The NEXO Programme was born from a simple yet uncomfortable observation for much of the cultural sector: in practice, cultural mobility in Europe remains largely reserved for those who already have professional networks, previous funding, or the backing of a major institution.

In this article, we explain step by step what the NEXO Programme is, which specific problems it addresses, which administrative and human factors determine its operation, and how it has evolved from an initial concept into a genuine instrument for European cultural cooperation.

This is not a promotional text. It is a practical guide.

Whether you are an artist, cultural manager, educator, or simply someone interested in understanding how independent artistic mobility works today, you will find here the seven key principles that define the entire system.

You will discover why this programme repeatedly emerges as one of the most practical responses to a long-standing problem. Nothing is taken for granted: every technical concept is explained as it appears so that anyone, even without previous knowledge of European cooperation projects, can understand how the system works.

The challenge

European mobility often excludes those without existing networks or institutional support.

The dependencies

Verified credentials, trusted partners and funding determine the success of every project.

The solution

An open framework that distributes opportunities without elitist intermediaries.

The evolution

From an initial idea to a programme supported by verified European credentials.

1. What is the NEXO Programme and why does it exist?

The NEXO Programme is the European cultural mobility and cooperation initiative promoted by ARTENARTE SL, the company behind ARTERNATIVAS, FAIA, and CIAC.

Its motto says it all:

Cultural Mobility Without Borders.

Behind this statement lies a concrete structure of partnerships, institutional credentials and European funding opportunities designed to enable artists and cultural professionals to learn, collaborate and travel throughout Europe without becoming trapped by the barriers that traditionally limit access.

It is important to understand that the NEXO Programme is neither an art fair, nor an art gallery, nor an online marketplace.

It is a programme in the strict sense of the word: an organised framework of actions with defined objectives, international partners, timelines and measurable results.

This distinction matters because the NEXO Programme operates within the European youth and education framework, an environment governed by its own rules, which will be explained later in this guide.

Many cultural initiatives fail because they confuse a good intention with an actual programme. Without structure, even the best ideas cannot become reality.

The key word for understanding the NEXO Programme is system.

Nothing operates in isolation.

Every residency, every training activity and every international meeting forms part of a larger mechanism whose ultimate objective is to transform cultural mobility from a privilege into a genuine opportunity available to as many people as possible.

It is also important to clarify what distinguishes the NEXO Programme from the many initiatives that circulate within the cultural sector.

It is not a quality label displayed on a website.

It is not simply a declaration of good intentions.

The NEXO Programme is infrastructure.

It consists of active European credentials, signed cooperation agreements, submitted project proposals and a dedicated management team.

Anyone who contacts the programme does not receive a brochure—they find a real organisation capable of guiding them through a system that would otherwise be extremely difficult to navigate alone.

The origins of the NEXO Programme

The programme did not appear overnight.

It emerged from a recurring observation within the ARTERNATIVAS ecosystem.

Talented independent artists without professional networks consistently remained excluded from European mobility opportunities.

Residencies, training programmes and international exchanges were theoretically open to everyone, yet in practice they repeatedly benefited the same organisations and the same networks.

The NEXO Programme was created to break this closed circle.

At first, it was little more than a commitment.

If ARTENARTE SL wanted to defend a fair contemporary art ecosystem, it also needed to provide fair access to international mobility.

From that conviction grew the programme that exists today, supported by its own management structure and a set of verified European institutional credentials.

That initial vision already contained the DNA of today’s programme:

Administrative rigour placed at the service of a deeply democratic idea.

It is worth highlighting that the programme was never created simply to obtain funding.

Its starting point was a perceived injustice.

The founding question was not:

“How can we obtain European funding?”

It was:

“Why do the same people always have access to these opportunities?”

That reversal of priorities continues to define the programme today.

The philosophy behind the NEXO Programme

Everything within the NEXO Programme is built upon one central principle:

Cultural mobility should not be a reward for those who are already well connected. It should be a practical opportunity for everyone who has something valuable to contribute.

For this reason, the programme rejects the language of privilege and exclusivity.

Participants are not selected because of prestige.

Instead, the programme creates pathways where commitment, talent and willingness to cooperate matter far more than previous reputation.

This philosophy has practical consequences.

The programme prioritises partnerships with organisations that genuinely share this anti-elitist vision while avoiding those interested only in using European cooperation as a marketing label.

In other words:

The programme does not collect partners.

It chooses travelling companions.

Some consider this approach demanding.

In reality, it is what guarantees that everyone joining the network does so because they share common values rather than short-term convenience.

This philosophy also shapes the programme’s communication style.

The NEXO Programme uses clear language.

It avoids unnecessary jargon.

It treats artists as equals rather than passive beneficiaries.

Its horizontal approach is not decorative—it is a matter of consistency.

It would be contradictory to promote fair mobility while maintaining distant bureaucratic relationships with participants.

One subtle point deserves particular attention.

Democratising mobility does not mean lowering standards.

It means distributing opportunity more fairly.

The programme continues to require high standards of professionalism, commitment and quality.

What changes is that these standards are no longer used as excuses to exclude people.

The difference between a fair system and an elitist one lies not in the level of excellence expected, but in whether those standards are used to open doors—or to keep them closed.

That distinction forms the foundation of the entire NEXO Programme.

