NECE Festival 2026: TRUST
The NECE Festival 2026 took place from 14 to 16 October in Lisbon, Sintra & Cascais. Together, guests explored the role of trust in civic education and how it can foster resilient, ethical, and sustainable transformation in communities across Europe and beyond. See the festivals’ concept paper authored by philosopher Sven Gerst, which further elaborates on the thematic foundations of the festival here. The festival offered a variety of formats, such as panel discussions, Masterclasses, visits to Sintra and Cascais hosted by the local municipalities, and an action hub to reflect, connect, and co-create.
The NECE Festival 2026 was organised in cooperation with the Instituto Padre António Vieira (IPAV), Cascais European Capital of Democracy, Câmara Municipal de Sintra, Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI) and Dona Ajuda, and supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundationand the Embassy of Canada to Portugal, in Lisbon.
The NECE Festival 2026 was co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
