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Austria / Oostenrijk

1. Cultural policy

Cultural policy profile

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

Government

2. Official representations

Representation of Austria in Belgium

  • (Culture) centre in Brussels (from country / regions / cities): Austrian Cultural Forum Brussels (ACF)
    National cultural institute in Brussels, part of the worldwide network of 29 Austrian cultural forums in 27 countries by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria. ACF makes locally coordinated cultural programs with artists, scientific and cultural institutions in Belgium (no own venue), acts as a service point for Austrian artists and scientists in Belgium and is a platform for the development of bilateral and international cultural dialogue.

    Mag. Wilhelm Pfeistlinger, Direktor
    Avenue de Cortenbergh / Kortenberglaan 52
    B-1000 Brüssel
    Tel: +32 (0) 2 / 289 07 15

Representation of Flanders in Austria

Koenraad Van de Borne
Elisabethstrasse 16, Tür 11
1010 Wenen
vienna@flanders.eu
flanders.at

3. About funding, cooperation and information centers

– Funding and cooperation

All disciplines (art councils & others)

  • Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport / Secretary of State: The “Division Arts and Culture” promotes contemporary art in Austria as well as Austrian artists abroad. It is responsible for federal funding programmes for all segments of contemporary art including the performing and fine arts, music and literature, film, new media, photography, architecture and design as well as regional cultural initiatives.
  • Austria wirtschaftsservice aws – Creative Impact: aws Creative Impact promotes innovative new products and services that have the potential to have a positive social and industry-specific impact beyond company boundaries. The funding supports the development of prototypes, the achievement of marketability and the implementation of cooperation projects.

– Information

EUNIC members

  • Österreich Institut GmbH: The Österreich Institut provides German language courses and promotes cultural exchange abroad. Every year, it teaches German to more than 11,000 participants in its 10 centres throughout Europe and beyond.
  • Ministry for European and International Affairs: With International Cultural Policy in its portfolio, the Ministry of European and International Affairs (which also provides funding through its Cultural Promotion Abroad programme) is a member of EUNIC Global.

Export offices

  • Music Austria (Music Information Center Austria – mica): Mica is an independent, non-profit association funded by the Republic of Austria. The primary goals of mica are to provide information on the Austrian music scene, to support Austria-based musicians with advice and information, to promote local music at home and abroad, and to improve the conditions for music productions in Austria.
  • OTM country page: On the Move is the cultural mobility information network, providing information and knowledge for artists and cultural professionals active across borders. On the Austria 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.
  • Artist Mobility Guide: Artist-Mobility.AT is a multi-lingual portal (DE / EN / FR) run by the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport. Unlike other mobility info points, this portal is not run by a member of On the Move. Nonetheless, being operated by the Austrian government, the information on visa, residence, employment and more is trustworthy.

4. Other information portals and platforms

– All disciplines

Representation of interest (inc. unions, federations, etc)

  • Austrian Cultural Council: The Austrian Cultural Council is a consortium of the associations representing the interests of art, cultural and media workers.
  • IG Kultur: The central task of IG Kultur Austria is to improve the working conditions for emancipatory cultural work. It acts as a cultural-political interest group and as an advisory body on behalf of cultural initiatives.
  • FIFTITU%: The association for the support of women in the arts and culture in Oberösterreich.

Overviews & national networks

  • MuseumsQuartier: The MuseumsQuartier Vienna is one of the largest districts for contemporary art and culture in the world. The spectrum ranges from fine art, architecture, music, fashion, theater, dance, literature, children’s culture, game culture, and street art to design and photography.

News portals

  • Kulturpool: An initiative of the Austrian Federal Government, Kulturpool is the information portal to arts, culture and education in Austria.

Residencies

  • TransArtists: Overview of artist residencies in Austria (all disciplines).
  • AWAY – a project around residencies: Under its calls & Programme section, AWAY presents incoming residencies, e.g. numerous Austrian residency activities of the Austrian provinces or private promotion activities that are in part comparable with, but sometimes completely different from, the residency programme of the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport. A good listing made by Austrian culture professionals.

– Visual arts

  • IG Bildende Kunst / Union of Visual Artists: IG Bildende Kunst represents the interests of visual artists in arts policy, social, economic, legal, and other professional matters. Our objective is to create good living and working conditions for visual artists.
  • Kunstnet: Kunstnet provides an overview of galleries in Austria.

