For the past three decades, European society has undergone extensive demographic change. The issue of the “other” is wreaking havoc with the political debate and the core values of the European project. There is a growing sense that the performing arts, – the art of showing – must mirror the ever-increasing diversity we witness, and the cultural complexities of our time. Still, on stage, at venues, and in the professional community, there is a long way to go.

Developed by Maison de la Culture de Seine-Saint-Denis (Paris), Alkantara Festival and Culturgest (Lisbon), Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles (Brussels), africologneFESTIVAL (Germany), Riksteatern (Stockholm), and TR Warszawa (Warsaw), Common Stories is a three-year European project centred around diversity in the performing arts. In November, the Alkantara space in Lisbon welcomes the first CommonLAb, bringing together rising artists concerned with issues of identity and diversity, while Culturgest hosts the first public session of Fábrica de Boas Práticas (“Good Practice Workshops”) on how to welcome diversity in cultural institutions.