EU National Institutes for Culture

We are thrilled to share the selection results of the EUNIC Cluster Fund 2024! 👏 We received 47 eligible applications, and thanks to the generous contributions from EUNIC members, 21 projects involving 22 clusters worldwide were selected for funding by this year's jury. The results were announced by our cluster team during our General Assembly in Brussels last week. The Cluster Fund is EUNIC's primary instrument for offering financial support to EUNIC clusters globally to deliver impactful cultural relations activities. Since its launch in 2012, the fund has supported over 200 projects worldwide! In line with our commitment to climate action, this year’s call introduced an optional focus on sustainability through cultural collaboration. Explore the incredible projects from this year’s selection here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ddKVv4B9

That’s a wrap on an inspiring EUNIC General Assembly here in Brussels! ✨ We brought together our members and partners to share programme updates, develop our strategic framework, and explore key challenges and opportunities in the field of international cultural relations. It was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect live across the membership as well as welcome several new colleagues into our network! A huge thank you to all our members and partners for making this General Assembly a success! 👏 Discover more insights and key takeaways from this General Assembly here on our website: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/etEHv5aA Here are just a few highlights from across the two days: 🔷 International cultural relations with the new EU leadership: We were joined by: • MEP Nela Riehl, Chair of the CULT Committee at the European Parliament, • Georg Haeusler, Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport at DG EAC, European Commission, • In discussion with our member, Eugene Downes, Cultural Director at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and member of the Expert Group on EU governance in international cultural relations. EUNIC members joined our panelists to explore the policy opportunities presented by the new European Parliament and Commission, and how we can lead, shape and deliver the next steps of the EU’s commitments to international cultural relations. 🔷 Enhanced opportunities for cultural relations in Sub-Saharan Africa: The European Spaces of Culture programme has been recognised by the European Commission as an instrument to deliver a part of a new Africa Europe Partnerships for Culture programme (DG INTPA), launching in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025. This creates exciting opportunities to strengthen cultural relations across the region, expand partnerships with African actors and civil society, and advance our ongoing commitment to fair collaboration. 🔷 Continued and enhanced cooperation with Ukraine: We gained insights from Volodymyr Sheiko, Director General of the Ukrainian Institute with updates on strengthening existing partnerships with EUNIC, through the new edition of the EUNIC Ukraine Fund, now supporting Ukraine’s cultural presence in new priority countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America, Mobility Scheme visits to Lviv and Kyiv in 2025, and through mainstreaming Ukrainian perspectives and expertise in our EUNIC community of practice. 🔷 Convening leadership on sustainability and climate action: We showcased the EUNIC Sustainability Toolkit, designed to support our members in mainstreaming climate action across cultural relations. EUNIC members took to the stage to share their commitments and strategies on sustainability as we explore how, as a network, we can unite leadership and drive meaningful progress on this issue in the years ahead. We look forward to bringing together the heads of our network at our next General Assembly on 18 & 19 June 2025 in Amsterdam, hosted by DutchCulture.

The EUNIC Mobility Scheme has arrived in Brussels! 🚀 The EUNIC in Brussels cluster organised an engaging three-day programme in which the The Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux, the Liszt Institute - Hungarian Cultural Center Brussels, and the Czech Centre Brussels hosted colleagues from several EUNIC members from across Europe, creating a unique opportunity to strengthen collaboration and foster knowledge sharing. Participants took part in thematic workshops and presentations led by the hosting institutes. The first day focused on exploring impact and evaluation, the second day covered international cultural cooperation, and the final day explored activities on both local and European levels. A visit to Brussels wouldn’t be complete without stopping by the EUNIC office! It was a pleasure to welcome participants at our office to exchange experiences in cultural relations and to discuss EUNIC collaboration with a younger generation of talented colleagues from member organisations. We look forward to welcoming a new delegation for another Mobility Scheme visit here in Brussels in March next year!

The British Council, one of EUNIC's founding members, celebrated its 90th anniversary this week! 🙌 We are very pleased and proud to have joined colleagues in London to celebrate this huge achievement and very important milestone.