– Performing arts

  • Austrian Centre of ITI: iTi Österreich is the Austrian Centre of the International Theatre Institute. It provides information, support, training and more for (and about) the Austrian theatre sector.
  • ASSITEJ Austria: The Austrian branch of ASSITEJ, the association representing professional theater for children and young people.
  • IG Freie theaterarbeit: The Interest Group for Free Theater Work (IGFT) has existed since 1988 as an interest group and network of theater, dance and performance professionals.
  • Bundestheater-Holding: Austrian Federal Theatres is Austria’s largest theatre organisation.The federal theatres are now organised as a group of five independent limited companies.
  • danceWEB: Focused on contemporary dance, danceWEB is a non-profit organization based in Vienna founded in 1996, devising and realising projects to enhance the professional possibilities for emerging choreographers together with partner organisations such as CCN Montpellier, Ultima Vez, Cullberg Ballet, Southbank Centre, Station or Workshop Foundation.
  • Wiener Bühnenverein: Association of the theatres of Vienna – provides a good overview of main stages in the city.

– Music

  • Austrian Music Council: The Austrian Music Council is a member of the International Music Council that is associated to UNESCO and aims, as the voice of the world’s music, to be the umbrella organisation of NGOs concerned with music.
  • Austrian Music Fund: The Austrian Music Fund is an initiative that aims to promote and fund professional Austrian music production in order to increase awareness of it and facilitate its distribution, thereby strengthening the reputation of Austria as a creative place.
  • Austrian Composers‘ Society (ÖKB): The ÖKB’s main focus is to take care of the creative and economical as well as legal and social issues, interests and concerns of its 640 members. The ÖKB organises composing competitions and calls for works, seminars, CD and music video productions, or national and international artistic exchange programmes aim to encourage contemporary music creation in Austria.
  • Bühnenverein österreichischer Bundesländer & Städte (formerly know as TEV Theatererhalterverband): The aim of the association is to promote the artistic reputation and the living conditions of its member theatres and orchestras. As an employers’ organisation, it deals with cultural and financial policy issues, with those of stage, labour and copyright law, with the rights of performing artists and with the social, organisational and technical challenges of the theatre.

– Art & Technology

  • Ars Electronica festival: Ars Electronica Linz GmbH is an Austrian cultural, educational and scientific institute active in the field of new media art, founded in Linz in 1979. It is based at the Ars Electronica Center (AEC), which houses the Museum of the Future, in the city of Linz. Ars Electronica’s activities focus on the interlinkages between art, technology and society. It runs an annual festival, and manages a multidisciplinary media arts R&D facility known as the Futurelab. It also confers the Prix Ars Electronica awards.
  • MuseumBooster: Vienna-based research & consultancy company with a focus on the influence of new media technologies on museums and cultural institutions, MUSEUM BOOSTER helps museum managers and experts in the cultural field to select, evaluate and implement emerging technologies. In particular, the focus is on tools and ideas which have a positive effect on museums and can create a strategic advantage.
  • IMZ International Music + Media Centre: The Vienna-based IMZ International Music + Media Centre was founded under the aegis of UNESCO in 1961 to preserve the performing arts as a cultural asset. As global business network for 150 member companies it connects the creators of the performing arts – the world’s renowned stages, dance companies, opera and concert houses – with the audiovisual branches – film and TV production, distribution, public and private broadcasting.

5. Regional organisations

  • Organisation internationale of la Francophonie (OIF): The Francophonie is also an institution, dedicated since 1970 to promoting the French language and political, educational, economic and cultural cooperation among the 88 member countries of the OIF, among which support for Cultural Diversity. Austria has an observer member status.
  • BJCEM: BJCEM, Biennale des jeunes créateurs de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée is a solid network behind the Biennale, with 47 members ranging from cultural institutions to independent organizations, with partnerships throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa, also with organizations and projects focused on the Mediterranean Diaspora. BJCEM has an external partner in Austria.
  • Tranzit: Co-founded by ERSTE Stiftung in 2002, tranzit is a unique network of independent associations working in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia as well as across borders / peripheral zones of Europe. Each of the five tranzit initiatives works autonomously in the context of the local art scenes and the social and political framework conditions. They provide artists with a versatile space in which art can be produced. Check also other programmes of the ERSTE Stiftung for regional activities in (contemporary) arts.

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