The “Fortress Europe”, the closer economic and political union of diverse peoples built on the exclusion of “Others”, is showing its cracks under the pressure of millions of migrants, refugees and asylum applicants. This is a crucial moment for the European Union, as its members are divided over their responses. The ENCATC Academy will seek to understand the situation from the point of view of culture and the arts: the context and background of the crisis, as well as its development and its implications for the EU and for the member-states, thanks to top experts from academia, research, policy, and practice will deliver know-how, facts, relevant data, and policy developments in this area, as well as case studies, funding mechanisms, creative partnerships, good practice and the resources professionals and institutions working in culture and external relations need to work effectively in the short and long term on this issue.