Europe 1 is in crisis–this diagnosis is not new. The idea of “Europe” as an economic, social, political and/or cultural project has always been questioned. However, current trends make the diagnosis even more relevant. The European Union adopted the concept of “United in Diversity” as its official motto, and Europe has been described as “embracing maximum cultural diversity at minimal geographical distances”(Kaplan 2018). But nowadays, not all countries in Europe seem to embrace the motto “United in Diversity” very warmly, and the appreciation of diversity is severely challenged by multiple controversies about the so-called migration crisis and by the rise of protective nationalism and populist identity politics. Europe’s social cohesion and political legitimacy are on trial. In this situation, ENO, the European Network of Observatories in the Field of Arts and Cultural Education, was founded in 2015 in Berlin under the auspices of UNESCO. ENO is a relative newcomer to the field. However, it has deep roots in the European arts education community. ENO aims to facilitate the exchange of research findings and innovative practice, to stimulate new research in arts and cultural education and to support the development of arts education–within the framework of global UNESCO policies and guidelines for education, culture and sustainable development. By this normative framework, ENO has to deal with the European crisis, outlined above.

ENO offers a forum to exchange, to discuss and to trigger research-based knowledge on arts and cultural education in Europe. For this, ENO organises meetings and conferences, makes information available through an online research database and this yearbook, initiates cross-national research projects and maintains a strong and official relationship with UNESCO. Members of ENO are national