Creative Europe: Commission reinforces support to Ukraine in the cultural sector

Three EU-Ukraine consortia, selected to participate in the Commission's Creative Europe programme following a special call for Ukraine, have now started implementing their projects to support Ukrainian artists and cultural organisations in Ukraine and in the countries participating in Creative Europe. These three projects, that involve 16 European and Ukrainian organisations, will offer flexible funding mechanisms and capacity building. The ZMINA consortium coordinated by the Izolyatsia organisation will provide financial support to Ukrainian artists and cultural organisations to create and showcase their work in Ukraine and in countries participating in Creative Europe. The Culture Helps consortium, coordinated by Insha Osvita, has already launched first calls to fund actions to help displaced Ukrainians, in particular children, to have access to culture. Finally, the U-RE-HERIT consortium, coordinated by the Lithuanian Association of Architects, will provide capacity building support and training to Ukrainian cultural heritage professionals to contribute to the post-war recovery of their country's cultural heritage.

Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: “I am pleased to see this special call take shape. I know that with the Creative Europe funding, these three organisations will be able to make a real difference on the ground. Preserving the cultural heritage and maintaining access to education and culture are key for the resilience and the reconstruction of the country. Creative Europe stands with Ukraine.”

The special Creative Europe call for Ukraine was launched in September 2022, as a response to  Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and its dramatic consequences on the Ukrainian creative sector and cultural heritage. The Creative Europe programme has encouraged more cooperation between European and Ukrainian cultural organisations, for instance by supporting the mobility of Ukrainian artists through its scheme Culture Moves Europe, or by facilitating the publication and distribution of books and cultural contents in Ukrainian language. The Commission is working in collaboration with the EU delegation to Ukraine and the EU Member States to ensure the coordination of EU support for Ukraine in the fields of education and culture. More information is available online.

(For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 2 296 69 53; Flore Boutier - Tel.: +32 2 29 66043)