The Preparatory Action European Spaces of Culture and its pilot projects aim to seek new ways of collaboration in cultural relations, following a number of guiding principles, which reflect the EU strategy for international cultural relations and the EUNIC Strategic Framework 2020-2024:

• Encourage people-to-people contacts through a bottom-up approach, based on local consultation and co-creation;
• Go beyond projection of the diversity of European cultures;
• Focus on the process as well as on outputs and outcomes: a new spirit of dialogue, mutual listening and learning, where partners are on equal footing and engage in a joint capacity building process.

Read more about the European Spaces of Culture pilot projects previously and currently running.

Call for Ideas

The purpose of the Call is to bring Europe’s international cultural relations to the next level, by finding and testing new innovative models of European Spaces of Culture or to replicate in other regions already identified models during the first phase (2019-2021) and second phase of European Spaces of Culture (2021-2022).

The Call requires proposals to be co-created by local stakeholders, EUNIC members and EU Delegations, in the spirit of mutuality, reciprocity and people-to-people contacts outlined in the EU strategic approach to international cultural relations and the EUNIC Strategic Framework 2020-2024. Applicants are encouraged to investigate transnational and transregional projects.

The Call has a financial envelope of 420,000 euros and takes place in three steps. For the first step, project teams are invited to submit an innovative idea for European Spaces of Culture by means of a concept note until 19 June 2022. Applicants can request up to 60,000 euros in total, with the possibility to spend maximum 5,000 euros in Step 2. Teams can also choose to apply for the full amount for implementation in 2023 only. Projects must take place outside of the EU.

Timeline

Step 1
16 March: Launch of the Call
19 June: Deadline for submission of concept notes

Step 2
11 July: Shortlisting of best ideas
July – November: Project refinement towards final application
20 November: Deadline for submission of final applications

Step 3
Mid December: Selection of pilot projects
1 January – 31 October 2023: Implementation of pilot projects

How to apply?

The following documents need to be submitted to spacesofculture@eunicglobal.eu by 19 June 2022 (23:59 CEST):

• Concept note completed in English
• Estimated balanced budget completed in English and drawn up in euros
• Support letters from all identified project partners

Find the European Spaces of Culture Call for Ideas 2021 and all application documents here.

EUNIC support

Do not hesitate to reach out the Spaces team at the EUNIC office in Brussels if you have any questions about the call or the application process by contacting Robert Kieft via Robert.Kieft@eunicglobal.eu or Roxane Schavoir via Roxane.Schavoir@eunicglobal.eu. The team will be available every week on Thursday 4 pm CET and Friday at 10 am CET in the open consultation space – feel free to enter with any question about European Spaces of Culture, the application process, or your brewing idea.

Please also consult the European Spaces of Culture Frequently Asked Questions for any question you may have about the Call or the application process.

Webinars will be organised to inform the EUNIC network and the network of EU Delegations and their partners about the call and application process, including webinars dedicated to specific regions and in specific languages (in cooperation with EUNIC members’ headquarters). These webinars are llisted on the EUNIC website.

The team at EUNIC has developed the toolkit “Creating a spirit of dialogue” to guide aspiring project teams through some of the main aspects of project design, from identifying the local need to taking concrete steps to set up the partnership, which is available for download here. Please also explore the tools and framework that have been developed by an external expert group commissioned by EUNIC on Fair Collaboration in cultural relations.