COOPERA

COOPERA is a cooperative project of creation that aims to innovate art practices by bringing together practitioners, institutions, and citizens to co-create inclusive works that serve society and collective expression. It approaches live and visual arts as dynamic tools for social innovation and future-building through pluridisciplinary participatory projects.

Rather than focusing solely on opera as a form, COOPERA expands its ecosystem by integrating approaches from performance, theatre, and visual arts, rethinking how participatory practices can shape the role of art in society. The project brings together institutions, artists, researchers, and cultural practitioners, forming a framework for collaboration grounded in shared artistic heritage and contemporary social realities.

The project is run by a European consortium that is conceived as a bridge linking France, Italy, Belgium and Ukraine, establishing a strong logic of cooperation based on the shared common cultural heritage of opera, which highlight the aspirations for freedom of the Europeans since the birth of opera (17th cent.), the Italian, French and Belgium fight for democracy (19th cent.), up to the defence of Ukrainian culture against the Russian attacks today.

The consortium adopts a multidisciplinary approach, welcoming partners from diverse cultural fields (opera, theatre, performance, and visual art) who operate in institutions, public spaces, and rural territories, each contributing unique expertise in participatory art and cultural engagement.  The project also involves researchers reflecting on and articulating these practices, supporting a deeper understanding of how artistic processes can foster cultural rights and social resilience.

COOPERA combines observation, experimentation, and implementation. It maps existing participatory practices, develops and tests new approaches through residencies, and collectively shapes six innovative methodologies. These are explored through observation residencies, experimental residencies, and practice-based research processes involving both professionals and citizens.

The project’s results are disseminated in accessible formats, including podcasts, video teasers, and a booklet. Through this, COOPERA contributes to the transformation of artistic practices, reinforcing their capacity to act as spaces for collective expression, social connection, and future-oriented thinking.

COOPERA is a cooperative project of creation established by Collectif Meute and partners artconnexion, Opera Aperta, L’Albero, Capotrave/Kilowatt, La chambre d’eau, and RESEO. COOPERA is co-funded by the European Union.