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GLEN (Great Little European Network) connects the smallest countries of Europe through common networking and training programmes with the objective of contributing to designing more meaningful practices and more sustainable performing arts sectors in the concerned countries, interconnecting them and taking a prominent place on the international scene. The network aims to be an incubator for those who, while benefiting from a local anchorage, ambition to develop their practice internationally.

GLEN is no small idea, but one which aims to find new connection points between some of the smallest countries in Europe. From September 2023 to June 2024 GLEN will implement three areas of activities, networking activities, critical friendships (mentorships) and open webinars that address the specificities of producing and distributing in small countries and advising on how to develop internationally from there. 

GLEN was established in 2023 as an initiative of 8 organisations working to support the structuration and internationalisation of their national performing arts field. The Founders of the network are: 

• Kanuti Gildi SAAL (Estonia)
• New theatre Institute of Latvia / The International festival of Contemporary theatre, Homo Novus (Latvia)
• Sirenos Festival Lithuania/ Lithuanian Theatre Information Centre 
• Performing Arts Centre Iceland 
• Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg 
• Gledalisce Glej (Slovenia) 
• Teatri ODA (Kosovo) 
• Spazju Kreattiv (Malta) 

The participants in the Critical friendships (mentorship program) were selected in 2023. The critical friendship will include 8 months of mentoring from one of the partner countries (not their own) and travel to the two networking activities. 

The participants are:

• Katja Markić (Slovenia) 
• Snæfriður Sól Gunnarsdóttir (Iceland) 
• Zofia Stelmaszczyk (Malta)
• Reinis Boters (Latvia)
• Fábio Godinho (Luxembourg)
• Siim Tõniste (Estonia)
• Greta Stiormer (Lithuania)
• Sovran Nrecaj (Kosovo)

The first webinar will be held at 12p.m. Iceland, 1p.m. UK, 2p.m. CET, 3p.m. EET on Friday 13th October. The webinar, entitled “How to take over the world (or at least develop an international strategic plan)”, will be hosted by Victor Mayot (Luxembourg) and Bek Berger (Latvia) and will tackle the basics of creating an International Development Plan. Join us to get guidance through the mist of international development and bust myths about working over borders. Sign up here before Thursday 12th October. 

There will be a series of six webinars tackling different aspects of international production and mobility hosted by the GLEN partners. Information on these events can be found on their websites and through social media.

The Project partners led by Kanuti Gildi SAAL have received network funding from the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture to establish GLEN – Great Little European Network.