Beyond Invitation: An Intercontinental Model for Sovereign Shared Governance
Drawing on research, evaluations, and case studies produced within the Deconfining project, the publication examines both the successes and the structural challenges of intercontinental cultural collaboration. It highlights the importance of direct artistic exchange while identifying ongoing barriers related to mobility, funding, and governance. The publication argues that artistic collaboration has often achieved “human closeness” while structural inequalities continue to create “systemic distance.”
A central contribution of the publication is the proposal of a Sovereign Partnership Model built around three interconnected pillars: Mobility Justice, Resource Sovereignty & Ecosystem Building, and the Cycle of Return. Together, these pillars aim to strengthen equitable mobility, support long-term cultural infrastructure, and ensure that the value created through artistic projects circulates back into local communities and institutions.
The Intercontinental Governance Model forms part of the wider Deconfining project (2022–2026), co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme, which seeks to develop more decolonised, fair, and sustainable frameworks for cultural cooperation between Africa and Europe. Developed by Samba Yonga and Vydia Tamby, edited by Sara Božanić and Malin Nagel and led by the German Centre of the International Theatre Institute (ITI).
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