European Cultural Foundation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The "European Cultural Foundation" (ECF) is an independent foundation based in the Netherlands, (NL) and has been operating across Europe for nearly 60 years. The ECF supports arts and culture in Europe via its activities and grants. It states as its mission to "initiate and support cultural expression and interaction that empower people to realise a shared future in Europe".[1] ECF's primary theme until 2012 is Narratives for Europe – seeking people and communities who are building stories and visions which shape Europe of today and tomorrow.

Organisation

ECF’s Director is Katherine Watson and ECF’s President is HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. The European Cultural Foundation was set up in Geneva, in 1954, by the Swiss philosopher Denis de Rougemont.[2] The Foundation’s first President was one of the principal architects of the European Economic Community, (later the European Union), Robert Schuman.

The foundation has run several large scale European programmes including "Plan Europe 2000"[3] and managed the European Commission’s educational programmes Erasmus (1987–95), Eurydice (1980–2001) and Tempus (1992–93). ECF has set up many project initiatives such as East-West Parliamentary Practice Project, Art for Social Change (in conjunction with Open Society Foundations[4]) and ALMOSTREAL.[5] ECF is a registered charity and is funded by BankGiro Loterij and de Lotto through its longstanding partnership with Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds.

Activities

ECF activities include a Grants programme, and two core programmes: the Youth and Media programme (works with other cultural organisations working with youth and new media) and the European Neighbourhood programme (develops the expertise of cultural actors of change in countries neighbouring the EU). ECF's digital platforms work to bring different communities together and are established providers of information on cultural collaboration in Europe. They also engage in several advocacy campaigns and actions that seek to deliver a coherent and well-funded European strategy for culture. ECF has an annual award celebrating artistic excellence in creative interaction between cultures, namely the Princess Margriet Award. Since 2004, ECF has awarded the annual Cultural Policy Research Award.

Website

ECF website

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". European Cultural Foundation. Retrieved 13 October 2010. 
  2. ↑ Björnberg, Ulla; European Cultural Foundation (1991). European parents in the 1990s: contradictions and comparisons. Transaction. p. ii. 
  3. ↑ Elsevier, April 2002. Retrieved 12.10.10.
  4. ↑ Open Society Foundations. Retrieved 15.12.12.
  5. ↑ , http://www.almostreal.org. Retrieved 12.10.10.
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