The Communities and Education Programme emerged from collaborative research with neighbourhood communities around the exhibition venues and worked together closely with artists, schools, museums, associations and other spaces.

Manifesta 16 Ruhr explored alternative ways to bring diverse communities together and developed programmes that foster shared perspectives within the Ruhr Area. By working in churches that are no longer in use or abandoned, Manifesta 16 aimed to collaboratively re-imagine neighbourhoods, exploring new sustainable approaches that reflect the needs of local communities.

The projects addressed a wide range of topics such as youth participation, empowerment, urban art and spaces for creative experimentation. Some projects presented their outcomes during the biennial, while others were process-oriented and focused on exchange and shared experiences.