This week, the SOILSCAPE Open Call sub-projects began work, kicking off a new wave of art-driven initiatives designed to help people see, feel, and understand soil as a living foundation for climate, biodiversity, and resilient food systems.
reframe.food, as the leader of the SOILSCAPE Open Call and Financial Support to Third Parties (FSTP), led the preparation, launch, implementation, and management of the Open Call, enabling immersive, participatory campaigns and creative tools at local, national, and transnational scales across Europe. The funded sub-projects are split into 2 categories. 12 of them will be working to develop: a) innovative communication campaigns, b) artistic/soil-related activities, or c) use creative and participatory methodologies to engage citizens with soil protection. The other 24 projects will be supporting the Soilscape “8 Arts-Soils Orchestras” in bringing their 2027 festivals to life with films, exhibitions, workshops, videogames, performances, and more.
What happened: from Open Call launch to projects in motion
SOILSCAPE allocated a total FSTP budget of €2,010,000 through an Open Call designed to encourage the integration of arts, creative approaches, and soil science in public engagement for soil preservation.
Interest in the Open Call was strong and wide-reaching. A total of 410 applications were submitted from across Europe, with selected initiatives coming from 14 European countries, expanding the project’s reach into Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Türkiye, and Cyprus. Proposals were evaluated by experts from both the arts and soil science fields, ensuring a balanced assessment of creative quality and scientific relevance.
What’s next: implementation begins
With projects now beginning their work in March 2026, the SOILSCAPE Open Call moves from selection to implementation, as artists, cultural actors, educators, researchers, and communities across Europe transform their ideas into public-facing experiences and campaigns that strengthen soil literacy and care.
Over the coming months, these initiatives will unfold across European through films, exhibitions, workshops, videogames, performances, and other participatory activities connecting science, creativity, and everyday life. Readers interested in following the projects and discovering activities taking place across Europe can stay up to date through the SOILSCAPE website [https://soilscape.eu/].
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About SOILSCAPE
SOILSCAPE (Spreading Open and Inclusive Literacy and Soil Culture through Artistic Practices and Education) is a 4-year Horizon Europe project supporting the mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”, contributing to the transition towards healthy soils by 2030. It harnesses the power of soil scientists, cultural and creative industries, artists, and civil society organisations to promote soil preservation across Europe and beyond. By building a dynamic territorial network of 8 Artistic Creative Soil Orchestras (ACSOs) in 8 EU countries, SOILSCAPE strengthens collaboration among soil scientists, researchers, public authorities, artists, and communities, driving soil literacy, deepening awareness of human–soil relationships, and fostering care for soil as a vital natural resource. Coordinated by the French Soil Science Society (AFES), SOILSCAPE brings together 19 organisations from 11 countries and includes an FSTP budget of €2,010,000 supporting 12 local, national, and transnational projects and 24 sub-projects in the countries hosting the ACSOs.
Dimitra Fourkalidou
Head of Communications | reframe.food | +30 6936 616108 | dfourkalidou@reframe.food
