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Glossary of terms and concepts used in the arts funding programme of the Ministry of Education, the Arts and Culture
The Arts Division awards a thematically and regionally diverse range of grants for magazines. Besides magazines on the visual arts, photography and music, numerous literary magazines and magazines of general cultural content are accorded support. The grants depend on the magazine's production cost, quality, volume and frequency of publication. In awarding magazine grants, the Arts Division takes special care to avoid overlaps with magazine grants awarded by the Federal Chancellery in accordance with the Federal Act on Grants for Political Education and Journalism (Journalism Grants Act). The main criterion for distinction is the fact that journalism grants are awarded to periodicals which exclusively or predominantly discuss issues of politics, culture or ideology, or related scientific disciplines, at a high level, which are not exclusively aimed at an expert audience, and which therefore serve the purpose of civic education.
The MEDIA programme of the European Union is
designed to support the European audiovisual industry, in particular as regards structural improvements in the European
film and television industries. MEDIA I ran from 1991 to 1995, MEDIA II from 1996 to 2000, MEDIA PLUS from 2001 to
2006.
MEDIA PLUS had a total budget of € 513 million and was of interest to independent producers
(cinema, television, multimedia), independent distributors and distribution companies (cinema, video, worldwide
distribution, etc.), as well as writers, directors, exhibitors, organisers of seminars, film fairs , etc. The European
Commission was called upon to give special consideration to countries or regions with low audiovisual production
capacity and/or small language areas or small geographical size.
In July 2004, the European Commission
submitted a draft for the MEDIA 2007 programme. Upon agreement on the overall EU budget 2007-2013, negotiations were
continued and successfully concluded under the Austrian presidency. In particular , the Austrian Council Presidency
succeeded in obtaining a unanimous decision by the member states on the allocation of the budget to the individual
target areas of subsidies. At the Council meeting of 18 May 2006, political agreement was reached on MEDIA 2007. The
agreed objectives were to strengthen the competitiveness of Europe’s film and television industry, to disseminate
European products and to promote cultural diversity in Europe.
MEDIA 2007 replaces the previous MEDIA
PLUS and MEDIA Training programmes. As compared with earlier programmes, the range of support programmes has been
extended , for example to mobility grants for film students, to broadcasting stations for the dubbing and subtitling of
European works and for the production of promotion kits, e.g. film catalogues in digital format.
The current programme is endowed with € 755 million for a period of seven years. The focus will be on
- continued support during the pre- and post-production stages (training/development – distribution/promotion)
- integrating the “i2i audiovisual” programme (contribution to indirect costs)
- taking account of market developments in the field of digitalisation
- EU participation in the European Audiovisual Observatory (responsible for gathering and distributing information on the European audio-visual industry)
- simplifying application procedures and enhancing the transparency of selection procedures.
Main focus areas in media art are the support of individual projects, the International Ars Electronica Festival and regional media art platforms (non-commercial network nodes). To distinguish them from related grant areas, media art projects are defined as projects in which the focus lies on the artistic reflection about the digital media and their socio-cultural character and which are not conceived for performance in cinemas and/or at film festivals.
With its memorials programme, the European Commission supports projects for the preservation of sites associated with the deportations at the time of World War II as well as archives in which these events are documented and the victims of Nazism and Stalinism are commemorated. So far, the memorials have received grants under the Action Programme in support of European cultural bodies. As of 2007, they come under the Europe for Citizens Programme 2007-2013.
The Austrian Music Fund, set up in 2005, is designed to support professional music production in Austria and to boost Austria’s status as a creative platform . The purpose of the Music Fund is to provide financial incentives for a qualitative and quantitative increase in Austrian music production. This is also supposed to extend to the dissemination and exploitation of Austrian music abroad. The Music Fund is open to all composers of music, to musical performers, to music producers, music publishers and labels. The Music Fund is a public- private partnership jointly financed by the Arts Division and major institutions of Austria’s musical life (AKM/GFÖM, Austro-Mechana/SKE, IFPI Austria, OESTIG, WKÖ/Fachverband der Audiovisions- und Filmindustrie, Veranstalterverband Österreich). Information on the Fund (conditions for application) can be accessed at www.musikfonds.at
The legal obligation to support the diversity of artistic forms of expression opens up a broad range of areas, from old music to cutting-edge types of sound. Quality assessments do not involve categorisation along the lines of “serious music” or “popular music” and other genre descriptions. The grants awarded by Department 2 (Music and performing arts) of the Arts Division aim at artistic development and long-term impact rather than at short-term results.
Since 1983, the photographic works acquired within the framework of measures in support of photography have been collected, archived, managed and digitally processed in cooperation with the Salzburger Fotolandessammlung at the Museum der Moderne Salzburg / Rupertinum. The collection was given the name Österreichische Fotogalerie (Austrian Photographic Gallery) and is a centre of contemporary art photography in Austria based on a contract between the Federation and the Land of Salzburg in 2002. By virtue of its public acquisitions, this gallery has become the most important collection of contemporary photography in Austria. The photographic collection is frequently presented to the general public at domestic and international exhibitions, and can be viewed through the Internet portal for art photography (www.fotonet.at) which was initiated by the Arts Division.
