Creative Europe
Desk UK
for Culture

More than €5 million has been awarded to cultural and creative organisations across the UK to lead collaborative projects with European partner organisations with funding from Creative Europe, the European Commission’s programme to support the cultural, creative and audiovisual sectors with €1.46 billion available from 2014-2020.

Out of the 58 projects selected, 38 of them involved UK-based organisations, making the UK the best networked in this latest batch of results.

28 organisations from the UK applied as lead partners for funding from Creative Europe’s Culture sub-programme, with an overall success rate of 25% for UK-led applications.

The results for three of the funding strands were recently announced:

Platforms
The dance network Aerowaves was awarded €420,100 as part of the European Platforms funding strand and is one of just five successful projects chosen from across Europe. Founded in 1996, Aerowaves is a Europe-wide network, which brings dance specialists from 35 countries and young choreographers together, resulting in performances and presentations throughout the continent and in its roaming annual festival Spring Forward.

UZ Arts (Glasgow) and Norwich and Norfolk Festival (Norwich) will benefit from involvement in a platform, IN SITU, whichreceived €500,000 to develop trans-disciplinary site-specific activities in public spaces across Europe.

Large Cooperation Projects

Two applications with UK-based lead organisations were successfully submitted for one of Creative Europe’s principal funding strands, Large Cooperation Projects. Pilot Theatre in York will receive €2 million to lead on the delivery of Platform Shift +, an ambitious network of 10 European theatres and a university who will develop 40 innovative theatre productions alongside interrelated activities over the next four years. International Youth Foundation and European Union Youth Orchestra were awarded more than €1.9 million for a long-term project which focuses on skills development of young musicians from all European Union member states.
Other UK organisations will also benefit as non-lead partners on projects led by European peers. Two thirds of the 21 successful Cooperation Projects have a participating organisation from the UK, some of these projects even contained two UK-based partners, including: Welsh National Opera (Cardiff), York Citizens Theatre (York), The York Early Music Foundation (York), Arts Council of Northern Ireland (Belfast), University of Ulster (Ulster), Isis Arts (Newcastle upon Tyne), LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) and Royal Opera House (London).

Small Cooperation Projects
Just over 40% of the 37 chosen Small Cooperation Projects have a participating organisation from the UK, including four UK-lead projects. Manchester-based Curated Place has secured €199,000 of funding to be a lead partner on a collaborative project with South Iceland Chamber Choir (Iceland), Pinquins percussion trio (Norway) and The Icelandic Chamber Music Festival (Iceland). This two-year project allows six composers from across Europe to work with some of the best musicians from the UK, Iceland and Norway to develop new contemporary classical works that take traditional music out of elite environments and into the 21st century.

“We’re delighted to have been successful securing such significant funding. The support is a huge boost, recognising our work in developing new models for creative production and guaranteeing job security for the entire team into 2016.” Andy Brydon – Director, Curated Place

Funding of €200,000 from Creative Europe enables Tate Liverpool to work in partnership with MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst (Germany) and Centre Pompidou-Metz (France). These three internationally-known European institutions will share knowledge and expertise to develop the curatorial concept, resulting in a co-created exhibition presented at Tate Liverpool in autumn 2015 before touring to the partner venues. Tate also received funding as a non-lead partner on two Large Cooperation Projects.

Maritime Archaeology Trust (Southampton) obtainedjust over €190,000 to develop an innovative mobile exhibition on shared cultural heritage, focussing on archaeological evidence from coastal and marine sites, in partnership with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) and the University of Cantabria (Spain).

British Council received €200,000 to lead a project which focuses on audience development and youth engagement, in partnership with Bios (Greece), Chorea Theatre (Poland), Kolarac (Serbia) and Teatro Limonaia (Italy). Driven by a desire to connect or re-connect with young adults aged 18-25, the partners will re-imagine artistic programmes from the point of view of younger generations through training, workshops, a youth board and other events.

Other UK organisations which benefit from Creative Europe funding as non-lead partners on Small Cooperation Projects include: Dundee and Angus College (Dundee), Plymouth College of Art, Mind the Gap (Bradford), The Arts Catalyst (London), BE Festival (Birmingham), Goldsmiths University (London), Abandon Normal Devices (Liverpool/Manchester) and University of Kent (Canterbury).

For images, interviews and more information, please contact: Katie Haines, Marketing and Communications Lead, Creative Europe Desk UK, [email protected]

Here is the full list of UK-based organisations who will receive Creative Europe funding as a lead or non-lead partner.

Platforms

Lead Partner from the UK

Aerowaves

Co-organisers from the UK

UZ Arts
Norwich and Norfolk Festival

Large Cooperation Projects
Lead Partner from the UK

International Youth Foundation / European Union Youth Orchestra
Pilot Theatre

Co-organisers from the UK

Arts Council of Northern Ireland
BCB Ltd
Emergency Exit Arts
GV Art
Isis Arts
John Good Limited
Live Art Development Agency
London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT)
Nobrow Limited
Polka Childrens Theatre Limited
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Ltd
Staffordshire University
Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Tate Gallery (taking part in two projects as co-organisers)
University Of Cambridge
University of Ulster
York Citizens Theatre Trust
York Early Music Foundation

Small Cooperation Projects
Lead Partners from the UK

British Council
Curated Place
Maritime Archaeology Trust
Tate Gallery

Co-organisers from the UK

198 Contemporary Arts and Learning
Abandon Normal Devices
Arts Catalyst
BE Festival
Central School of Speech and Drama
Dundee and Angus College
Goldsmiths’ College
Mind the Gap Ltd
Pacificstream Enterprise Solutions
Plymouth College of Art
University of Kent