Why support specific to cross-border projects?
The Hauts-de-France region has 548 km of common land and sea borders with Belgium and the United Kingdom. It is important to strengthen these close ties, particularly through cross-border projects in all the Ministry’s areas of expertise: Creation, Higher Education Culture, Cultural Action, Cultural and Creative Industries, Heritage… These projects can be supported by a grant from the Hauts-de-France Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC).
Presentation of the device
What is support for international and/or cross-border cultural actions?
Support for international and/or cross-border cultural actions makes it possible to set up transnational cultural actions with border regions.
The Hauts-de-France region has strong and obvious links with Belgium and the United Kingdom, the most immediate neighbours. For a long time, there have been cooperation of cultural structures - particularly in the field of performing arts and visual arts - involving the mobility of artists and companies, heritage and landscape continuities (fortified cities, the presence of water, canals and rivers, maritime facades...), the absence of natural "barriers" borders ("flat country") and common languages (French with the Walloons and the two regional languages, Picard and West Flemish, also cross-border), and many other geographical evidences have allowed many transnational projects. Yet it is necessary to reaffirm that culture is a form of "soft-power'(influence strategy to foster peaceful relations) likely to reinforce greater European integration of our territories and better dialogues between its inhabitants and cultural actors. The European Union encourages the essential cross-border cooperation notably through Interreg projects (30% of Europeans live in these territories that have a strong development potential).
The Hauts-de-France region is particularly concerned with cultural cooperation with Belgium and Great Britain, with which it shares borders. A specific strategy has been defined by the DRAC, concerning three types of requests:
- Support for projects of foreign artists or collectives hosted in the region
- Cross-border cooperation actions involving bi- or tri-national partners
- Support for projects that are or may be included in future European programmes (Interreg VI/ Micro-projects) including as seed credits or third-party resources (to formalize applications and temporarily strengthen existing engineering teams or through third-party resources, consulting and co-development)
Objectives of the approach
The main objective is to bring out transnational cultural projects in particular with neighbouring countries.
These projects allow territorial rapprochement (sometimes difficulties find solutions by sharing them, especially in rural areas), mobility of public, good practices but also simply a better knowledge of the neighbour’s culture that should facilitate other projects…
Am I concerned by this approach?
- Associations
- Communes
- Departments
- Local public companies
- EPCI with own taxation
- Public institutions
- Individuals (professional artists)
- Regions
Projects involving partners from at least two countries - or three sides (France-Wallonia, Flanders) - will be given priority when examining applications.
Applicants are primarily located in the Hauts-de-France region or maintain through their project a strong link to the territory that justifies an examination of the application by the DRAC of this region. Any file requires a SIRET number.
Individuals are eligible if they are French professional artists or Belgian professional artists. In the case of Belgian artists, the application will be filed by the associated French structure.
Cultural projects with a high dimension and quality of cooperation, involving foreign partners and or transnational audiences, including for different social reasons or statuses (artist/community/institution, etc.) are eligible.
The project must relate to the year of the application and can possibly extend over the following year (sustainability is an important criterion. On the other hand, a grant is not intended to be renewed (even if the project can be reviewed for a second grant in year N+1).
Projects led by structures or people from different countries are privileged when examining applications. Dissemination to peers and the public, the ability to influence future partnerships and co-productions, and the realism of the budget are assets.
The grant is an operating grant (project support).
As such, it covers the following expenses: financing of actions, residences, exhibitions, even ephemeral achievements, editions, travel, etc.
Expenditure on equipment or investment is not eligible.
Procedure
The grant amount ranges from €5,000 to €30,000 per project examined. Some aid may be in addition to other DRAC subsidies.
The grant will be awarded during the year (first review in early spring (March-April 2024), second review in September if available).
It should be paid before the summer (June 2024) and before the end of October 2024 if a second review of applications takes place.
Particular attention will be paid to:
- cultural and artistic quality of the project
- cross-border inscription (theme, place, public, object, reason..) of the project
- emergence of a cooperation network
- sustainable partnership that the project is likely to establish, even beyond the grant year
- potential for dissemination or inspiration of the project and paragliding for other projects (exchange, sharing of skills and methodology)
For more information on the evaluation criteria and procedures, please refer to the following document:
- File Opening: November 15, 2023
- Application deadline: 1 March 2024, 23:59 (Paris time). No application can be filed or taken into account after this date.
- Announcement of results: mid-April 2024
- Final establishment of the administrative and financial file: during the months of May and June 2024
If credits are available after the first session, a second review will be conducted with the following dates:
- Application deadline: 1 September 2024, 23:59 (Paris time). No application can be filed or taken into account after this date.
- Announcement of the results and final establishment of the administrative and financial file: before 15 October 2024.
- To access the online form, click on the "Access form" button at the bottom of the page.
- Log in or create an account, then let us guide you.
Examples of projects supported previously
Projects funded in 2022:
- École d'art de Calais and Centre régional de la photographie (welcoming Quebec and Belgian artists);
- Happynest (Franco-Belgian workshop);
- Diaphanous (assistance to stay).
Projects funded in 2023:
- British artist residency, Espace 36, Saint-Omer;
- Meeting of international professionals, Le Gymnase CDCN Roubaix;
- Québec artist residency, Association Histoire et Patrimoine, Godewaersvelde;
- Belgian artist residency, Idem+Arts, Maubeuge;
- Rayon Vers Festival, invitation from Belgian publishers, La Chouette imprévu, Amiens;
- Twinning, SPIN-l'Amicale Coopérative, Lille-Brussels;
- Invitation Flemish company, Le Channel, Calais.
Projects funded in 2022:
- Audiovisual meetings (Morocco);
- Company 8;
- Next (cross-border festival, 15th edition);
- École du Nord (Franco-Belgian workshops);
- Eurometropolis (EGTC);
- Urban Boat (itinerant and river residence on the Scheldt).
Projects funded in 2023:
- 16th edition of Next, a cross-border festival;
- Creative design camp, creative marathon, Avesnois Ecomuseum;
- Cross cultures, La rose des Vents;
- Festival les Flandroyantes, Bateau Feu et Vivat, Merville;
- Sonic Borders, Le grand Mix, 4 Ecluses, Wilde Westen, 4AD, Tourcoing, Dunkirk, Kortrijk;
- Cross-Border Festival, Grande Ecurie and Chambre du Roy, Tourcoing-Namur;
- FrancoBelgeNews, Flanders Television, France-Belgium.
Projects funded in 2022:
- Great History;
- La Faïencerie (Creil) and Le Phénix (Valenciennes).
In 2023, aid to refugees was the subject of a specific Call for Projects of the Sub-Directorate for International and European Affairs. It was endowed with an amount of € 100,000 for all drac and dac. Its renewal in 2024 is not yet confirmed.
A question?
If you have any questions about supporting international and/or cross-border cultural actions, please contact:
Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) Hauts-de-France
International and cross-border cultural cooperation
marnix.bonnike@culture.gouv.fr
06 30 55 09 98
3 Rue du Lombard, 59800 Lille