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Germany / Duitsland

1. Cultural policy

Cultural policy profile

Cultural policy profile of Germany in 7 thematic chapters, including additional information and resources:

Government

Ministry of Culture: Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs (Bundesbeauftragte für Kultur und Medien – BKM)

2. Official representations

Representation of Germany in Belgium

Representation of Flanders in Germany

  • Representative of the Flemish Government in Germany

Bart Brosius
Belgische ambassade
Jägerstraße 52-53
10117 Berlin
berlin@flanders.eu
flandersingermany.be
kulturausflandern.de
flandersingermany.be/de/diplomatische-vertretungen
fdfa.eu/en/general-representation-of-the-government-of-flanders-in-germany
fdfa.eu/en/germany

3. About funding, cooperation and information centers

Funding and cooperation

  • Kulturstiftung des Bundes: The German Federal Cultural Foundation is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media upon the resolution of the German Bundestag. The primary task of the German Federal Cultural Foundation is to promote innovative programmes and projects in an international context. Cultural exchange and cross-border collaboration are central to its funding activities.

Information

  • Goethe-Institut: The Goethe-Institut is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute, active worldwide. It promotes the study of German abroad and encourages international cultural exchange, through its many institutes abroad as well as through the central office in Munich, Germany. The Goethe-Institut is a EUNIC member.
  • ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen: ifa is Germany’s oldest intermediary organisation for international cultural relations. It promotes a peaceful and enriching coexistence between people and cultures worldwide. It provides (some) funding opportunities for international exchange. It is a EUNIC member.
  • Deutscher Kulturrat: The German Cultural Council, head organisation of the cultural associations in Germany, acts as a mediator vis-a-vis political and administrative bodies of the German Federal Government, the Länder (states), and the European Union regarding all issues of cultural policy. It aims at being a voice for artists and cultural operators within discussions at all political levels.
  • Information Overview via On the Move country page: On the Move is the cultural mobility information network, providing information and knowledge for artists and cultural professionals active across borders. On this page, you can find all current calls related to the country as well as the latest version of the Cultural Mobility Funding Guide – and more.
  • Ars Baltica: Focused on cultural cooperation around the Baltic Sea, Ars Baltica provides country profiles for all 11 countries. Find your way to further information about film, literature, music, visual arts and performing arts in Germany!. “Cross-sectional” contains general information about projects, programmes and institutions that are dedicated to different fields of arts and culture.
  • Touring Artists: The German Mobility Information Point, touring artists provides comprehensive information on visas/residence, artist status and contracts, transport/customs, taxes, social security, other insurances, and copyright. The website is accessible in English and German.

4. Other information portals and platforms

– All disciplines

  • Residencies
    • TransArtists provides an overview of residencies in Germany, in all disciplines
    • The Goethe-Institute maintains an overview of artists’ houses (mostly visual arts) and residencies (all disciplines, depending on the calls) on its website

– Visual arts

  • IGBK: The Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste (IGBK) is a powerful lobby, representing the interests of visual artists. It has been the guiding idea of IGBK since its beginning to foster worldwide collaboration amongst visual artists in all directions. IGBK advises visual artists on the possibilities of working opportunities and grants, both in Germany and abroad. IGBK represents the German National Committee of the International Association of Art (IAA) and is a member of Culture Action Europe and On the Move.
  • VG Bild-Kunst: founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1968 as an association of creators of visual art. It is charged with the administration of the rights and claims of its members and so does not pursue any commercial interests of its own. VG Bild-Kunst is an association for the collective administration of copyrights. It currently has more than 60,000 members. It is a member of EVArtists.
  • BBK: The Federal Association of Visual Artists e. V. has been representing the professional interests of freelance visual artists vis-à-vis federal politics and administration since 1972.

– Performing arts

  • ITI Germany: In accordance with its statutes, the German ITI promotes mutual understanding of the world’s theater cultures. It promotes the freedom of artistic expression and the preservation and development of the cultural diversity of theatrical forms of expression and production. In cooperation with the other ITI centers and artistic partners, its range of tasks extends to information work, consulting and organization.
  • Assitej Germany: German branch of Assitej, the association for theatre for young audiences.
  • Dachverband Tanz Deutschland – DTD: The Federal Association of Dance in Germany (in German Dachverband Tanz Deutschland), founded in 2004 out of the awareness of the active founding members that dance must speak with one voice in the political landscape of the Federal Republic of Germany, acts as a federation of the outstanding associations and institutions for artistic dance in Germany – overarching aesthetic differences, different modes of production and specific professional fields in dance.  DTD develops many initiatives to support dance professionals in Germany, supports networking nationally and internationally, and advocates for appropriate funding for the sector.
  • German Association of Independent Performing Arts: the federal umbrella organisation of all state associations for professional independent performing arts in Germany. It has about 1.500 members, representing over 20.000 people working in the performing arts in Germany, and advocates for their employment policies, funding and rights on national level and internationally in collaboration with other trade and umbrella associations.
  • Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser: The Alliance of International Production Houses (Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser) is an association made up of seven of Germany’s most important institutions in the field of contemporary visual and performing arts. The Alliance collaborates in strengthening, communicating and publicising artistic positions and local contexts at the national and international level. The alliance’s other key areas of activity involve organising training programmes and professional-development measures designed to foster individuals active in the independent theatre scene.
  • Tanznetz.de: Digital dance magazine covering all German-speaking countries, with all sections and blog posts available for free.
  • Die Deutsche Bühne: Existing for over 100 years, it is the oldest German theatre magazine and reports on the fields of acting, music theatre and dance. Die Deutsche Bühne exists in print and digital formats.

– Music

  • GEMA: GEMA is the German collecting right society. It is a member of CISAC. It runs the GEMA Foundation, which promotes and supports music projects and prizes.
  • GVL: Since 1959, GVL – the German Organisation for the Management of Neighbouring Rights – has represented the interests of performers and producers of sound recordings.
  • Initiative Musik: Germany’s music export office supporting rock, pop and jazz music. It is a member of EMEE.
  • Deutsches Musikrat (DMR) – German Music Council: The German Music Council and its partners campaign for Germany’s vibrant existence as a land of music in all areas of life that are connected to music. In accordance with the German Music Council’s 2nd Berlin Appeal, its goal is to enable every citizen, regardless of social or ethnic background, access to the world of music.
  • Deutsches Musikinformationszentrum: The German Music Information Centre (miz) is the central contact point for all questions revolving around musical life in Germany.  As a facility of the German Music Council (DMR), the miz makes use of the infrastructure and network of the DMR as well as the specialised knowledge of its cooperation partners from all areas of musical life. The miz is one of some 40 members of the International Association of Music Information Centres (IAMIC) and therefore also networking outside Germany and cooperating with music documentation centres and similar institutions worldwide.
  • SOMM Society of Music Merchants: SOMM represents the interests on a national and international level of around 60 organisations specialised in  music instruments in Germany, going from the fabrication to the distribution, to the trade of instruments.

5. Regional organisations

  • NDPC: The Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC) is a governmental initiative which brings together national authorities, practitioners from cultural and creative industries (CCI) and experts. It works towards a stronger, more competitive and more resilient CCI sector that contributes significantly to the sustainable development of the Northern Dimension region (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation and Sweden).

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