EU National Institutes for Culture - EUNIC


Cluster Fund 2021: Selected Projects

Cluster Fund 2021: Selected Projects
crowd watching an actor perform in a play on a stage.
Photo from the "Site Specific Performance Festival in Bethlehem, Arab Capital of Culture in 2020". The theatre festival took place from 8-11 July 2021. The project was organised by the EUNIC Cluster in Ramallah in cooperation with Al-Harah Theater and financed under the EUNIC Cluster Fund Call 2019. Photo: Ma'moun AlHerimi

23 projects were selected for co-financing under the EUNIC Cluster Fund 2021 with a total of 308,515.00 Euros. With EUNIC's aim to drive the importance of culture in the SDG agenda and in strengthening cultural cooperation as a dimension of sustainable development, the Cluster Fund 2021 strongly welcomed project proposals that address one or several SDGs directly through their activities.

Furthermore, on the occasion of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the 2021 edition of the EUNIC Cluster Fund Call saw an extraordinary contribution from one of EUNIC members, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. In this framework, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs shortlisted 12 projects to receive an additional label of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Bosnia and Herzegovina - False Clouds: An interdisciplinary art and ecology project
The interdisciplinary project False Clouds tackles different forms of pollution by joining artistic, activist, scientific and socio-political approaches. It consists of an exhibition, performance, a discursive, educational and film program highlighting issues ranging from contamination of air, soil and water, exploitation of natural resources to non-green waste disposal under premises of economic growth and technological progress. It aims to provide a platform to connect different cities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, encourage civil engagement, create broader public attention, and establish new networks by bringing local and international artists, experts and stakeholders together. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Brussels - The Future of Living - AI x ALL
Seeking AI-powered sustainable solutions for our future Artificial Intelligence technologies can greatly improve our lives and our planet, but they can also bring more inequality and environmental pollution. Understanding these technologies is key to taking action and looking for innovative and sustainable solutions. Everyone should be involved. AI x ALL is the motto of the second edition of The Future of Living, which will bring together artists, designers, scientists, researchers, and policy makers in a temporary think tank and a hub of creation, prototyping sustainable and art-driven solutions for our AI-powered future in the New EU Bauhaus and in the world.

Bulgaria - Sustainable practices in fashion and design
Responsible attitude and sustainable practices are becoming more urgent than ever. European fashion and design brands are taking part in the important change too, with a growing number of designers and companies putting efforts into reducing their negative ecological impact and leading the trend to ethical and sustainable fashion and design. With the presentations and discussions in different Bulgarian cities we will bring together local public and European companies, leading a change in the industry through the joint power of science, design, and technology. Our local partner, Studio Komplekt organize the Melba Design Festival in Sofia that is the major design event in Bulgaria.

Colombia - "Muestra Itinerante de Cine Comunitario" - EUNIC-Colombia and HEK
In Colombia, community cinema plays an essential role in community peacebuilding because it allows them to make their stories visible. However, communities often lack the training and resources to produce them. EUNIC-Colombia is partnering with Historias en Kilómetros-HEK with the aim of strengthening the presence of community cinema in the country and having an international presence. An exchange between European filmmakers and local producers will build an intercultural alliance to provide local producers with adequate tools to produce professional films. This will lead to the creation of an independent and sustainable cinema with a social and transformative impact in different territories.

Croatia - Fashion: Worker-Consumer-Activist
Once known as the regional shoe and textile industry leader, Vukovar is looking for a better future after being destroyed during 1991 Croatian war for independence. Through various activities such as workshops, guided city walks, panel discussions and open-air film screenings in Vukovar and nearby Osijek, the project aims to address the issue of the degrading textile- and shoe industry of these cities with rich industrial heritage, as well as the contemporary issues of the fashion industry from the labour and ecological perspectives, especially in the context of todays Fast Fashion trends aggravating impact on the climate crisis.

Ecuador - European Week in Ecuador: "CulturAmazonia - creating bridges between culture and environment"
Our project is a cultural and pluridisciplinary festival about the protection of the environment and more specifically of the preservation of the Ecuadorian Amazonian forest in line with SDGs 13 and 15, especially 15.2. The festival will last one week and will take place during the second week of May, which corresponds with the celebration of Europe Day. It will take place in Macas, a medium sized town at the gates of the Amazonian forest, with the possibility of online streaming in order to reach the Ecuadorian audience all around the country and beyond. The cultural events are organized and implemented by the EUNIC Cluster, the European Delegation and our local partners in Ecuador. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

El Salvador - Liquid cartographies
Cartografías Líquidas aims to make visible and strengthen the environmental organizations and initiatives in El Salvador through a cartography and artistic residencies to achieve sustainable development that respects the Earth and Human Rights. It seeks not only to register, make visible and disseminate some of the most relevant ecological initiatives but also to generate new narratives based on technological tools and artistic collaborative creations to reach new audiences. Our focus is to improve visibility, education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation and adaptation. The project encourages the creation and strengthening of networks between El Salvador and Europe to ease further collaborations.

