17. Promotion of diversity in culture and arts within European cultural heritage

Overall objective

Each programme that will be set up within the programme area 'Promotion of diversity in culture and arts within European cultural heritage' will contribute to the overall objective of increased cultural dialogue and fostered European identity through understanding of cultural diversity.

Expected outcomes

Each programme must have one or more 'expected outcomes', as listed below. The relevant expected outcomes for each programme is agreed either in the country-specific Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on how the funds will be managed or determined in the programme development phase.

• Contemporary art and culture presented and reaching a broader audience
• Awareness of cultural diversity raised and intercultural dialogue strengthened
• Individual citizens’ cultural identity strengthened
• Cultural history documented

Suggested activities

Activities that may be supported within each programme will differ, depending on the chosen expected outcomes. Below are some examples to illustrate what may be supported:

• Support exhibitions of unfamiliar and untold stories in museums and other venues
• Support documentation projects, including film/video documentation of contemporary culture and cultural history, and projects on the collection and dissemination of museum and archive material
• Support activities linked to the role of culture in the information society, such as digitisation of library and archive material, exchange of expertise and technical solutions for retrieval systems and long term preservation, and development of methodologies for digital presentation
• Support minorities’ cultural expressions/cultural history at cultural events
• Support measures to improve cooperation between experts and cultural operators
• Support competence-building through exchange of information on cultural practices

Relevance of support

Promoting cultural diversity is essential in order to strengthen democratic values in Europe and to contribute to social and economic cohesion. Culture and cultural actors contribute to the development of values, principles and norms at an individual and societal level, thereby influencing people’s behaviour and social dynamics. They are thus recognised as efficient mediators between social, ethnic and other groups in order to foster inclusive societies. Recognition of cultural diversity as a key factor in our society enhances individual freedom and creativity, and opens new perspectives on cultural identity.

The European Agenda for Culture introduces a structured system of cooperation and concrete priorities within the cultural field in the EU. The agenda sets out three major objectives that together form a common cultural strategy for the European institutions, the Member States, and the cultural and creative sector. The first of these objectives is the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.

The European Agenda for Culture (part 3.1) states:
“As we live in increasingly multicultural societies, we need therefore to promote intercultural dialogue and intercultural competences. These are also essential in the context of a global economy with regard to enhancing the employability, adaptability and mobility of artists and workers in the cultural sector as well as the mobility of works of art. As citizens are among the main beneficiaries of developing cultural diversity, we need to facilitate their access to culture and cultural works.”

Documentation of the cultural history of social, ethnic and cultural minorities and groups is important in order to preserve the cultural heritage of society as a whole. Developing high-quality documentation and presentation practices of the cultural history and contemporary culture of social, ethnic and cultural minorities and groups is vital for a society based on democratic values and intercultural dialogue. In light of this, it is also important to ensure access, be it physical or digital, to cultural heritage and to the contemporary culture of the above-mentioned minorities and groups.

Programme area specificities

• Particularly relevant for civil society involvement
• Suitable for small grant schemes

Photo: Piret Marvet, NMFA