Cultural Programme and Events

Showcasing EMERGE cultural initiatives  

Within the EMERGE European University Alliance, culture plays a key role in fostering cohesion, inclusion, and a shared sense of European belonging. This page presents the official EMERGE Cultural Programme alongside a range of events that reflect the values and collaborative activities of our Alliance. Browse the programme and initiatives below to discover how EMERGE’s cultural dimension is expressed across our interconnected European campus as well as locally at Rennes 2 campuses and in our communities.

The EMERGE Cultural Programme 2026

The EMERGE Cultural Programme 2026 reflects the Alliance’s commitment to celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity as a cornerstone of European integration, in keeping with the European Union’s motto “United in diversity.”

Organized as a shared annual online programme, this initiative builds on existing cultural events hosted by partner universities, bringing together students, staff, associate partners, and local communities from across the Alliance. The first two events of this pilot edition will include in‑person components on their respective campuses and will also be recorded and streamed asynchronously, ensuring broad accessibility across time zones and schedules. Partner universities are encouraged to use the EMERGE hubs to showcase these initiatives as well as their own, reinforcing visibility and cross‑campus engagement. In future editions, the Alliance’s audiovisual technicians will increasingly focus on multiplex events, enabling simultaneous contributions from several campuses. All recordings will be made available on the EMERGE YouTube channel, offering an open gateway to the programme’s activities for the entire Alliance community.

Shared events across the Rennes 2 campuses and communities

Rennes 2 University, as one of France’s major public institutions dedicated almost exclusively to the arts, humanities, and social sciences, contributes actively to the cultural dimension of EMERGE. Drawing on its strong academic expertise in languages, cultural studies, creative practices, and social sciences, Rennes 2 supports the programme’s aim of strengthening European citizenship, intercultural dialogue, and social cohesion. By placing culture at the heart of the Alliance, the programme seeks to turn diversity into a shared resource and to foster collaboration and solidarity across the EMERGE community.

Official Events of the 2026 Programme

Les Savages, by Caroline Cieslik (Exhibition and Roundtable)

The photography exhibition presents the work of Caroline Cieslik, documenting the long-term transformation of the Prairies Saint-Martin in Rennes from an abandoned urban space into a shared nature park. Through a sustained photographic approach, the exhibition reflects on memory, land use, and the shifting relationship between the city and its margins.

The exhibition is accompanied by a round table with members of the Interfriches artists’ collective, titled “Writing from the margins”. The discussion focuses on artistic practices rooted in peripheral spaces and collective forms of authorship. The round table will be recorded and made available online to extend participation beyond the campus.

University Literature Night at UMB

The evening is devoted to literature and introduces recent works to the public through accessible and participatory formats. The programme includes three readings from different books, each addressing themes of freedom, diversity, inclusion, and resilience. Readings take place at EMERGE hubs and are delivered by invited readers from the local and regional community, foregrounding multiple voices and lived experiences.

By situating literature within a collective setting, the event strengthens links between university spaces and their surrounding communities, while also extending access through asynchronous streaming.

Listening to the Margins. Voices of Minority Languages

The webinar is organised in connection with the European Day of Languages, celebrated annually on 26 September. It examines the role of minority languages in shaping cultural identity across Europe’s margins, supporting community resilience, and enabling creative and academic expression. Speakers from across the EMERGE alliance, working with endangered and underrepresented languages in their regional contexts, will share research perspectives, practical experiences, and institutional approaches linked to language preservation and inclusion.

By bringing together expertise from different regions, the webinar highlights how linguistic diversity connects local communities, academic practice, and broader European values.