EC/Kaleidoscope info

[abroeck@v2.nl (Andreas Broeckmann)]

Dear friends,
I went through the site of the European Commission / DG10 today and
happened upon the call for applications for the Kaleidoscope 1997
programme. The deadline is 15 January 1997. Below you find an abridged
version of the info on the website. Check the respective URLs, or, if you
don't have www access, I can send you the complete document.
The money is available, the tough bit is to get the applications in on
time, and complete.
Good luck to us all.
-a


http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg10/dg10.html

http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg10/culture/index-en.html


http://europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg10/culture/en/calls/a
ction/k-c298.html

European Community Support for Culture
1997 Kaleidoscope Programme

Information and Call for Applications

(96/C 298/09)


I. Subject

      The Kaleidoscope programme, adopted by the
European Parliament and the Council on
      29.3.1996, supports artistic and cultural
activities having a European dimension.

      This notice provides information on the
programme and invites applications for Community
      financial support for cultural projects and
events starting in 1997.

[...]

III. Objectives of the Programme

      The programme is intended, by means of
co-operation, to encourage artistic and cultural
      creation and to promote knowledge and
dissemination of the culture and cultural life of
      the European peoples, by supporting cultural
projects with a European dimension, ie. those
      involving partnerships of organisations from
at least three Member States.
      [Footnote 2]

      It will support and supplement the action of
Member States in the field of culture in
      accordance with the principle of subsidiarity
laid down in Article 3b of the Treaty on
      European Union. Financial support will be
given to artistic and cultural projects carried
      out in partnership, or through networks, and
large-scale European co-operation projects.

      Community support should primarily be used for
the cultural and artistic aspects of
      projects under the programme, their
administrative and personnel expenditure should,
      therefore, be shown to respect the principles
of sound economic management.

      The specific objectives of Kaleidoscope are;

            to encourage activities involving
artistic creation with a European dimension, ie.
            those which are organised by partners
from at least three Member States, to enable
            the number and quality of cultural
exchanges to be increased and to ensure a good
            overall representation of all forms of
artistic expression covered by the programme.

            to support innovative cultural projects
carried out by European partners from at
            least three different Member States,
which provide a genuine added value to those
            cultural activities which are undertaken
at national and regional level.

            to contribute to the development of the
professional skills of artists and other
            cultural operators, in particular by
supporting cultural projects which include the
            improvement of professional skills as
part of their organisation, and by stepping up
            exchanges of experiences, thus
facilitating greater co-operation between artists
            from various Member States.

            to contribute to the mutual knowledge of
European cultures by making it easier for
            different European audiences to have
access to and participate in the culture and
            arts of other Member States and by
facilitating inter-cultural dialogue.

      IV. Structure of the Kaleidoscope Programme

      The programme comprises the following two
Actions under which applications can be
      submitted.

      Action 1 Support for events and cultural
projects carried out in partnerships
      or through networks

      The programme is open to cultural and artistic
projects jointly organized by cultural
      networks or by partnerships of organisations
from at least three Member States, and
      which also involve participants from at least
three Member States.

      Particular attention will be given to networks
which promote access to culture for people
      from a diversity of social and regional
backgrounds.

      Projects should either involve creative work
intended for public display or dissemination
      in Europe or help to promote greater cultural
exchanges and access to culture by the public.
      The areas covered by the programme are: the
performing arts (eg. dance, music, theatre,
      opera), visual or spatial arts (eg. painting,
sculpture, carving, engraving), the applied arts
      (e.g. architecture, photography and design),
and projects involving multimedia as a form of
      artistic expression.

      Projects submitted for consideration must be
of European interest, of high quality and
      innovatory or exemplary in nature. Additional
support may be given to projects which
      involve either study periods or courses for
improving professional skills in the arts or
      culture for the benefit, in particular, of
young people, or measures intended to increase
      cultural dissemination or public access to
culture.

      A priority will be given to projects
contributing to lasting co-operation.

[...]

