Support for international presentation of Czech professional and non-professional arts, cultural heritage and culture, opening up the Czech market to foreign cultural goods and services
Each year the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic announces grant tender proceedings to promote international contacts in the area of non-professional artistic activities. Groups are sent to participate in prestigious international festivals, shows and workshops. Groups from the Czech Republic are greatly appreciated and are invited to participate in future years. They contribute to disseminating awareness of Czech national and regional culture, establish contacts and gain experience of new environments.
Active support is granted to several types of art and activities associated with the arts through various state-funded organisations reporting to the MC CR, such as:
The Prague National Information and Consulting Centre for Culture, which organises a series of national and international conferences, facilitating the presentation of Czech arts. It also contributes to the implementation process by announcing tenders each year to support selected international contacts in the area of non-professional artistic activities, which focus on sending and receiving individuals (observers, seminarists, contestants, lecturers and jurors, conference attendees, delegates to NGO international congresses, etc.)
Support for the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra tours: the Czech Philharmony is the main cultural representative of the Czech Republic abroad. It has the widest territorial range and performs in the most beautiful venues. Most of the European countries, as well as Asian and American States, support cultural exports
An important aspect of the face of culture abroad is the presentation of Czech cinematic output. This currently takes place through a number of entities (distributors, embassies, Czech Centres, the Czech Film Centre/National Film Archives).
Contemporary Czech literature is presented abroad first through the establishment of national stands at the most important international book fairs (in particular the Leipziger Buchmesse, Bologna Book Fair, London Book Fair and Frankfurter Buchmesse), and also through successful cooperation with Czech Centres
This measure has resulted in the creation of a number of new projects, which would never have existed without concentrated support. The establishment of a new grant programme focusing on support for the most important sectoral shows (State Support Programme for Professional Art Festivals), which not only targets the domestic audience, but also visitors from abroad (both professionals and laymen).
In 2016, a state-funded organisation reporting to the MC CR – the Arts and Theatre Institute launched a pilot project to prepare for the establishment of the Czech Music Office, which began operations, with the support of the MC, in 2017. The SoundCzech – Connect programme has been opened for exchange concerts between Czech and foreign bands. In addition, the CMO supports strategic projects based on a decision by the dramaturgy board. This project was implemented and consulted with support from the civil society. The CMO promotes the presentation of Czech art at musical trade fairs: WOMEX, MIDEM, Eurosonic.
Presentation of Czech dramatic art: PAMS – Soul (2015, 2017), CINARS – Montreal (2016), Tanzmesse – Düsseldorf (2016), Fira Tárrega, Spain.
The Arts and Theatre Institute participated in the European Route of Historical Theatres international project (EU Culture Programme, 2012-2016). Preparation of international projects to map the development of theatre architecture: TTLA – Theatre architecture in Latin America and EUTA 3.0 (European theatre architecture – cooperation with technical universities in Europe).
Participation in the activities of the international ENICPA network (network of European institutions documenting and promoting the performing arts). Mobility Programme – increase in funding. Residency Programme.
The portal is primarily a platform for NGOs and their cultural and educational activities, focusing on the theme of intercultural dialogue, which contributes to achieving the goals of migration and integration policy in the Czech Republic.
http://www.mezikulturnidialog.cz/
The portal is run by Theather instute in English for foreigners and contains up-to-date information on Czech theatres, including a quarterly newsletter in English, a database of productions heading abroad, a directory of festivals, schools, theatres, institutions and periodicals and a number of other links.
Funds to support presentations at international trade fairs are drawn from the Ministry of Culture budget and this cooperation takes place between the Institute of Art and the Ministry of Culture Department of International Relations. In 2015 the total amount was CZK 1,480,000, in 2016 CZK 1,500,000 and in 2017 CZK 1,420,000. During the period from 2018-2020, the MC CR plans to expand its presence in trade fairs in other territories (Africa, Australia).