Trans Europe Halles
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| Formation | 1983 |
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| Type | International Network of Independent Cultural Centres |
| Headquarters | Lund, Sweden |
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Membership
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80 members and associates |
| Website | www |
Trans Europe Halles (TEH) is a European-based network of cultural centres initiated by citizens and artists.
In 1983 the independent cultural centre "Les Halles de Schaerbeek" (Brussels, Belgium) organised a weekend of discussions in Brussels to enable European independent cultural centres to exchange experiences and participate in events under the theme of "Adventures of the rediscovered ark". This three-day forum focused on an alternative culture emerging in rehabilitated industrial buildings, and asserting its identity despite the reservations of political authorities. Seven centres from seven European cities took part in this initial meeting.
That first international meeting in 1983 was the seed of what nowadays is Trans Europe Halles (TEH), the European-based network of cultural centres initiated by citizens and artists, that currently gathers together around eighty members and associated organisations in almost thirty countries.
TEH members are cultural centres emerged from civil society initiatives that have a multidisciplinary artistic policy encouraging interaction between art forms, with an emphasis on contemporary art. One of the common and most defining characteristics of these centres is that they are based on industrial or commercial buildings that have been adapted to artistic and cultural uses. Besides this, they are very diverse in terms of geographical location, size, inspirational backgrounds, funding models, artistic programmes, etc.
Trans Europe Halles has currently almost 60 members and 17 associate organisations in 29 European countries. Most of Trans Europe Halles centres are established in buildings from industrial heritage, from factories and warehouses to dairies and army barracks. All Trans Europe Halles centres are multidisciplinary, but their main artistic disciplines as well as their regular activities vary a lot. To become a TEH Member, applicant cultural centres must fulfil the following membership criteria:
TEH is run in a decentralised way; the member centres participate in the decision-making of the network during the network meetings. Each centre has one vote regardless of its size or economic status. The Executive Committee, selected biannually, is the governing and policy making body of the network.
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