The NEXO Programme does not award opportunities to those whose calendars are already full. It opens doors for those who have never been given the key.

— NEXO Philosophy, ARTENARTE SL

2. The Problem the NEXO Programme Solves

To understand the value of the NEXO Programme, we must first examine the problem it addresses.

European cultural mobility, as it traditionally operates, reproduces existing inequalities.

Those born in cities with strong cultural institutions, those who have spoken English since childhood, or those who already belong to international networks naturally enjoy significant advantages.

Everyone else competes from a position of permanent disadvantage.

The NEXO Programme was designed specifically to correct this imbalance.

This problem is not theoretical.

It affects artists who decline residency opportunities because they do not know how to complete a European application form.

It affects cultural managers who struggle to find reliable international partners.

It affects projects that collapse simply because one essential administrative credential is missing.

Rather than merely acknowledging these obstacles, the NEXO Programme addresses them one by one.

This practical approach is what distinguishes it from many well-intentioned initiatives that never move beyond good ideas.

The diagnosis can be summarised in one sentence:

Inequality in cultural mobility is not caused by a lack of talent, but by an unequal distribution of information, professional networks and practical tools.

These three elements—information, networks and tools—are the foundation of the programme.

The barriers the NEXO Programme removes

The first barrier is information.

Many artists simply do not know that European mobility opportunities are available to them.

A significant part of the programme’s work consists of translating institutional language into clear and understandable communication.

Information should become a bridge—not another barrier.

Once artists understand what a European call is, what deadlines apply and what evaluators actually expect, they have already completed half the journey.

The second barrier is networking.

Without international contacts, joining a European consortium is extremely difficult.

The NEXO Programme acts as a bridge between organisations from different countries that would otherwise never meet.

The third barrier is economic.

Even programmes that are free for participants require administrative capacity and organisational support that many independent artists or small organisations simply do not possess.

The programme provides that structure.

There is also a fourth, less visible barrier:

Fear.

Many talented people believe that European projects are “not for someone like me.”

The NEXO Programme responds to that fear through guidance, accessibility and real examples of people who successfully took the same path.

The administrative foundations of the NEXO Programme

This brings us to an essential technical aspect.

The NEXO Programme cannot operate in isolation.

Every European cooperation project depends upon official institutional credentials.

The two most important are:

OID (Organisation ID)

and

PIC (Participant Identification Code).

ARTENARTE SL manages the programme using fully verified OID and PIC credentials.

Ironically, these administrative requirements often become the greatest obstacle for smaller organisations wishing to participate in European projects.

The lesson is simple.

European mobility rarely fails because talented people are missing.

It fails because many organisations lack the necessary credentials or the expertise required to obtain and manage them correctly.

The NEXO Programme exists precisely to remove that burden.

It also verifies that every international partner possesses valid credentials before any cooperation agreement is signed.

This level of administrative rigour protects everyone involved.

Without it, even the most promising project can quickly become delayed, rejected or financially penalised.

The human foundations of the NEXO Programme

Credentials alone do not build European cooperation.

People do.

The NEXO Programme depends upon a dedicated programme management team responsible for maintaining relationships with partners, preparing project proposals and carrying out the vetting process for every organisation wishing to collaborate.

Without this human work, European credentials would remain little more than numbers inside a database.

With it, they become the basis of a trusted international network.

Paradoxically, the human element is both the programme’s greatest strength and its greatest vulnerability.

It requires time.

It requires multilingual communication.

It requires patience.

Above all, it requires consistency.

Trust between organisations from different countries cannot be automated.

It grows conversation after conversation, project after project.

That patient work remains the true heart of the NEXO Programme.

Educational note: OID and PIC

The Organisation ID (OID) identifies an organisation within the Erasmus+ ecosystem.

The Participant Identification Code (PIC) registers an organisation within the European Commission’s Funding & Tenders Portal.

Both credentials are free to obtain.

However, registering, maintaining and using them correctly requires a good understanding of European administrative procedures.

The NEXO Programme assumes that technical responsibility so that artists and cultural organisations can focus on what they do best: creating, collaborating and participating.

3. How the NEXO Programme Works Step by Step

Simply explained, the NEXO Programme acts both as a translator and as a facilitator.

It takes a need—an artist wishing to study abroad or an organisation seeking international cooperation—and connects it with the most appropriate European funding opportunity.

The programme understands the European funding landscape.

It knows which opportunities match each type of project.

Most importantly, it prevents organisations from wasting months pursuing opportunities that were never suitable in the first place.

Every project follows a logical sequence.

First, an opportunity is identified.

Next, suitable partners are found and verified.

Then the application is prepared.

If approved, the project is implemented and finally evaluated.

At every stage, the NEXO Programme replaces uncertainty with method.

This method is not bureaucratic for its own sake.

The European Commission evaluates project proposals according to strict quality criteria.

A brilliant idea presented poorly is far less likely to succeed than a solid idea presented professionally.

Another aspect that deserves attention is timing.

European calls for proposals operate with fixed deadlines and preparation periods that often extend over several months.

Those who improvise almost always arrive too late.

For that reason, the NEXO Programme works according to its own internal calendar, preparing projects well before official calls are published.

When the application period opens, much of the work has already been completed.

This anticipation transforms last-minute pressure into careful preparation—and significantly improves the quality of every proposal.