Support to International Cultural Cooperation
The international cultural co-operation has been continuously among cultural and cultural development priorities. The key objective of this measure is to provide distribution of grants for mobility of artists and cultural workers, for support of co-productions and other programmes of cultural cooperation submitted by artists and cultural organisations through two yearly public calls. Supported projects should put Croatian culture into the European context, promote intercultural dialogue, and civil society development. They should be professionally based, of high quality, economical, profiled in relation to the core activity of the organizers, and should take place continually.
The government established the Cultural Council for International Relations and European Integration following the provisions of the changed Law on Cultural Councils in 2004, while in 2013 this Council changed its name into Council for International Cultural Cooperation. The aim of this Council is to better coordinate and plan international cultural cooperation activities. In addition to its consultative role in the distribution of grants, the Cultural Council for International Relations also has the task to suggest improvements in the coordination of planning and participation in international exchanges. Unlike the regular yearly public call for support of cultural projects and organizations, the grants for international cultural cooperation projects are assessed twice a year in order to better follow the dynamics of international cooperation.
The government continues signing bilateral agreements and programmes of cultural cooperation; so far 48 bilateral agreements and 25 bilateral programmes have been signed. It is important to stress that the majority of projects financially supported by the Ministry of Culture are not based on the traditional form of "government to government cooperation" but on direct contacts between artists and arts and cultural organisations.
The measure will enable Croatian artists and cultural and artistic organizations to have a better international visibility, to network internationally, to enable professional specialisation in fields which are not available in Croatia, to develop joint international projects, to participate in international cultural programmes etc.
According to the planned budget for 2016, the allocation of the Ministry of Culture for international cultural cooperation was 10 652 222 HRK (approx.1 420 296 EUR). After a yearly increase in 2015 when it amounted to 11 188 000 HRK (approx.1 491 733EUR) compared to 2014 when it amounted to 10 972 000 HRK (approx. 1 462 933EUR), this still shows a further decrease in comparison with previous years when it amounted to 12 601 166 HRK (approx.1 680 155 EUR) in 2013, and 13 111 368 HRK (approx.1 750 000 EUR) in 2012 respectively. This can be attributed to the strategic orientation towards strengthening of this field. This includes funds received by the Ministry through the Lottery Fund (the amount varies depending on the income of the State Lottery).