Our goal
Increased participation, sustainability, and diversity in culture and cultural heritage.
Rationale for the support
Culture is a global public good that has an intrinsic value and drives sustainable development and social cohesion. Arts and culture are important parts of the democratic infrastructure as venues for freedom of expression and critical reflection, fostering dialogue, and respect for diversity. Cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, is a valuable source of knowledge and resilience. It also serves as a resource for the vitality and shared prosperity of local communities.
Broad participation in cultural life enhances social cohesion and contributes to informed, engaged and democratic societies. Such societies are more resistant to threats from disinformation, hate speech and extremism. Inequalities in cultural participation and restrictions on artistic expression undermine these benefits and need to be addressed.
Increasing threats from climate change call for adaptation measures and for the safeguarding of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge. At the same time, culture and cultural heritage can be drivers of the green transition by raising awareness, increasing knowledge and contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
With the right skills in place, the digital transition offers new prospects in accessibility and outreach, and serves to strengthen the management and revitalisation of cultural heritage.
Culture and cultural heritage offer a wide scope of opportunities for bilateral cooperation.
Areas of support
- Cultural and artistic creation and cooperation, capacity building, outreach and exchange, with specific regard to cultural diversity.
- Sustainable restoration, revitalisation, and management of cultural heritage.
How the objective will be addressed
The programme area will promote the freedom of cultural expression through artistic and cultural creation, exchange and mobility. To increase participation, this will be coupled with support for outreach, capacity building and community engagement, including through cultural education.
The programme area will support measures that ensure human rights, cultural diversity, and the participation and cultural self-expression of women, minorities, and persons in vulnerable situations and from disadvantaged areas.
The programme area will support the green and digital transitions of the arts and culture sector through capacity building and networking, as well as through joint cultural programming.
To create conditions for socially, economically and environmentally sustainable cultural heritage management, this programme area will support capacity building, research, monitoring and risk analysis.
Support for the restoration, revitalisation and reuse of cultural heritage monuments, sites and environments will include climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
To improve access to cultural heritage, the programme area will support documentation and accessible presentation, outreach, awareness raising and training, including in traditional craftsmanship, making use of digital technologies.
Revitalisation of cultural heritage will contribute to sustainable development through enhanced skills and knowledge, and by generating local revenue. A participatory approach will ensure relevance and that benefits are shared across the community.
To ensure outreach and inclusive and active participation, and to help pool competences needed to respond to challenges, the programme area will encourage multi-stakeholder partnerships across sectors and disciplines, involving, among others, the education sector.
Key actors and beneficiaries
Public and private entities and academic institutions in the field of arts, culture, and cultural heritage, independent cultural actors, and civil society organisations are the main implementing actors. The end beneficiaries are the general public, with a focus on people with limited access to culture, minorities, and persons in vulnerable situations.