Strategic Framework for Denmark's International Cultural Collaboration
Funding opportunities under the strategic framework for the collaboration agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark on Denmark's International Cultural Collaboration
Professional Danish cultural operators (institutions or organizations) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ missions in other countries can apply for funding under the Strategic Framework on Denmark’s International Cultural Collaboration, in order to develop the three strategic topics, in collaboration with international partners:
- Sustainability and the green transition
- Technology and the democratic dialogue
- Urban and rural areas
The funding associated with the Strategic Framework is expected to amount to DKK 12,800,000 for the period 2023-2024 and makes up a central part of the annual allocation of funds for the international cultural collaboration (cf. the Finance Act article § 21.21.46.20). The funding is allocated into two funding schemes, and a series of particular initiatives, and can be applied for 2 times annually through the Agency for Culture and Palaces.
Applications are assessed by the steering group for the collaboration agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the recommendation of the Agency for Culture and Palaces.
Projects must be anchored and managed by professional cultural operators in dialogue with the Agency for Culture and Palaces, as well as relevant Danish missions, primarily in geographical priority areas in the US, Asia, nearby European countries and the Nordic countries.
There will be focused on supporting bigger cultural projects with wide stakeholder communities.
Funding under the Strategic Framework will be distributed in the following way:
Funding scheme for capacity building
The first deadline is March 1, 2024.
The purpose of the funding scheme is to promote the inter-disciplinary capacity-building within the cultural sector in relation to the three themes, through funding of e.g. development of international conferences, workshops, knowledge sharing events and working out best-practices.
Funding can be applied for by professional Danish cultural operators (institutions or organizations) and Danish missions in other countries.
There can be applied funding for:
- Research traveling for international and Danish partners, who in collaboration wish to develop an educational course or innovate strategic development projects.
- Constructing international networks for the Danish cultural operators situated in the strategic focus areas – e.g. expenses regarding traveling, accommodation, etc.
- Development and implementation of educational courses for professional Danish cultural operators in collaboration with one or more international partners. There can be applied for project management, production costs and documentation of educational courses, travel and accommodation costs in regard to execution.
Danish missions cannot apply for project management nor holding of own expenses regarding traveling, accommodation or participation.
The funding scheme has two yearly deadlines in 2023 and 2024.
Funding scheme for strategic development projects
The first deadline is March 1, 2024.
The purpose of the funding scheme is to support bigger strategic development projects situated in the Strategic Framework’s three themes. The applied project must be in line with one or more of the three below-mentioned focus areas:
- In regard to the theme Sustainability and the green transition, by promoting the development and implementation of specific value communication and supporting collaboration projects, which demonstrates culture’s potential in relation to the green transition or inclusion and the social aspects of sustainability, e.g. in reference to architecture, institutions and live and performing arts.
- In regard to the theme Technology and the democratic dialogue, by promoting culture’s ability to create safe/open spaces in a complex technologized world through funding of partnerships and initiatives, which focus on developing and documenting the safe spaces of culture in specific projects. The initiatives can be physical, digital or a hybrid, but they must actively relate to the possibilities and restrictions of technology in relation to the democratic space.
- In regard to the theme Urban and rural areas, by promoting and supporting inter-disciplinary cultural projects in urban and rural areas, which includes civil society and its resources. Among these, specific cultural projects regarding communities and involvement with children and youth.
Funding can be applied for by professional Danish cultural operators (institutions or organizations) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ operators.
The steering group prioritizes bigger projects, which seeks funding between DKK 100,000 and DKK 2 million.
It is expected that the projects receive a minimum of 25% co-financing from other sources, for example through self-financing, international collaborative partners or other grant funding schemes.
It is possible to apply for funding of:
- Project management
- Project completion
- Documentation and presentation
- Danish self-financing of bigger EU-financed projects related to the theme
The following criteria will apply as well:
- A project must be based on collaboration between multiple Danish and international cultulal operators – e.g. artists, organizations and/or institutions. Embassies do not count as a cultural operator.
- The artistic or cultural operators must have a professional affiliation with the art/culture scene.
- The international collaboration partners must be based in one or more of the geographical priority areas: the US, Asia, nearby European countries and the Nordic countries.
Certain project formats will not be assigned a higher priority than others.
Danish missions cannot apply for project management nor holding of own expenses regarding traveling and accommodation relating to projects.
The funding scheme has two yearly deadlines in 2023 and 2024.
