The Cluster Fund is EUNIC’s primary instrument to financially support colleagues working in EUNIC clusters around the globe in delivering cultural relations activities. It was initiated in 2012 and has up to today financed over 190 cultural relations projects worldwide.

The purpose of the 2022 EUNIC Cluster Fund call was to co-finance EUNIC clusters’ projects that:

• contribute to the principles of international cultural relations and to the implementation of the EUNIC Strategic Framework of 2020-2024;
• strengthen cooperation amongst EUNIC cluster members and partners on the ground;
• deliver the local Cluster Strategies;
• raise the profile of EUNIC through improved quality of EUNIC clusters’ projects.

The 2022 Call

Cultural relations activities empowering youth can play an important role in sustainable social and economic development for future generations. With EUNIC's ongoing commitment to the UN's SDGs, and 2022 being designated as European Year of Youth, this years call had an optional thematic focus for projects directly addressing young people through their activities.

For this year's call 46 applications were submitted (20 from the EU and wider Europe, 9 from Asia, 4 from MENA, 5 from sub-Saharan Africa and 8 from the Americas). The 18 selected projects involve 22 clusters (6 from the EU and wider Europe and 12 from outside Europe), 29 EUNIC members, 15 EU Delegations or European Commission Representations and over 110 local partners with a total budget of more than 790,000 euros including the co-financing by members of EUNIC clusters and local partners.

For a cluster fund application, at least three EUNIC members need to collaborate on a joint proposal involving at least three local partners. A 40% co-financing rate applies.

The overall quality of all submitted proposals was high. The call had eight selection criteria: relevance to local context, alignment with cultural relations’ principles, collaboration of EUNIC members, partnerships, impact and evaluation, feasibility, visibility and sustainability. Four colleagues representing EUNIC members took part in the evaluation process guided by the EUNIC office. The final awarding decision was made by the EUNIC Board of Directors. The following colleagues provided their expertise in the evaluation process:

• Agnieszka Skieterska, Head of Strategy & Analysis Unit, Polish MFA
• Manfred Stoffl, Head of Theater & Dance Division, Goethe-Institut headquarters Munich
• Nenad Bogdanovic, Planning & Development Coordinator, Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations headquarters Cyprus
• Radka Rubilina, Director of Czech Centre Kyiv

Selected projects

• Costa Rica - Jardines de Artistas en San Jose
• El Salvador - Cartografias Liquidas: Ne ujti pal tatuka (paths for sowing)
• Hong Kong - EU Street Art Meets Hong Kong
• London, UK - Harvesting Young Creativity
• Mongolia - Blue Sky Messengers
• Netherlands - FAIR P(L)AY: Fair practices in the cultural sector
• New York, US - ECO Solidarity 2023
• Pakistan - Digital Arts Festival
• Republic of Congo - Brazzaville Fashion Week
• Romania (with Greece & Hungary) - Cultural Management Academy: European Capitals of Culture – Legacy & Sustainability
• Saudi Arabia - AI for Art
• Slovakia - The Art of Evidence – artists & journalists against conspiracy, misinformation & propaganda
• Sri Lanka - Creative Island – From Forest School to Sensory Architectures
• Tanzania - Viraka freshi
• Turkey (Ankara & Istanbul) - Sound of Europe #2
• Uruguay - Break a Leg! Uruguay

Projects will be implemented in the course of 2023.

Find out more about the selected projects here.