Bernard Foccroulle (former director Festival d'art lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence, organist); Paul Dujardin (BOZAR, Brussels); Kathrin Deventer (European Festivals Association); Tere Badia (Culture Action Europe) and Valerio Tura; Luca Jahier (EESC) call on artists to stand up for our European project, before the European elections this May.

We strongly feel it is necessary to add our voices and names, our creativity and passion to a movement for our strong European values. Therefore, in a first and urgent step, we would like to ask artists to create a short video (mobile phone quality is enough) in which you express your support for a democratic Europe and point out what Europe means to you. The message and the way you choose to portray this is completely open.

Please use whatever language you find appropriate for your audiences. We suggest keeping the video short to facilitate its spread, maximum 20- 60 seconds.

Please put this video online using the hashtag #Europaebella. We are happy to help if you wish. This message, 'Europa è bella'/'Europe is beautiful',… can be incorporated to make it easier to identify as a contribution to the campaign.

Please also support this initiative by forwarding this message and actively contacting and encouraging other artists to follow suit. We need to flood the social media with positive messages for Europe prior to the May elections- rather than be prey to negative messaging and distortions.

The elections take place from 23-26 May. Your video will encourage others to post, creating the necessary snowball effect - the timeframe is short.

In a second, middle-term perspective, we plan to join forces to reflect on a more structured representation and interaction with arts and culture on a European level. The European Economic and Social Committee, representing the voices of European civil society, has offered to support this idea.

Together, we can change and protect our Europe of culture and creativity, freedom and inclusiveness.