Trans Europe Halles

Founded in 1983, Trans Europe Halles is a non-profit, member-led network of over 170 independent and grassroots arts and culture centres across more than 40 countries. Our member organisations vary in size and form, yet all are independent in nature and breathe new life into repurposed spaces: from former factories and mills to breweries, markets, schools, and even prisons.

We support our members, and through them their communities, in reclaiming abandoned heritage spaces and transforming them into vibrant independent hubs for culture, self-expression, heritage preservation, social exchange and social innovation. Guided by action-driven, independent and community-led values, we work together to regenerate neighbourhoods and cities while promoting social, environmental and spatial justice.

Together, we are Trans Europe Halles.

About us

The story of our network

Our story began in 1983, in the heart of Europe, the city of Brussels, when Philippe Grombeer set out to create an arts and cultural centre in a former covered market, Halles de Schaerbeek. In search of like-minded peers, he reached beyond borders to others who believed like him, that abandoned spaces could become places of creation, encounter, exchange and possibility.

From that first meeting of Halles de Schaerbeek in Brussels and six other independent cultural centres' teams from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Switzerland back in the 1980s, the Trans Europe Halles network was born. Today, we call it TEH.

Our network today

As a member-led network organisation, TEH grew into one of Europe’s largest networks in the fields of arts, culture and reclaimed cultural heritage. Today, it brings together initiative-driven communities from over 170 independent and grassroots arts and culture centres that are TEH full and associate members, across more than 40 countries in Europe and beyond. While our members vary in size and form, they are united by strong action-driven, independent, community-led and alternative values.

How we create impact

Serving as a platform for peer-to-peer exchange, mutual learning and all-level advocacy, TEH organises its work around three main pillars: membership, events and projects.

Membership: TEH currently offers two types of membership - full and associate, giving independent arts and cultural centres access to international networking, knowledge exchange, partner search, peer-to-peer and professional support, various types of guidance, and resources according to their needs, capacity and level of engagement. Within TEH, members are further connected through geographical and thematic hubs, which allow them to share experiences, collaborate on initiatives, and learn from one another. These hubs strengthen community ties, collective knowledge, and the network’s capacity for joint action.

Events: TEH’s events are central to building connections across the network. Each year, a different member site hosts our annual gathering, either a TEH Camp Meeting or a TEH Conference. Recent gatherings have brought together over 200 participants for a four-day programme with more than 50 sessions, including workshops, site visits, presentations and cultural activities. These events create spaces for cross-border learning, peer-to-peer exchange, experimentation and the development of lasting partnerships.

Programmes, projects and initiatives: through strategic programmes and projects, TEH responds to pressing challenges and explores innovative approaches in the cultural sector. Current projects focus on green transition, social sustainability, youth engagement and solidarity. Projects are developed in partnership with the TEH Coordination Office, TEH member centres, local partners such as universities, and national and European programmes and funders. They enable testing and implementation of new approaches to reclaiming spaces, advancing cultural policy, and promoting social, environmental and spatial justice.

Our presence

Each of our 170+ member organisation is at the heart of what we do. To support TEH members from 40+ countries in Europe and beyond, our TEH Coordination Office in the city of Lund located in the southern Sweden, and our Swedish-based branch, the International Resource Office (IRO), facilitate knowledge and partner search, provide guidance on organisational development, further opportunities, project ideas and funding. From here, we help TEH members strengthen their local work, connect with peers across the network, and bring new ideas and approaches back to their communities, amplifying impact across the continent.