Germany

Are you looking for (international) funding? Check our general funding page for different funding guides, grants and open calls, or the digital Cultural Mobility Funding Guide for the Netherlands for regional, private and international (mobility) funding.

In the Netherlands the means for international cultural cooperation are delegated to the national funds. The fund that works for your art form or discipline, has one or several subsidy schemes for internationalisation. To make sure the program fits your project, contact the advisors of the fund before starting the process of application. These are the national funds:

Design, Creative Industries, Architecture, Digital Culture

Creative Industries Fund NL
> International Vouchers
> Internationalization of the Design Sector Grant Scheme

Visual Arts, Heritage

Mondriaan Fund 
> Subsidy for International Art Presentation to present work by living Dutch(-based) artists. For Dutch(-based) artists or internationally recognized art organizations outside the Netherlands.
> Subsidy for International Art Fair/Art Book Fair to present work by living Dutch(-based) artists. For Dutch and non-Dutch galleries, publishers and non-Dutch art fairs.

Theater, Dance, Music

Performing Arts Fund 
> Grants for foreign organisations to invite Dutch(-based) artists
> Internationalisation grants for Dutch(-based) artists

Audiovisual media, Film, Documentary

Dutch Film Fund
The Film Fund has several subsidy schemes to support co-productions and distribution (film & documentary).

Literature

Dutch Foundation for Literature
The Dutch Foundation for Literature has several subsidies for internationalisation:
> Translation grants for foreign publishers
> Travel grants

Participation, Education, Communal arts, Cooperations, Projects with non-professionals

Cultural Participation Fund
> The international collaboration grant is available for all disciplines and designated for finding partners abroad.

Heritage

International Heritage Cooperation is part of the Netherlands’ international cultural policy. The embassies of the Netherlands in the partner countries have a budget for supporting local cultural heritage projects. DutchCulture manages a Matching Fund. Dutch legal entities (companies and registered freelancers) are able to apply for partial funding for an international heritage cooperation project.

DutchCulture supports sustainable Dutch-European heritage cooperation by supporting and facilitating (international) expert meetings and exchanges while underlining the European context of heritage. The Europe + Heritage programme offers advice, a travel grant scheme and a support grant scheme for European heritage cooperation.

More funds

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency is not a national fund but also offers on behalf of various ministries and the European Union subsidies for companies in the creative industries.

Some art subsidies, called 'Förderungen', are organised on a federal level, but the larger part of the programs are organised within the federal states ('Bundesländer') and municipalities. Therefore, it is important to research the opportunities for your art form or discipline in the different regions of Germany. In order to be eligible for financing opportunities within Germany, it is in most cases necessary to have a German partner. Only people or institutions registered in Germany can apply for funding unless it is said so otherwise. The different regions have their own approach to culture and artistic cooperation and exchange, and it is recommended to have a look into the programs offered.

Federal government

• The Goethe Institute: German organisations can apply for funding to cooperate with a foreign partner (for example from the Netherlands) - International Coproduction Fund.
• DutchCulture works closely together with On the Move, where you will find an elaborate mapping of funding opportunities in Germany.

Federal states (some examples)

• North Rhine Westfalia: The organisation NRW Kultur organises exchange events and visitors programmes. The Münsterland Art and Culture Foundation pursues the promotion and preservation of art and culture in the Münsterland region.
• Hamburg: The Hamburgische Kulturstiftung focuses on youth culture and emerging artists and the local authority for culture and media supports international exchange and collaboration.
• Berlin: There are several portals and mappings of the creative network of the city, where you can find ongoing projects, open calls and advice - Creative City Berlin.

Finding a German partner
Doing your research beforehand and finding German partners is essential. You can use the DutchCulture Database by simply going to the search option in the upper left corner, and searching for ´Germany´ or any German city you are interested in. In this way, you will see which Dutch artists are already active in which areas.

Culture Moves Europe is the new mobility financing programme for artists and cultural professionals active in sectors such as architecture, heritage, design, fashion, literary translations, music, performing arts, and visual arts. There is also a scheme for residency hosts.

Creative Europe (2021-2027) is the seven-year support programme by the European Commission for the cultural and audio-visual sector and consists of two subprograms: Culture and MEDIA. The Creative Europe Desk of the Netherlands is part of DutchCulture. Be aware that there are many strict conditions to be considered before applying for this programme.

Besides these two programmes of the European Commission, there are more European funding opportunities, and within the two programmes, there are different calls and subprogrammes. This funding guide can help you on your way.

It is a good idea to engage local publicists, that have an understanding of your art discipline, audience and region. It would also be wise to translate your promotion materials to German, because everywhere with perhaps the exception of Berlin, this would be well received. Communication with websites or social media that could promote your project will also be better received if written in German, the same goes for the local press. There is a growing number of Dutch people living in Germany and many cities have a Dutch network. Using these existing networks will also help you to promote your work.

Make sure to contact the embassy or the consulates to let them know about your projects. Do not forget to create a My DC account, where you can add your activities in our Cultural Database. This way you will be included in our database and become part of our network.

As an EU citizen, you do not need a visa to work in Germany. If you have a passport from outside the EU, it is wise to check the rules with your country´s representatives in the Netherlands, or you can ask the DutchCulture Mobility Info Point.

It is important to prepare for different and sometimes stricter rules in Germany than you may be used to in the Netherlands. Processing forms concerning taxes, insurance and also funding conditions may be stricter and may cost more time. Find out exactly what the rules are that a gallery, stage or theatre upholds, before engaging in cooperation. If you find obstacles on your way, you will have enough time to apply for permits or find other solutions. Always make sure that your health insurance will cover you across borders.

Disclaimer: The information given above is based on experience and information provided by the German authorities. In case of any doubt or further questions, please contact the German Embassy in The Hague.

Through the DutchCulture database, you can figure out which artists from the Netherlands have worked at which venues, and start your research there. Go to the search icon on the upper left corner of the website, and search by discipline, country, and city.

For residencies, DutchCulture's TransArtists is a great research tool. In order to successfully build an international career, and in order to find sustainable partners in a country, it is always wise to spend more than a few days somewhere. Residencies, which can last from a couple of weeks up to several months, can help you achieve this.

For more search tools visit the Touring Artists website, where you can access many networks.