FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsterdam, 25 January 2006
 
New Funding-line for Cultural Cooperation
in/with South East Europe:
Recognizing Culture as the Heart of the Matter
 
As a concrete result of the ECF-Hivos conference
“The Heart of the Matter”: What future for the
Balkans in the EU?”(1 December 2005, The Hague,
NL), the two partners, together with the Open
Society Institute (OSI) are launching a new
funding-line for the Balkans.
 
The aim of this initiative is to counteract the
massive decrease in international funds now being
allocated to the region and to bridge the funding
gap until the integration of the region in the
EU. The means will be geared towards a determined
generation of artists and cultural operators with
an emphasis on initiatives that foster local
cultural development and contribute to regional and
European cultural cooperation. Without this
support the independent cultural sector would be under
serious threat.
 
Renewing their commitment to the region, ECF,
Hivos and OSI have decided to provide extra means
and launch a special instrument in support of the
region’s European integration process through
culture. The new funding-line will be managed within
the ECF’s existing grants programme but launched
as a special 3-year funding line with a
deliberate focus on SEE and its needs (2006-2008).
 
The SEE funding-line will have a broad remit to
explore the diversity of artistic forms and
project formats. Special attention will be given to
cross-cultural projects that aim at developing
sustainable ties between communities in the region.
Hence, 25% of the funds will be earmarked for
regional cultural cooperation projects.
 
The funding-line will be open to applicants from
the Balkan region (Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania) and
Moldova. Grants will be awarded to ngos with a track
record of high quality work, mainly within the
cultural sector. Seeding funds will also be
available to less established organizations which have
demonstrated their potential but lack the necessary
resources to develop cross-border or regional
initiatives. Artistic projects, cultural and media
initiatives, seminars, training, capacity
building, cultural research and strategies for cultural
policy development are possible examples of
actions to be supported.
 
The first deadline for the submission of
projects is 1 July 2006. The following deadline will
coincide with the ECF’s grants programme, namely 1
September 2006.
 
The SEE funding line will be co-ordinated from
Amsterdam but to secure local/regional assessment
of projects, two special advisors from the region
will complement the international jury.
Administrative costs will be kept to the absolute minimum
so that more than 90% of the overall budget will
go to project applicants from the region.
 
 
CONTACT, for further details on the NEW SEE
funding-line
 
European Cultural Foundation 
Isabelle Schwarz
Cultural Policy Development Manager
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Tel. +31 20 573 38 68   
Fax +31 20 675 22 31    
www.eurocult.org