      Financing

      Projects must have a balanced financing plan,
and must in addition have other sources of
      funding, whether from the public or the
private sectors. For the majority of projects and
      events, Community support provided from the
Kaleidoscope programme may not exceed 25%
      of the total cost of the project in question,
nor may it exceed 50,000 ECUs.

      However, in the case of projects
incorporating, beyond their central event or work,
      additional elements which involve either
training periods or courses for improving
      professional skills, or measures intended to
increase cultural dissemination or public
      access to culture an additional Community
contribution may be granted. This Community
      support may cover up to 50% of this specific
component, but this may not exceed 20,000
      ECUs.

      The maximum possible Community contribution to
any project within the Kaleidoscope
      programme, therefore, will be 70,000 ECUs.

      For projects which are concerned purely with
the improvement of professional skills,
      Community assistance may cover up to 50% of
the total cost, up to a maximum of 50,000
      ECUs.

      The administrative costs must not exceed 20%
of the Community financing of the project.

      Projects involving a Community contribution of
less than 5,000 ECUs are not, in principle,
      eligible for support from the Kaleidoscope
programme.

      Action 2 - Large-scale European co-operation
actions

      A separate action will provide support to
significant large-scale quality projects having a
      European dimension and major cultural and
socio-economic impact.

      This action is open to the same type of
cultural and artistic projects and with the same
      conditions as in Action 1, however they must
be jointly organised by cultural networks or
      cultural co-organisers from at least four
Member States and must involve participants
      from at least four Member States.

      Considering the very selective nature of
Action 2, and the fact that the budget for this
      action is very limited, organizers are invited
to consider whether their projects
      correspond fully with the objectives of Action
2.

      Cultural events organised to mark Europe Day
on 9th May are eligible for support under
      this action. In this case the projects may
involve co-organisers and participants from at
      least three Member States.

      Funding is initially provided for 1 year.
Neverthless, it may be extended up to a maximum
      of 2 years for projects beginning in 1997.
Extension from year to year will depend on an
      assessment of the actions carried out in the
previous year, evaluating both the cultural
      quality and the socio-economic impact of the
results obtained.

      Financing

      Community support for projects submitted under
Action 2 may exceed 50,000 ECUs, but
      may not exceed 25% of the total cost of the
project.

      Involvement of third countries

      Third countries which are parties to the
European Economic Area Agreement:

      In accordance with the EEA Agreement,
organisations from Iceland, Liechtenstein and
      Norway may participate in the Kaleidoscope
programme with the same rights and
      obligations as those of organisations from
Member States.

      Other third countries:

      In accordance with the various association or
co-operation agreements between the
      European Community and third countries, the
Kaleidoscope programme will be open to a
      number of non-member countries under the
following conditions:

            organisations from Bulgaria, Czech
Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia,
            Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and
Slovenia, may participate in the Kaleidoscope
            programme. The specific modalities of
their participation will be progressively
            defined in the framework of the
Association Councils on the basis of the additional
            protocols. [Footnote 3]

            organisations from Cyprus and Malta and
from other third countries which have
            concluded association or cooperation
agreements with the European Community
            containing cultural clauses, may
participate in the Kaleidoscope programme on the
            basis of these agreements, and of
additional appropriations to be provided according
            to procedures to be agreed with those
countries. [Footnote 3]

      Artistic and cultural co-operation projects
must involve co-organisers and participants
      from at least one third country and at least
two Member States (Action 1) or from
      at least one third country and at least three
Member States (Action 2).

      However, organisations from third countries
may be involved in projects which are
      presented by at least 3 Member States (Action
1) or by at least 4 Member States (Action
      2).

[...]

      VI. Applications

      Application forms and accompanying guidance
notes can be obtained from the Offices of
      the European Commission in the Member States
or from the Culture Unit at the following
      address;

European Commission
Kaleidoscope Programme
DG X/D.1 Culture Unit
Room 4/02
Rue de la Loi 102
B-1049 Brussels

[...]
      Applications must be sent by 15.1.1997 (the
postmark will be considered as the official
      date of submission). This deadline will be
strictly adhered to and on no account will any
      extensions be given.

[...]
      The announcement of the selected projects will
be made before 31.5.1997.