HOME GAME – Fund for Theatre Projects

Funding criteria

1. The Federal Cultural Foundation established the HOME GAME fund to support outstanding theatre projects which address the urban and social reality of their cities. With these funded projects, HOME GAME hopes to attract new target audiences to theatres and initiate a discussion concerning the role of (city) theatre in Germany.

2. HOME GAME awards funding to artistic and cultural projects developed and carried out at a theatre or in close cooperation with a theatre. The projects should have a model character in terms of the goals of HOME GAME. Furthermore, the project should feature a pedagogical aspect and involve the participation of other city organizations and public-interest groups in order to ensure a long-term impact. Therefore, applicants should emphasize these criteria in their project proposals.

3. Funding recipients can include municipally-, state- and federally-subsidized theatres, city theatre consortiums, public-interest theatres and theatres whose operating expenses are largely covered by public funding. The theatres must have an ensemble of their own which can participate in the project as needed. The applicant should be a member of the artistic management team of the theatre.

4. Applicants must secure at least 20 % of their entire project budget with either their personal resources or third-party financing unless there is a good reason to justify an exception. The theatre management is required to provide a written statement confirming the allocation of any of its own resources invested in the project. If third-party financing has been acquired, applicants must submit the legally-binding funding notification, contract or comparable written statement of consent.

5. Funding is awarded as a non-repayable grant. Operational funding and funding for projects that are already underway are excluded. The grants are regarded as partial funding and are based on financial shortfall. Fundable expenditures include project-related expenses for material and personnel. These exclude work visits and business trip for artists, cultural producers and staff members of institutions. Recipients are not legally entitled to funding. Paragraphs 23 and 44 of the Federal Budget Code, the administrative regulations and the applicable Administrative Ordinance regulations apply to the approval, payment and accounting of funding, the proof and review of expenditures, as well as the possible withdrawal from the funding contract or reclamation of funding. Funding payments can only be effected after the funding contract has been made.

6. Applicants are required to use the application form provided by the Federal Cultural Foundation on its website. The Foundation will only consider applications which include a clearly outlined description of the entire project (max 1 page, DIN A4), a complete, accurate Cost and Finance Plan (CFP) listing one's personal resources, the promised or secured third-party financing, and the amount of funding requested from the Foundation. Furthermore, applicants must also submit statements of intention by the project's artistic directors or participants with comparable responsibilities.

7. The submission deadlines are March 31 and October 31 of each year. The Foundation's Executive Board is responsible for selecting applications and awarding funding. The Executive Board bases its decisions on the advice of the German Theatre Association and the Cultural Foundation of the German Länder, as well as other experts and cultural advisors as needed.

8. These funding criteria take effect January 1, 2006. The funding activities of HOME GAME - Fund for Theatre Projects are set to end on December 31, 2008.