The Federal Ministry of Austria for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport (BMKÖS), together with other representatives of civic programs and the arts and cultural scenes, are making an act of solidarity with artists from Ukraine. To go into effect immediately, the Ministry of Culture is providing special funding in the amount of 300,000 euros for work grants and project funding for Ukrainian artists.
In addition, a coordination office, the Office Ukraine – Shelter for Ukrainian Artists, has been established for Ukrainian artists. It serves as a platform for the coordination of various civil services and institutional initiatives, and acts as a liaison between institutions in Austria and cultural workers from Ukraine.
State Secretary for Arts and Culture, Andrea Mayer: “The Ukrainian population is currently experiencing a military aggression that has not been seen in Europe for a long time – a massive breach of international law against a sovereign state.
We have more in common with the Ukrainians than physical proximity. We share fundamental democratic values, from personal freedom and freedom of expression to freedom of art. It is therefore a confrontation between an authoritarian regime and a democratic society. The ones who suffer in these difficult days are the people of Ukraine, at the same time we must not forget, the attack is also on us.
The free practice of art and culture is not only an indicator and stimulus, but also the very essence of democratic societies. Therefore, in this phase, we support, among others, fleeing artists who are particularly vulnerable in times of war, thus enabling them to live and work in Austria in safety. It is our responsibility to bring solidarity with Ukraine to life at all levels.”
OFFICE UKRAINE – SHELTER FOR UKRAINIAN ARTISTS
The Office Ukraine – Shelter for Ukrainian Artists will have its central contact point in the Museumsquartier in Vienna (Association tranzit.at), with liaison offices in the Austrian provinces, especially in Graz (< rotor >) and Innsbruck (Künstlerhaus Büchsenhausen).
From Friday, March 4, 2022, the office will be available to people seeking help from the cultural sphere in Ukraine, both online and on-site, as a mediation or coordination point. Cultural workers from Ukraine and institutions, individuals and initiatives from Austria who want to provide support in crisis situations, will be connected on this platform.
The Office Ukraine – Shelter for Ukrainian Artists addresses, on the one hand, all Austrian people and institutions who want to provide work, accommodation and project opportunities for Ukrainian cultural workers and mediates these; and on the other, the Austrian art and cultural landscape is invited to increasingly involve Ukrainian artists and cultural workers in the awarding of exhibition participations, work, text, concert commissions, invitations to invited competitions, etc. All people, initiatives and institutions who want to express their solidarity with Ukrainian artists and the artistic field in this war situation are invited to become involved in this platform. The BMKÖS will provide substantial financial and organizational support for the initiative.
Applications for work grants and project funding will be submitted directly to the BMKÖS by the participating institutions that host or supervise Ukrainian artists. The processing is carried out by the specialized departments of the BMKÖS.
In addition, a separate contact point will be established at the BMKÖS in order to be able to process inquiries in a targeted manner.
E-Mail: ukrainehilfe@bmkoes.gv.at
Translated from the German original by Arianna Alfreds.
Links:
Office Ukraine – Shelter for Ukrainian artists
Special funding opportunities for Ukrainian artists
The Federal Ministry of Austria for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport (BMKÖS)