An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 1 in 6 of us, experience significant disability - representing 16% of the world’s population. On this #IDPWD - International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December) - we reflect on this year’s focus, 'Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.' To mark the occasion, we’re highlighting previous cultural projects supported by the European Spaces of Culture programme that develop approaches to access and inclusion and celebrate the creative leadership of artists with disabilities! • Bosnia and Herzegovina – ALL INCLUSIVE: Performing Arts Project for Diversity and Social Inclusion This socio-cultural initiative harnesses the power of performing arts to break down social barriers and strengthen solidarity within communities with a focus on marginalised groups, including people with disabilities.  🔗 https://lnkd.in/eVx4b-rS • Angola – No Meu Mundo (Enter My Universe) Addressing taboos around disability, this festival highlighted the challenges faced by people with disabilities, focusing on accessibility to cultural life. It also saw the launch of Angola’s first fully inclusive and accessible art venue. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/exehc6uE • China – Diverse as We Are - International Festival of Inclusive Culture This innovative festival celebrated diversity and inclusion through avant-garde artistic productions. DAWA connects disability communities, local audiences, and cultural institutions, creating a platform for greater access and representation in the arts. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dxNyEaaj • Uruguay – SIN LÍMITES – Festival Internacional de Artes Inclusivas The first of its kind in Uruguay, this festival dedicated to arts and inclusion brought together inclusive artistic companies from Europe and South America through performances, residencies, workshops, and research - addressing the barriers to cultural life faced by people with disabilities. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d_DPMNPd These projects inspire us to continue to embed inclusion and accessibility into our cultural relations projects and activities!

🌍 #ClusterFund2024 update! This week, the Cluster Fund jury is gathering at our Brussels office to evaluate the 47 project proposals submitted by EUNIC clusters worldwide in this year’s call. The proposals tackle crucial topics such as sustainability, the climate crisis, human rights, gender equality and intergenerational dialogue - explored through music, film, literature, design, architecture, sports and more! Four colleagues from EUNIC member organisations make up our jury, each contributing their professional expertise to the evaluation process, guided by the EUNIC cluster team. 👇 Meet our jury members below! Jakob Racek Goethe-Institut e.V. British Council Instituto Cervantes Lietuvos kultūros institutas | Lithuanian Culture Institute Egle Deltuvaite

📢 Welcome to the team! We’re excited to announce that Dunia Sanfilippo has joined our team as Communications and Programme Intern and will be with us for the next six months. Dunia has a background in European studies and international relations - having studied in Palermo, Tokyo, and Brussels - and brings valuable experience from the music and performing arts sectors. Dunia is looking forward to supporting our cluster team and contributing to our communications initiatives. Welcome on board, Dunia! Meet the rest of the EUNIC team here on our website: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ewqPEFU5

🌍️ As COP29 comes to a close in Baku, we reflect on the efforts of EUNIC members and partners in embedding cultural relations into climate policy discussions. Read the full article on the role of culture at COP29 and other landmark policy moments below. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e6EFstJf 🌱 Looking for inspiration on integrating sustainability and climate action into your work? Explore the “(How to) get engaged?” section of our Sustainability Toolkit!  Wherever you are on your climate action journey, these resources offer valuable guidance to help you make meaningful progress. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/en8vwCHb Maria Elena De Matteo Eva Balaban Rosanna Lewis British Council Alison Tickell Julie's Bicycle Creative Migration We Move Waves

A Room of One's Own: Developing Decolonial Perspectives & Practices on Ukraine's Cultural Heritage Join us for our upcoming online Knowledge Sharing Workshop co-hosted by the Ukrainian Institute. 📅 Tuesday, 3 December 2024 at 10:30 CET 🌐 Online via Zoom This workshop is aimed at culture managers and cultural heritage professionals working in the context of Ukraine, Central-East Europe, Central Asia, and beyond. Together, we will: - Exchange knowledge and foster connections among cultural professionals. - Explore practical and theoretical approaches to decolonisation in cultural heritage. - Share methodologies and insights from the Ukrainian Institute’s decolonisation guide for museums. 👉 Find out more and register here: https://lnkd.in/exggkpXS

🇺🇦 #1000days of full-scale invasion in Ukraine. 1000 days of strength and resilience. EUNIC’s commitment to Ukraine, and to our Ukrainian member, remains unwavering. How can we continue to support Ukraine through cultural relations? Tetyana Filevska, Creative Director of the Ukrainian Institute, shares her insights into the institute’s core mission and the importance of being an associate member of EUNIC during these challenging times. Collaboration is key. As a network, we can support Ukraine by working closely with the Ukrainian Institute, involving Ukrainian artists and culture in our projects and programming. 🤝 🎥 Watch our interview with Tetyana below. Get in touch to find out how you can support through collaboration. #StandWithUkraine