The German Federal Cultural Foundation promotes art and culture within the scope of federal competence. One of its main priorities is to support innovative programmes and projects on an international level. The Foundation also invests in projects which develop new methods of fostering cultural heritage and tap into the cultural and artistic potential of knowledge required for addressing social issues.
The Federal Cultural Foundation focuses on cultural exchange and cross-border cooperation by initiating projects of its own and funding project proposals in all areas of the arts with no stipulations as to theme or subject.
The Foundation was established on 21 March 2002 by the German federal government represented by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. It is a civil-law foundation and has its headquarters in Halle an der Saale, Germany. The Federal Cultural Foundation is financed with a fixed amount of 35 million euros annually, provided through the budget of the State Minister of Cultural and Media Affairs.
The German Federal Cultural Foundation is financed by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media by resolution of the German Bundestag.
The Foundation’s new headquarters in Halle an der Saale were designed by the architectural office of Dannheimer & Joos and built on the grounds of the Franckesche Stiftungen.
The Federal Cultural Foundation has adopted an environmental policy to continually improve its environmental behaviour. In 2012, the Foundation was awarded EMAS certification for ecological management.
Each issue contains descriptions of currently funded projects and programmes, accompanied by essays by international writers, interviews, photo spreads and literary texts.