Italy (Rome and Naples) - Quartieri di Vita. Life infected with Social Theatre!
EUNIC clusters Naples and Rome present the 2nd edition of social theatre inclusion project designed for socially disadvantaged groups in the South Italian region Campania. Clusters and the Campania Foundazione dei Festival organize 10 theatrical workshops lead by 10 European stage directors for adolescents at risk, women victims of violence, migrants, the disabled, people with psychiatric disorders, etc. This year, the festival is going to gain the Eco Festival Certification and is going to build its final performances on the SDG´s themes. The project brings together professional figures (stage directors, facilitators) with gifted target groups to communicate through the liberating ritual of stage culture. The results of the 14 days of production workshops are 10 shows and visual projects for the audience. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Kenya - Cartooning for Peace and Democracy in Kenya
As Kenya prepares for the 2022 elections, EUNIC Kenya will collaborate with Cartooning for Peace, the international network of press cartoonists, and Buni Media, a multimedia organization developing content for impact, to run a series of educational and advocacy activities aimed at contributing to peaceful and democratic elections. Using the power of press cartoons and satire, an effective and influential medium of art and communication, the activities will provoke critical analysis, dialogue and reflection on the politics and electoral processes to promote informed and energized participation thus combatting hate speech and the rise of misinformation in the digital age. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Latvia - Green Deal & Architecture: European expertise on timber building for challenging the sustainability-aiming and post-Covid era in the Baltics
EUNIC Latvia allies with Riga Technical University to bring European expertise to the 2022 regional event Forum Wood Building Baltic. Activities are split in 3 phases: Latvian wood construction then & now; European expertise; educational feedback. The goal is to cooperate with local partners on sustainability in the building industry; to strengthen networks between EU construction & architecture stakeholders; and to promote mutual learning, capacity-building & dialogue among future professionals. The focus is on how wood architecture can strengthen the sustainability of cities and help combat climate change. Thus, the project connects to the SDGs, specifically 11, 12, 13 & 17. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

London - European Night of Ideas and Books for Thought
In 2022, EUNIC London will launch a year of debates and public engagement activities with a two-folded project: the EUROPEAN NIGHT OF IDEAS on the 27 of January, and BOOKS FOR THOUGHT, throughout the year. Crossing European and British perspectives, the EUROPEAN NIGHT OF IDEAS engage audiences in free debates, performances and workshops with the theme REBUILDING TOGETHER as the common thread to tackle the latest ideas behind contemporary issues. The series BOOKS FOR THOUGHT will continue to address the same themes via discussions with European and British authors of non-fiction books about climate change, gender equality, socio-economic inequality and new forms of citizenship. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Moldova - Cultural Management Academy 2022 (CMA) - Strengthening the capacities of cultural actors in the region
Cultural Management Academy 2022 is a post-graduate program for cultural managers aiming at capacity building and stimulating exchange and collaboration in Eastern Europe. The main goal of the project is to build capacity for the cultural sector and to increase the competences of the cultural operators in Moldova and Romania. CMA 2022 is organized by EUNIC Moldova with the support of EUNIC Romania, which gives a strong international dimension to the program. To support the capacity building process, the program provides micro-grants to support new solutions for the cultural sector. The grants will be offered for collaborative projects to the participants from all of the 2 countries.

Morocco (Rabat and Casablanca) - DANCE FUSION 2022 (DF22)
FUSION 2022 builds on the pilot project FUSION to respond to the needs of dancers in Morocco to professionalise & become entrepreneurs. FUSION alumni & EU mentors will offer masterclasses to 80 dancers in cities lacking cultural infrastructures. A mentoring program will guide FUSION alumni to conceive and bring to stage their own co-productions from project idea, budgeting, performance implementation until presentation. Enabling dancers to become entrepreneurs ensures sustainability of the dance scene, and boosts (social & gender) equality & resilience. An alumni network, a cooperation with local festivals & a presentation platform initiated by FUSION will increase dancers income & visibility. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Moscow - ECODOC
ECODOC aims to facilitate cultural dialogue and exchange on the topic of sustainability in its various facets: besides ecology, climate protection and sustainable consumption, especially inclusion and sustainable society, cities and communities (e.g., through participation), gender and educational equality, and last but not least, sustainable communication. By initiating discussions on the diverse aspects of sustainability addressed in the films, cultural actors from the EUNIC countries will enter into dialogue with local experts, initiatives, media and the audiences – aiming at a democratic exchange and formulating common challenges, especially in the Russian regions.

New York – Eco Solidarity
ECO Solidarity is an initiative for designers to convene and act in solidarity on issues relating to sustainability, ecology, circular economy, in response to climate emergency, humanitarian and public health crises, through design with empathy, sustainable production process and materials. Through the program of innovative design exhibitions, workshops, and discourse, the project mission is to bring EU and US based designers to address the imperative need for human-centered design, that resonates with the Green New Deal principles. The underlying objective is to unite design and other disciplines in a resolve to create more ecologically-sound, human-centered design solutions that protect the environment, our health, and ecosystems—thereby restoring integrity in fractured communities.

