Trans Europe Halles

Trans Europe Halles (TEH) is a European network of independent cultural centres. It was founded in Brussels in 1983 and currently has 52 Members and 19 Friend (associated members) organisations in 29 European countries, Complete list of members, friends and ambassadors.

The network coordinates several bilateral and multilateral projects. ENGING ROOM EUROPE is the biggest project of TEH today. Engine three-year project (May 2011 – April 2014) of activities dedicated to independent cultural workers and their creative processes.

The project is initiated by Trans Europe Halles (TEH) and co-ordinated by Melkweg (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) in association with 10 co-organizing TEH members: Factory of Art (Łódź, Poland), Mains D’Oeuvres (St Ouen, France), Stanica (Žilina, Slovakia), ufaFabrik (Berlin, Germany), TNT (Bordeaux, France), REX (Belgrade, Serbia), NOASS (Riga, Latvia), Röda Sten Konsthall (Göteborg, Sweden), La Friche Belle de Mai (Marseille, France) and Tabačka Kulturfabrik (Košice, Slovakia). As part of Engine Room Europe, the 12 co‐organisers will offer a wide variety of programmes. An online TEH Resource will hold the memory and spread the experiences and know-how from the programmes.

Engine Room Europe is one of 10 projects selected for funding by the European Commission’s Culture Programme 2007-2013.

The mission statement of TEH reads: "Trans Europe Halles is a network of independent cultural centres offering a dynamic forum for ideas, collaborations, and mutual support in the pursuit of intercultural exchange, understanding and artistic freedom".

Trans Europe Halles is a not-for-profit association, run in a decentralised way. The member centres participate in the decision-making of the network during the network meetings. Each centre has one vote regardless of its size or economic status. The Executive Committee, selected biannually, is the governing and policy making body of the network. Most centres are located in buildings from industrial heritage.

The biannual meetings are the principal focus of Trans Europe Halles and are hosted by a different member centre each time. The meetings are not only for decision making but also to introduce the members for a new culture and country. Each meeting have a specific theme that reflects in workshops and lectures during the meeting. For example meeting no. 74 at Röda Sten Konsthall and (http://www.konstepidemin.se/ Konstepidemin) in Gothenburg, Sweden, the theme is "Bottom Up! - Independent Culture and Its Impact on Politics and Society"

Trans Europe Halles Coordination Office is located at the cultural centre Mejeriet, Lund, Sweden.