Ukraine and the European Union have signed an agreement on the participation of our country in the EU program “Creative Europe”

Today, on October 12, Ukraine and the European Union signed an agreement on the participation of our country in the EU program “Creative Europe” (2021-2027). Participation of Ukraine in the Program will help to develop a more dynamic and capable domestic sector of culture and creative industries, enhance cooperation between professionals, promote European values and “agenda” in Ukrainian society, as well as strengthen cultural ties with the countries of European Union and access of Ukrainian applicants to grant support worth EUR 2.4 billion.

The agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on our country’s participation in the program “Creative Europe” (2021-2027) was signed by Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna and Vice-President of the European Commission, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell at the Ukraine-EU Summit in Kyiv today.

The EU’s “Creative Europe” program aims to support and strengthen the competitiveness of Europe’s cultural, creative and audiovisual sectors as well as to develop and promote cultural and linguistic diversity and preserve Europe’s cultural heritage.

The program has a budget of EUR 2.4 billion for 2021-2027 and is implemented in 3 sub-programs:

• the “Culture” sub-program covers all sectors of the cultural and creative industries except audiovisual; support is provided for international cooperation projects, professional networks, platforms for the promotion of European artists and works, the mobility of artists and cultural professionals, as well as book publishing and literary translations;
• the “Media” sub-program supports the development and distribution of audiovisual works: innovative tools and business models, film festivals, European film distribution, project development, TV and online content, cinema networks, film education and audience development;
• “Intersectoral co-operation” area – supporting the network of national Program Offices; supporting the news media sector by promoting media literacy, quality journalism, freedom of expression and pluralism.

The “Creative Europe” program also honours outstanding achievements in literature, music, architecture and cultural heritage with European awards, and implements the “European Capital of Culture” and “European Heritage Label” initiatives.

Ukraine takes part in all the activities of the sub-program “Culture”. Participation in the “Media” sub-program is implemented in the following areas: “Audience cluster: Audience Development and Film Education”, “European Festivals and Festival Networks”, “Business Cluster: Developing Media Talent and Skills” by December 31, 2022 and continues after that date if confirmation is provided that Ukraine has brought its audiovisual media services legislation closer to EU legal norms.

Ukrainian artists and representatives of the creative economy have already participated in “Creative Europe” during 2016-2020 and received grant support. As part of the program, 38 international projects were implemented by Ukrainian organisations in cooperation with 117 partner institutions from 29 European countries. The total amount of financial support for projects involving Ukrainian organisations amounted to EUR 5,472,228.

Ukraine has also joined initiatives supported by the program, notably the European Prize for Literature, and Ukrainian author Haska Shyian became its laureate in 2019. Also in 2019, the GOGOLFEST International Multidisciplinary Festival of Contemporary Art was one of five festivals to receive the prize, which is awarded every two years to the most interesting and creative art festivals in Europe as part of the “Europe for Festivals – Festivals for Europe” project. And in 2021, Ukrainian singer alyona alyona became the laureate of the “Music Moves Europe Talent Awards”, funded by the European Commission’s pilot music sector support program. The i-Portunus pan-European mobility program aimed at encouraging the mobility of artists and cultural professionals is also supported by the program. Already 33 Ukrainian artists have received grants for international travel and cooperation.