Pakistan - Heritage Live - Music of Pakistan
This project consists of a one-week music residency including workshops on skills development and income generation for traditional Pakistani musicians. The artists shall also co-create music with European artists which will be disseminated on various digital platforms. The project supports vulnerable musicians, including women, Afghan refugees and youth from rural areas of Pakistan reaching out to diverse communities to improve their socio-economic condition and developing inclusive and creative economies. The project also contributes to preserving and promoting Pakistan’s rich musical heritage and to fostering inter-cultural dialogue between the EU and Pakistan to pursue SDGs. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Paraguay - Rehabilitation of the barrio Ricardo Brugada and the Caballero Park in Asuncion
The project gives continuity to the 2021 project that managed to establish a baseline that helped to value historical memory, bring together stakeholders and begin a series of activities to revitalize this historical area of the capital of Paraguay, Asunción. In this second phase, it is intended to strengthen the role of Bernardino Caballero Park and its surroundings as a dynamizer to facilitate coexistence among citizens who must take an active role for change. In addition, as a cluster, we must serve as a link with the responsible authorities so that they assume their commitments and that they must contemplate in their political programs their improvement. Likewise, the objective is to promote communication between responsible institutional actors and civil society associations. To ensure self-sufficient management and its continuity, a battery of cultural actions will be deployed. The four results foreseen are to:

  • Facilitate coexistence among the inhabitants of the surrounding neighbourhoods
  • Deploy a program of community cultural activities
  • Promote the active role of citizens
  • Collaborate to lay the foundations that guarantee a self-sufficient and sustainable public space including artistic values and culture

Prague and Berlin - Ecological Circulation(s): Young European photography
The EUNIC clusters of Prague and Berlin are partnering with the Fetart collective to propose an exhibition of young European photographers that will take place in the public space of the two cities. Both exhibitions are dealing with the theme of ecology and will be an opportunity to organize various events and discursive programs with the civil society around the environmental issue and to contribute to the debate on this European topic during the semester of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Romania - Sustainability Labels for Culture
The project focuses on the implementation of the SDGs on cultural events in Romania, while SDGs are understood in their global dimension where culture is a key transversal element. It pursues a dual approach: 1. The project should point out the already existing attempts to certify sustainable measures of cultural providers as well as needs and expectations in this field in Romania. 2. Inputs from states represented by the cluster members will be presented with the goal to share experiences and best practices, since “Europe has much to contribute, and much to learn.” As a long-term goal the project should trigger the introduction of sustainability labels for cultural events in Romania. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Saudi Arabia - She (Who) Moves! (SWM)
Mural art is novel in KSA. SWM is conceived by the Saudi artist Noura BinSaidan in collaboration with 4 SA & 4 EU artists to raise awareness. SWM initiates European-Saudi cultural exchanges and contributes to disseminating interests on SDG 3-5. It favors healthy lifestyles & calls to action for the environment. Placing women & sport at the core of the artistic discourse, it enables the acknowledgement of the role of women in KSA, hence furthering gender balance. Saudi artists collaborate with European artists improving and exchanging their positions and techniques through a series of workshops featuring artists as speakers contributing to cross-fertilization with the goal of long-term partnerships. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Senegal - Raising awareness of environmental issues through culture
EUNIC Senegal will collaborate with three local environmental organizations. Strengthening the involvement of the youth in the context of agroecological transition in Senegal through forum theatre is the main purpose of the NGO ENDA Pronat’s activity. To increase the population's awareness of plastic pollution issues, the Association Zéro Déchet Sénégal will use graffiti. The Environmental Education Centers and Ethnobotanical Gardens of Hann and Fandène will organize a musical workshop to grow youth engagement in the environment. During the World Water Forum, which will take place in Senegal in March 2022, EUNIC Senegal will hold a round table to present the results of the projects. This project is the recipient of a EUNIC Cluster Fund grant with special funding in the framework of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

United Arab Emirates - Building for the Future Together
The EUNIC cluster UAE, in collaboration with leading local players in the fields of art and architecture, would like to propose a symposium plus workshops, seminars, and excursions on architecture and urbanism that - as mirrored in the vision of the New European Bauhaus - places culture, community, and environmental consciousness at its heart. Zooming in on the specificities of mobility, terrain, climate, and methodology, the program will be guided by multidisciplinary thinking and a spirit of collective civic responsibility. The in-person seminars will be accompanied by a digital archiving, publication and communication platform to continue long-term discussions on the subject of climate-conscious urbanism in the UAE. A prominent goal is to facilitate lasting contacts and networking among the participants.

Vietnam - Sustainable Community-based Tourism in Tam My Tay Commune
The project is a joint initiative for sustainable community-based tourism and cultural preservation in Tam My Tay commune, which is of dense biodiversity. There it is easy to watch the Grey-shanked Douc langur. This project has two targets: advocating for the establishment of the regulation on community-based tourism and creating a digital story-map that reproduces and makes available online stories of biodiversity, conservation and cultural heritage in Tam My Tay and the surrounding Quang Nam province. The project is meant to be a model for transparent tourism management and responsible tourist consumption for a quality culture- and eco-tourism with benefits for all local stakeholders, in particular the local community and sensitive visiting tourists.



  • Grant scheme
  • SDG

Co-funded by the European Union Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.