Europeiska Samarbetsprojekt

What is it for

To support the capacity of the European cultural and creative sectors to operate transnationally and internationally. To promote the circulation of cultural and creative works and the mobility of cultural and creative players, in particular of artists, transnationally.

It also aims to improve access to European cultural and creative works and extend their reach to new and larger audiences.

In addition, it contributes to innovation and creativity in the field of culture.

Projects that aim to

• develop skills, competences and know-how, including how to adapt to digital technologies
• test innovative approaches to audience development
• test new business and management models
• enable international cooperation and career development in the EU and beyond
• facilitate access to professional opportunities
• organise international cultural activities, such as touring events, exhibitions, exchanges and festivals
• support the circulation of European literature
• stimulate interest in, and improve access to, European cultural and creative works.

Projects can cover one or more cultural and creative sectors and can be interdisciplinary.

2.1 Objectives and priorities 

The main objectives of the support for cultural cooperation projects are: 

• - to support the capacity of the European cultural and creative sectors to operate transnationally and internationally and to promote the transnational circulation of cultural and creative works and transnational mobility of cultural and creative players, in particular artists; 
• - to contribute to audience development by helping European artists/cultural professionals and their works reach new and enlarged audiences and improve access to cultural and creative works in the European Union (hereafter 'the EU') and beyond with a particular focus on children, young people, people with disabilities and underrepresented groups, by engaging in new and innovative ways with audiences both to retain and enlarge them, and to improve the experience and deepen the relationship with current and future audiences; 
• - to contribute to innovation and creativity in the field of culture, for instance through artistic innovation, the testing of new business models, the use of digital technologies and the promotion of innovative spill-overs on other sectors. 

In order to achieve the above mentioned objectives, the cooperation projects will have to focus on one or more of the following priorities: 

• - supporting actions providing cultural and creative players with skills, competences and know-how that contribute to strengthening the cultural and creative sectors, including encouraging adaptation to digital technologies, testing innovative approaches to audience development and testing of new business and management models; 
• - supporting actions enabling cultural and creative players to cooperate internationally and to internationalise their careers and activities in the Union and beyond, when possible on the basis of long-term strategies; 
• - providing support to strengthen European cultural and creative organisations and international networking in order to facilitate access to professional opportunities. 

 Priorities in the field of promoting transnational circulation and mobility are: 

• - supporting international cultural activities, such as for instance touring events, exhibitions, exchanges and festivals; 
• - supporting the circulation of European literature with a view to ensuring the widest possible accessibility; 
• - supporting audience development as a means of stimulating interest in and improving access to European cultural and creative works and tangible and intangible cultural heritage. To find out more about audience development, please refer to annex 2 to these guidelines. 

This scheme has a flexible, interdisciplinary approach. Projects can either focus on one or more priorities, at either one or more points of the value chain in either one or more cultural and creative sectors. 

The scheme shall support, in particular, not-for-profit projects. 

On top of the specific features of the scheme and in compliance with the principle of subsidiarity, the supported projects shall contribute to create European added value as defined in Article 5 of Regulation No 1295/2013 establishing the Creative Europe Programme. 

2.2 Targeted projects 

This scheme offers two categories of support. Depending on the scale, needs, nature and objectives of the project (also referred to as "action"), the project leader and the partners (also referred to as "the applicants"), will have to choose to apply for either category 1 or category 2: 

Category 1 – Smaller scale cooperation projects 

Projects involving a project leader and at least two other partners having their legal seat in at least three different countries taking part in the Culture Sub-programme, with a maximum EU funding of EUR 200 000. 

Category 2 – Larger scale cooperation projects 

Projects involving a project leader and at least five other partners having their legal seat in at least six different countries taking part in the Culture Sub-programme, with a maximum EU funding of EUR 2 000 000. 

Examples

Purely illustrative examples of the kinds of activities that can be supported within projects, if they contribute to the above objectives and priorities, include the following (please note this list is not exhaustive): 

Exchanges of cultural players with a view to capacity-building enabling cultural players to acquire the skills and know-how needed to adapt to their changing environment (digital shift, new business and management models, new approaches to audience development, helping small organisations develop business readiness in applying for bank loans). This can include training sessions, workshops, the preparation of materials, websites for this purpose, etc.; 

• Exchanges of cultural players between countries, including extended stays and residencies, which will help artists/cultural professionals with the development of their careers. During these stays, the activities can include artistic creation, including co-creations and co-productions, which are then performed or exhibited and toured between different countries. As far as possible they should also include training and activities in audience development and interaction with local communities, including efforts to reach usually under-represented groups; 
• Cultural organisations (e.g. concert halls, opera houses, theatres, festivals, orchestras, music groups, theatre groups, etc.) from different countries coming together to co-produce and/or perform and tour in different venues/events in different countries, or at a single event on condition that the event has a very large and recognised international reach with the capacity to have a multiplier effect in other countries. The co-productions can include new or avant-garde works. Promotional and audience development activities must be included in order to attract larger audiences, help make complex works accessible to the audience, and extend access to under-represented groups. The activities should help artists/cultural professionals with their careers, help artists and works reach more audiences across Europe and beyond, help extend the lifespan of productions and the organisations to develop sustainable cooperation with new partners in other countries and new professional opportunities for them. 
• Transnational exchanges of artefacts with a particular European dimension: these do not necessarily create new works, but may enable new and existing works to circulate, for example, through exhibitions that tour between the different partners or through a museum in one country loaning exhibits to museums in other countries, with special attention being paid to extending and enlarging the audiences for these works, and extending the lifespan of exhibitions.