The European Cultural Foundation[1] (ECF) is a Netherlands-based independent cultural foundation. Its mission is to “make a tangible impact on civil society, citizen initiatives, public opinion and policy proposals to combat the fragmenting forces jeopardising peace and social progress in Europe”.[2]
Organisation
The European Cultural Foundation was set up in Geneva in 1954 by the Swiss philosopher Denis de Rougemont.[3] ECF's first President was Robert Schuman,[3] one of the principal architects of the European Economic Community, which later evolved into the European Union.[citation needed]
From the start, ECF focused on implementing a European grants programme, based on the idea of putting culture at the intersection of education, social sciences and history.[citation needed]
Since then ECF’s programme has evolved with the shifting dynamics of European politics. In the 1960s, ECF focused on the future of Europe through a youth forum on education and an initiative called Plan Europe 2000.[4] In the 1970s, the emphasis shifted towards student mobility – and from 1987 to 1995, ECF managed the Erasmus student exchange programme.[3]
As Europe continued to expand, ECF's focus turned to the cultural dimension of European integration and enlargement – encompassing the wider European Neighbourhood and including capacity building work in the Mediterranean area and Eastern Europe.[3][5]
The foundation's work continues to support cultural exchange and creative expression across wider Europe today, through advocacy work, media activism, partnerships, events and grant programmes. This included STEP travel grants,[6] which encouraged mobility; and the TANDEM Cultural Exchange[7] programme, which facilitated the exchange of cultural managers.[8]
Between 2013 and 2017, ECF worked in close collaboration with cultural organisations in Croatia, France, Poland, Moldova, Spain and Sweden as part of the Connected Action for the Commons network[9] this has led to a series of Idea Camps in France, Sweden and Spain,[10] inspiring several special editions of Eurozine.[11][12]
Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands[13] is currently[as of?] the President of ECF and Extraordinary Member of ECF’s Supervisory Board.[14] Since November 2018, André Wilkens has been the director of the foundation.
In 2019 the European Cultural Foundation celebrated its 65th anniversary. In a dedicated publication 'Stories of Europe' many Europeans from ECF networks look back together on ECF's achievements. As many other ECF publications this publication is freely available online.[22]
Since the outbreak of the Covid'19 pandemic in 2020 ECF set up an emergency fund: Culture for Solidarity Fund. With other foundations contributing this fund supports artists and cultural makers across Europe. Since the Russian war in and on Ukraine this pulled fund became a tool to support the Ukrainian cultural sectors.[23]
Other programmes include:
The Europe Challenge - launched by the European Challenge in 2020 to offer support, resources and funding to libraries and communities – to help explore how people can meet, live together and work in the Europe of today.[24]
The European Pavilion - ECF's ambition to facilitate a space that encourages experimentation and reflection on Europe. It set out to support a European network of arts and cultural organisations that, through artistic and educational projects, offers the opportunity to explore ideas for a future Europe.[25]
Re:framing Migrants in European Media – a pilot programme to change current media narratives by assuring appropriate media representation of migrant and refugee communities across Europe.[26]
The Cultural Deal for Europe campaign was launched in November 2020 together with Culture Action Europe and Europa Nostra Europa Nostra as a call to the European Union to place culture at the heart of its political vision and ambition for years to come.[27]
