As a frequent traveller I experience “mobility” pleasures and troubles very often. I was kicked out few times from countries without being able to pass further than the passport control line at the airport. Reasons: purely bureaucratic: the invitation letter did not have the right seal from the right institution; the entry visa for the country was not placed correctly; the passport control officer at the border after asking numerous questions decided that the I was not eligible to enter the country...Nevertheless, with no fears, I continue travelling and sharing, committing between airports and hotel rooms, dealing all the time with the pressure of borders, obstacles and differences: in geography, language, politics, religion, economics, culture…Why I continue doing that?

Well, each one of us has different internal motives to be part of mobility programmes and actions: curiosity; need to change; strive for a better life; demand to engage with differences and break the daily routine; need to understand other cultures and complexities of other realities; investment in future relations and projects; creation of networks and partnership. Mobility keeps us all the time “on alert”. Together with work related mobility, exchange programmes and artists’ residences, we travel for pleasure and fun, participating in culture as tourists. We also experience more and more nowadays the “virtual mobility” and explore the skills and knowledge we need to become “movable” in our mindsets, without physical moves from one place to another.

Yes, mobility is not only a pleasure, but is also a risk and an adventure. It requires patience and flexibility, awareness of unpredictable situations and ability to cope with insecurity. Mobility brings lots of fears and threats: “brain-drain”, growing migration across Europe, decrease of security. Mobility also divides, as not everyone can afford to travel and stay connected. Mobility is not always cooperation, although is a prerequisite- active engagement and actions are needed together with the actual move.

The report Made in the Mediterranean discusses in dept the challenges of artistic exchanges in the Mediterranean region-an engaging reading, full of viewpoints, interviews and lively stories. The publication is initiated by Roberto Cimetta Fund and the Fondation René Seydoux, with the support of the Relais Culture Europe and the European Cultural Foundation. Ferdinand Richard points out in the report: “There won’t be cultural integration in the Mediterranean as long as we, Europeans, have not perfected our own cultural integration!”. Read the position papers, and let’s keep the discussion alive. As I am one of those who still believe in magic and mobility is one of them....