2020 work programme of Creative Europe: new initiatives for the performing arts
The European Commission has published the 2020 annual work programme for the implementation of the Creative Europe Programme. In 2020 the Culture Sub-programme will keep addressing the challenge of the low success rate registered for cooperation projects. Thus, the most significant part of the budget will keep supporting the action on cooperation projects. Other existing actions to be supported are: literary translation projects, Networks and Platforms, special actions (EU Prizes), European Capitals of Culture, European Heritage Label, cooperation with international organisations, support to music and Cultural Heritage. In addition to the above-mentioned actions and in line with the priorities of the New Agenda for Culture and as a preparation of the successor programme, two new actions are envisaged: “Circulation of European Performing Arts” and “Sectorial support to the theatre sector”.
Circulation of European Performing Arts
As announced in the New European Agenda for Culture, and symmetrically to the mobility scheme for artists and culture professionals, this action aims to facilitate cross-border circulation of performing arts performances (theatre plays, dance productions, circus, street art etc. excluding music). This support to live performance, which is based on the two overarching priorities of our programme (cultural diversity and competitiveness of the cultural and creative sectors), will focus on the critical obstacles which prevent performing arts to circulate beyond the national borders: language barriers for theatre, logistics, mounting and travel costs, insurance, copyright, etc. In 2020, the project will consist in a mapping of existing support schemes (including sur-titling for theatre productions) and in the design of a “Travelling Arts Fund” helping the performing arts sectors to bear the additional costs for the transnational staging of live performances. The new Fund should be complementary to existing support schemes and take the relevant lessons learned from past experiments into account.
This action will be implemented through a new call for tenders. Joint tenders will be given a priority. Consortia should include stakeholders of various performing arts and cover both regular venues and festivals. Description of the activities to be funded under the call for tenders:
- Mapping of existing schemes to support the circulation of performing arts works, in particular at transnational level
- Mapping and presentation of existing sur-/sub-titling systems in the performing arts sector
- Design and testing of a European support scheme to the cross-border circulation of performing arts works
- Formulate policy recommendations for future actions in the area of performing arts (including festivals)
Date: 2nd quarter 2020
Amount: EUR 2 000 000
Sectorial support to the theatre sector
Theatre is an art form, which expresses European values, European cultural heritage and European creativity. Even though theatre has received substantial support from Creative Europe (85 projects for 40 million euros between 2014 and 2018 – the second sector after music), there has been so far no strategic approach to European support to theatre. This action implements the New European Agenda for Culture, which announced specific initiatives in the most mature sectors. It is therefore proposed to replicate the two-step approach followed with music in its project “Music Moves Europe”: first identify problems this sector faces in relation to the overarching objectives of the programme, and second, design responses at European level such as support to circulation, training, professionalization, digital theatre, data collection, education, social integration, audience development, international promotion, etc.). Based on the experience of “Music Moves Europe”, a preliminary study on the theatre ecosystem and existing support schemes as well as a first dialogue with the sector for problem identification, the project shall, in 2020, identify possible support actions. In order to create a more structured platform for dialogue in the sector bringing together organizations from different parts of the value chain or representing different traditions and focus, a first Theatre Forum should be organized. The options for re-launching a European Theatre Prize should be explored.
This action will be implemented through a new call for tender.
Date: 2nd quarter 2020
Amount: EUR 500 000
