European Cultural Foundation invites you to apply for the Democracy Resilience edition of the Culture of Solidarity Fund. This call supports collaborative, creative initiatives that re-enforce the core values of Europe and inspire Europeans to reengage with their democracies in a hopeful and forward-looking manner.

A future for Europe – Anxiety & Hope
As a platform for 450 million citizens for actively shaping their shared future, the European parliamentary elections were set out to be a celebration of European sentiment and democracy. And yet here we are, many of us grappling with feelings of anxiety and confusion over the future of the ‘European project’. With pivotal national and regional elections still on the horizon this year, we must seize this moment to come together and make a compelling case for a desirable European future.
Culture holds great imaginative potential for bringing Europeans from different walks of life and with different beliefs and sentiments together. Culture provides inspirational space for creativity, empathy and democratic engagement across mental, social and political barriers, in a complex variety of localities, public spaces and (online) communities. Resilient democracies thrive through participation and creativity. Thus we need creative, cultural initiatives that build on pan-European alliances and have the potential to inspire Europeans – youth in particular – to reengage with their democracies in a hopeful and forward-looking manner.

What are we looking for?
For this edition, European Cultural Foundation is looking to support creative initiatives that re-enforce the core values of Europe such as democracy, openness, transparency and promote a hopeful narrative around the power of civic participation. They especially seek initiatives that:
» address social media’s negative impact on public debate by promoting online democratic engagement and countering disinformation and online violence through compelling and creative digital formats and contents;
» put focus on young people and their growing sense of apathy and disengagement from (European) politics by offering more cohesive and educational support;
» use/develop tactics, tools, methodologies that creatively use arts and storytelling to create empathy-inducing experiences and appeal to people’s emotions;
» work at the cross-section between democratic participation and other issues such as environmental sustainability and green transition, recognizing the complex, interconnected nature of social crises;
» forge European transnational and/or translocal collaborations, and thereby build cross-border alliances of solidarity.

What do European Cultural Foundation offer?
The Fund has grants available in three amounts:
» up to €10.000
» €10.000 – 20.000
» €20.000 – 30.000
Although co-funding is not a prerequisite for receiving a grant, a balanced budget with diversified resources can greatly improve the project’s feasibility. Grants can be used to finance a wide range of activities: they can cover production, rent, online co-working and communication tools. Grants can also be used to cover consultancy, staffing and operational costs. However, it is highly recommended that these do not exceed 80% of the total requested budget unless clearly justifiable.

The project timeline may be up to 12 months. Activities that fall under the scope of the grant may not take place before the start date.
The submission deadline for proposals is Tuesday, 17 September, 13.00 CEST.

» Applications must be submitted in English and must include a complete budget;
» The call is open to civic, public, or private organisations with legal status that operate in the cultural, creative or other sectors of society, including education and academia, health and social care, environment, human rights, social entrepreneurship, rural development, spatial planning, etc.;
» Applicants must be based in one of the eligible countries;
» We do not accept proposals submitted by political parties. Our work is strictly non-partisan.

For additional information and to submit your application please visit this link:
https://culture-of-solidarity-fund.grantplatform.com