LOKAL

The application-based model programme “LOKAL – Programme for Culture and Engagement” is awarding funding to establish at least 26 long-term networks nationwide in cities and communities with under 100,000 inhabitants. Each project can apply for up to €240,000 over a four-year period. The entire programme will run between 2024 and 2031, organised by the German Federal Cultural Foundation, the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) and the European Cultural Foundation. It comprises academies, educational projects, a European exchange and support programme and a nationwide concluding festival. The German Federal Cultural Foundation has allocated €7.5 million for the programme. 

The programme’s funding guidelines and application requirements are online now (in German only (opens in a new window)). Applications may be submitted in German until 14 February 2025. 

In times of polarisation, cultural venues – especially in smaller towns – can provide opportunities for dialogue and exchange. This is where people often meet who wouldn’t normally come in contact with one another. Art and cultural associations, sociocultural centres, theatres and libraries are important meeting places in a pluralistic and democratic society. And yet, these local organisations are operating under ever-increasing pressure. What partners can rural cultural associations collaborate with on a long-term basis so that they can stage art projects in public space where everyone can actively and safely participate? With whom can libraries and theatres team up with to initiate community-building projects?

Committed cultural stakeholders are looking for new partners: sports associations, schools and daycare facilities, volunteer fire departments, local businesses etc. The aim of the programme is to motivate these organisations to collaborate with each other long-term in artistic projects in order to create a new sense of shared responsibility in their communities. The participating artists will develop artistic projects together with local residents, debate societal issues and organise events that promote social interaction.
The programme is accompanied by targeted advice services to help project participants, for example, with site analyses, sustainable financing, conflict management and legal options for dealing with hostility. The Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) is responsible for coordinating the accompanying academies, which will allow the projects to network with each other.

Starting in 2025, the funded projects will also have the opportunity to engage with international partners at European events, e.g. organisations in Italy, France and Poland which have encountered similar cases of intimidation and threats from antidemocratic forces. This exchange is made possible through a cooperative venture between the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) and the European Cultural Foundation. In a nationwide concluding festival, the projects will share their expertise with other towns and organisations. 

In LOKAL, the German Federal Cultural Foundation will issue two calls for applications, one in 2025 and one in 2026. The deadline for the first call will be 14 January 2025, the second call will end on 13 February 2026. To help potential applicants prepare, several application workshops will be held at various locations in Germany and offer a diverse range of support services. Contemporary art productions, staff, encounter-oriented formats and educational projects are eligible for funding. The programme is targeted at cultural stakeholders in German cities and towns with under 100,000 inhabitants which regularly offer cultural programmes and would like to build a locally embedded network during the four-year funding period. 

The Executive Board of the German Federal Cultural Foundation is responsible for selecting and awarding funding to cultural organisations based on the recommendations of an independent expert jury in summer 2025.
 

A programme of the German Federal Cultural Foundation, the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) and the European Cultural Foundation.