The event format was developed during the CRAIQ-EuMedia project to enable circular work on the quality criteria for European educational media. The basic idea is to create an inviting atmosphere that enables a respectful and open exchange on various topics. The aim was to test and expand the criteria and to develop a format in which different opinions can exist and be discussed.

The events open with input from an expert on the topic, followed by question and discussion rounds. Usually, the events end with a summing up in which all participants take part. It’s about sharing what was most relevant or what you took away from the evening.

Think & Drinks are currently being organized in cooperation with Erlebnis Europa in Vienna. Initially, the events took place in a gallery in Vienna, gallery twenty-six, with 10 to 15 participants. It turned out that larger groups do not work for the format, as all participants should be given the opportunity to speak. With regard to this aspect, adjustments are currently being discussed as to how the format can be scaled without losing the interactive components. One consideration would be a question-and-answer format in which a panel discusses a topic and a (digital) tool collects contributions from the audience with which the panel interacts.

Five Think & Drink events have taken place so far. The first event took place on November 30, 2022 and focused on the topic of “Europe in digital spheres”, with contributions from Prof. Thomas A. Bauer and Nana Walzer.

Subsequently, an event was organized on 22 February 2023 on the topic of “European Public Media Spaces for Common Good” with speakers from BAIT, FH Wien der WKW and the BBC. The following day, February 23, 2023, there was a Think & Drink on the topic of “Art: Europe”, where Wolfgang Lamprecht from Kunstforum Wien gave his input.

The fourth Think & Drink took place on May 22, 2023 and focused on the skills and competencies required for learning from and with media in today’s environments. Many educational media professionals from different contexts attended this event and took part in discussions.

The last event took place on January 19, 2024 in the new location of Erlebnis Europa. In addition to input on the CRAIQ-EuMedia project, contributions were made by Display Europe and the Council for European Public Space before discussing “Quality and diversity in the media for Europe” with all participants. What made the event particularly interesting was that passers-by took part in the discussion. This open approach should be maintained for future events in order to enable as diverse an exchange as possible.