From 8 to 11 September 2025, Paris hosted the first station of CIRCUL’ARTS – Connecting Critical Pedagogies, Inclusive Art Forms and Alternative Barometers for Urban Sustainability (COST Action CA23117),

an international gathering that highlighted the transformative power of art and critical pedagogy when intertwined with cultural diversity and a shared commitment to more just societies.

Held at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (FMSH) and the Maison de l’Amérique Latine, the event brought together researchers, artists, educators, and thinkers from across the globe, crossing geographies, languages, and life experiences in a vibrant and creative space of exchange.

Curated and organised by researchers Marta Jecu (Action Chair) and Filipa Lourenço (Grant Holder Manager and Grant Holder Scientific Representative), the gathering underscored the importance of building interdisciplinary and intercultural networks of collaboration.

Over the course of the international conference (8–10 September), the various working groups presented artistic practices developed within the framework of the COST Action, demonstrating remarkable creativity and commitment. Deeply rooted in the local and cultural contexts of their authors, these practices opened up innovative avenues for reflecting on social justice, inclusion, and urban sustainability through the lens of the arts.

Running in parallel, the training school offered a space for intergenerational and cross-geographical learning. Key figures such as Françoise Vergès (UK), Carlos Alberto Torres (Argentina), Carina Guimarães Moreira and Carlos Henrique (Brazil) shared insights and experiences with emerging artists and researchers, building bridges between European and non-European practices. This exchange not only enriched academic discourse but also brought to light cultural knowledge that is often marginalised, highlighting the strength of decolonial pedagogies and the arts as tools of resistance and reimagining.

On 11 September, the event concluded with a Core Group Meeting, followed by a film screening curated by Marie Gayet and Marta Jecu, and an artist talk, wrapping up four intense days of dialogue, creation, and critical reflection.

CIRCUL’ARTS in Paris was a space of encounter, where the plurality of knowledge – academic, artistic, and lived – intertwined, allowing us to relearn how to imagine.