Funded art events start in smaller cultural venues

In view of the growing political and social pressure on smaller cultural venues in Germany, several art campaigns supported by the federal government are being launched. They are being funded as part of the "Lokal - Programm für Kultur und Engagement" program, as announced by the Federal Cultural Foundation based in Halle (Saale).

Actions are planned for projects in 13 cities and municipalities with a population of less than 100,000. These include the "Cultural Initiative for a Democratic Future" (Kidz) from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the participatory format "#Platten#spiel#ball" in Eberswalde, Brandenburg, and the "Congress of Utopias" in Quedlinburg shortly before the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. Projects from Saxony, Thuringia, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are also included.

Ten million euros until 2031

The program supports committed cultural actors who implement community-building projects. It is also about building long-term and sometimes unusual partnerships - for example with sports clubs, daycare centers, schools, fire departments or local craft businesses.

The cultural foundation says it is making ten million euros available for this purpose until 2031. A total of up to 40 projects are to be funded with between 200,000 and 240,000 euros each. The Federal Agency for Civic Education and the European Cultural Foundation are also involved in the implementation, organizing accompanying advisory services or seminars.