

Refer to the Guide for Applicants and FAQs on the PartArt4OW website for details (https://partart4ow.eu/the-calls). Join one of our webinars or contact us at opencallpartart4ow@gmail.com for further assistance.