ITAC 8

28-30 August 2026

We’re thrilled to share that proposals to present at ITAC8 have opened!

Join us for the 8th International Teaching Artists Conference! From August 28-30, 2026, ITAC8 will take place in Belgium, hosted in partnership with ITAC by OPENDOEK, The Royal Conservatoire, AP University of Applied Sciences, and Arts Antwerp.

The ITAC Conference will happen in tandem with a festival! ITAC8 will join forces with the World Children’s and Youth Performing Arts Festival to form the congrestival LOUDER TOGETHER, which will create a unique combination that enables crossovers between the festival and the conference. We invite Teaching Artists from all over the world to join the international groups of young people who will be performing in Antwerp, connecting with each other and our growing community. At ITAC8, we’ll have the opportunity to explore how Teaching Artists help shape more imaginative, inclusive, and resilient communities. Submit your proposal now to be part of it!

More about the ITAC8 Open Call for Proposals:

ITAC8 datesAugust 28-30, 2026

Conference locationAntwerp, Belgium

Application deadline: September 30, 2025

About the application:
Apply to share your practice on teaching artistry and healthcare, social wellbeing, education, environment, society, conflict transformation, and more! 

To reflect our community and sector, we ask that all proposals are participatory and interactive in nature. Please avoid lectures and PowerPoint-based presentations.

Proposals should aim to provide other Teaching Artists with new perspectives, knowledge, or co-learning opportunities, which can be useful or applied in their own work. Our gatherings are spaces for hands-on learning and genuine inquiry and discussion.

Practitioners of all experience levels, backgrounds, and art forms are invited to apply. The power of our gatherings comes from the diversity and collaboration from people in our sector.

With this in mind, ITAC8 welcomes proposals in the following formats:

Participatory Workshops or Artistic/Creative Co-Explorations (50 and/or 90 minutes length)

Sneak Peeks (20 minutes length), which can be small exercises, mini-workshops, performances, labs, presentations…

Participation in a Poster Presentation Session, in which you describe your work to those who are interested in an informal setting

"We are combining ITAC8 with the World Children's & Youth's Performing Arts Festival: a unique combination that enables crossovers between the festival and the conference. Young people from all over the world will perform in Antwerp, connecting and sharing with each other and with all of us as a community of teaching artistry."

Joke Quaghebeur
@ITAC7 in New-Zealand

We’re excited to announce that ITAC8 will take place in Belgium, hosted by OPENDOEK, with The Royal Conservatoire and AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp as co-hosts! This highly anticipated global conference will bring together teaching artists, educators, and cultural leaders from around the world to explore how the arts can drive social change and transformation.

Set against the vibrant cultural backdrop of Antwerp, ITAC8 promises inspiring discussions, innovative workshops, and valuable networking opportunities. We can’t wait to see you there as we continue to push the boundaries of arts education and its impact on communities worldwide! Stay tuned for more details.

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