German Federal Cultural Foundation

The German Federal Cultural Foundation has a unique mandate at the national level – to promote contemporary art and culture in all artistic areas in Germany and in an international context. As an independent foundation, it supports cultural institutions and independent groups to engage in thematic and aesthetic experimentation, enhance their artistic standing and explore new working methods. With financing provided through General Project Funding, its own funding initiatives, the Cultural Beacons programme and large model projects, the German Federal Cultural Foundation directs attention to the pressing social issues of our time. Its funding enables theatres, libraries and museums, for example, to engage with new audience groups and critically examine their existing structures. In coordination with state and federal authorities, it contributes to strengthening the diversity of Germany’s cultural landscape, in metropolitan hubs, smaller cities and in more rural areas.

How we promote culture

With headquarters in Halle an der Saale, Germany, we develop funding instruments in close consultation with national and international cultural scenes. The Executive Board consists of Katarzyna Wielga-Skolimowska, who serves as our Artistic Director and Kirsten Haß as our Administrative Director. Around 65 employees ensure that our federally funded annual budget of 35 million euros is put to effective use via four funding instruments:

• General Project Funding: Cultural institutions can apply for funding twice a year for innovative projects with an international orientation in all artistic and cross-disciplinary areas. An interdisciplinary jury of experts reviews the applications and makes the respective funding recommendations.
• Funding programmes: We develop multi-year, application-based funding programmes on current cultural issues through extensive research and consultation with the cultural scene. Here, too, expert juries ensure the quality of the selected funding recipients.
• Cultural Beacons: Cultural Beacons are top-rate institutions and event series that play an influential role in their respective field and exemplify the rich character of Germany’s cultural scene. The current Cultural Beacons include the documenta, the Donaueschinger Musiktage and the Berlin Theatertreffen. Thanks to multi-year funding, Cultural Beacons enjoy a greater degree of planning security.
• Large model projects: We support individual projects of excellence and of experimental nature that highlight topical social and cultural issues.

Since our founding in 2002, we have created over 40 funding programmes and financed some 4,000 projects with a total of 700 million euros, many of which have served as models in the national and international scenes.
The Board of Trustees is comprised of federal, state and municipal representatives who define the Foundation’s fundamental principles and focuses. The chairman is Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer. The Board of Trustees and the Executive Board are advised by the Advisory Committee, comprised of distinguished figures from art and cultural life.

As a learning institution, we systematically evaluate our major funding programmes and work to continually improve them. Our organisation is environmentally certified, and our services are designed to be as accessible as possible. This service-oriented approach is especially evident in the intensive online support and personal consultation we offer our applicants and funded projects.