Support for programmes and projects that facilitate the mobility of artists and works of art
To support projects providing international residences for artists, theoreticians and artists managers in the Czech Republic and abroad and to strengthen and optimise the grant tender proceedings listed below:
a) support for international cooperation in the professional and non-professional arts,
b) support for international exchanges and the reception of artistic groups and individuals in the professional and non-professional arts,
c) support for the publication of translations of Czech literature abroad,
d) support for short-term mobility.
ad a) International presentation of professional art is supported both in the form of grants (based on active cooperation between a Czech entity and a local foreign partner), and through presentations at international trade fairs, which is organised by a state-funded organisation reporting to the Ministry of Culture – the Institute of Art, or within the framework of compliance with international cultural agreements.
Infopoints to facilitate mobility in the area of the arts and culture are recommended by the European Commission to enable EU member states to simplify the environment for the exchange of artists and other cultural cooperation, not only between the EU member states, but also with developing countries. The main aim is to centralise information related to mobility (visa obligations, taxes, employment of artists, etc.) in a single, electronically accessible, location.
ad b) There is no system to support the hosting of foreign ensembles and artists in the Czech Republic. This is partially implemented using grants for domestic organisers of events with international participation – particularly in the Programme for state support of professional art festivals.
Mobility of artists is also regularly supported through the call of a Programme to provide contributions for creative or study purposes in the area of non-professional arts and traditional folk culture.
Support for international contacts focuses on sending individuals abroad to participate in professional conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings of international networks, observers at festivals, shows, exhibitions, trade fairs and other professional events. The support is intended for both artists and their managers, as well as for theoreticians in the field. Support is allocated in the form of subsidies for travel and accommodation. This short-term mobility programme is supported by the Institute of Art as a state-funded organisation reporting to the Ministry of Culture. One of the priority objectives of the National Cultural Policy 2015-2020 was the creation of an Infopoint to promote mobility of artists.
The Infopoint for mobility assists artists and professionals from all areas of the cultural sector to deal with practical and administrative issues relating to international cooperation. In terms of international cooperation, information on visas and accommodation, or insuring artists can be found on this information portal as well as financing mobility and mechanisms to support international projects and advocacy for the arts. This website provides a comprehensive summary of the domestic artistic environment in both Czech and English and creates opportunities for future collaboration.
The complexity of this measure means that different types of art can be supported. 86 people from a range of disciplines took part in the short-term mobility programme. Support was given to projects involving the visual arts, theatre, dance and music. In 2017 a total of 86 artists received support amounting to a total of CZK 1,978,000. These funds were used for short-term study stays. The foreign trip must involve participation in a prestigious event abroad and may not be an internship, study trip or residency. The trip may only relate to theatre, dance and contemporary circus, music, literature, the visual arts (including architecture and design), or a combination of these. Funds from this programme were used to support participation in musical events such as Waves Vienna 2017 and WOMEX 2017. In the visual arts, Czech artists attended, for example, Open House Wien and PAF NEW YORK. Actors performed at the Berlin Art Week Special and the Y.EAST festival. In the area of contemporary circus, Czech artists participated in the SkillCon 2017 new circus show. This programme also includes interdisciplinary projects such as The Kyiv Biennial 2017, which combined elements of musical theatre and the visual arts.
The National Institute of Folk Culture has been mandated by the MC CR to organise the International Folklore Festival Strážnice, which is the largest and oldest continually existing festival in Central Europe. The festival’s mission is to create a place to meet and present the folk culture and folklore of the Czech Republic and, at the same time, to present foreign ensembles in order to promote cultural diversity. For example, in 2016 more than 25,000 people visited the festival. This jubilee year hosted a range of 35 shows featuring 2,100 performers from the Czech Republic (128 ensembles and groups, 45 verbuňk dance competitors and 22 folk craftsmen) and 320 participants from abroad – from Egypt, India, Ireland, Columbia, Namibia, Peru and Slovakia
The Institute of Art, as a state-funding organisation reporting to the Ministry of Culture, allocated CZK 1,978,000 to artists through the short-term mobility programme during the period from 2014-2016.