Professional associations and interest groups
Professional associations and interest groups are associations or groupings with restricted membership, aiming at representing the common interests of their members vis-à-vis the general public, other professional associations or the state. They regard themselves as lobbyists for creative artists and cultural workers and/or intermediaries who assist their members in professional questions and issues of professional policy and conduct. Traditionally, they are involved in many decisions, including consultations for opinions on bills and other issues, and frequently serve as negotiating partners in policy decisions.
The professional organisation of writers was involved in the preparations for an improvement of the legal situation of writers and literary translators – including the Library copyright fee (Bibliothekstantieme), Copyright fee for reprographics (Reprographievergütung), and compensation for the use of works in textbooks. The Interessengemeinschaft Autorinnen Autoren also includes under its roof individual specific professional associations such as the association of literary translators or the association of playwrights. Other writers’ associations which are more than simply interest groups and also represent artistic interests include the Austrian P.E.N.-Club, the Grazer Autorinnen Autorenversammlung and the Österreichische Schriftstellerverband.
The Österreichische Komponistenbund regards itself as the professional representation of Austrian composers and also organises events. The Österreichischer Musikrat (ÖMR) serves as international liaison office and represents Austria in the UNESCO Music Council. The Musiker-Komponisten-Autorengilde (MKAG) is one of the largest interest groups for self-employed musicians in Austria. There are also local and regional organisations representing the interests of musicians, such as the Interessengemeinschaft Niederösterreichischer Komponisten (INÖK) or the Interessengemeinschaft Komponisten Salzburg.
The Interessengemeinschaft Freie Theaterarbeit mainly represents independent theatre companies in matters of general promotion and social security. Employers are represented by the Theatererhalterverband österreichischer Bundesländer und Städte, the Wiener Bühnenverein and the Theaterdirektorenverband. IG Kultur Österreich sees itself as a representative of the interests of regional cultural initiatives and art and culture mediators. The Dachverband der Filmschaffenden Österreichs, an umbrella organisation which unites under its roof the Arbeitsgemeinschaft österreichischer Drehbuchautoren (screenwriters), the Drehbuchforum (screenwriters), the Österreichischer Regie-Verband-TV (directors in television), the Österreichischer Verband Film- und Videoschnitt (cutters), the Verband österreichischer Filmschauspieler (film actors) and the Verband österreichischer Kameraleute (cinematographers), represents the interests of all aspects of Austrian film. Further important professional associations and interest groups include the Zentralvereinigung der Architekten Österreichs (architects) and the Bundeskammer der Architekten und Ingenieurskonsulenten (architects and civil engineers).
There is no overall nationwide professional representation for visual artists in Austria. The most significant association in this area is the IG bildende Kunst, which in recent years has increasingly voiced opinions on cultural policy matters and thereby represents the interests of visual artists. Their news bulletin and web site provide creative workers and artists with information related to their profession and legal assistance. They also organise exhibitions, mainly for young artists. The Berufsvereinigung bildender Künstler Österreichs is another professional association for artists which also provides its members with information about professional matters. There are a number of regional organisations such as the Tiroler Künstlerschaft or the Berufsvereinigung der bildenden Künstler Vorarlbergs.
Moreover, creative workers and artists have the possibility of joining the Kulturgewerkschaft Kunst, Medien, Sport und freie Berufe, a trade union representing professional and social interests of self-employed and/or employed artists, journalists, art educators, art administrators, event organisers and related professions in the areas of art, the media, education, and sports. The Copyright collecting societies (Verwertungsgesellschaften) administer the rights of copyright owners, collecting copyright income and royalties which are not claimed individually by the copyright owners.
Since 1992, Austrian publishers have been invited to file applications with Department 5 of the Arts Division for special federal publishing grants. Applicants must have a valid trade licence and at least three years of experience in publishing fiction, essays, or non-fiction in the fields of literature for children and young people, contemporary history, history of civilisation, visual arts, music, architecture and design. Publishing programmes featuring books by Austrian authors or translators, or books on Austrian issues, are given priority treatment. The Advisory Board for Publishing submits proposals for the allocation of grants, with separate consideration given to the spring programme, the autumn programme, and publishers' expenditure on advertising and distribution. The Advisory Board for Publishing is staffed by publishers (not currently submitting applications for publishing grants), literary scholars, journalists, booksellers and an economic expert (in an advisory, non-voting capacity). A publisher can receive between € 9,100 and € 54,600 per grant instalment, up to a maximum of € 163,800 per year. Publishers not eligible for publishing grants for reasons of form or substance can apply separately for contributions towards printing costs of individual works of fiction within the scope of Book support. In addition to publishing grants, joint activities by several publishers also enjoy support, for instance the Arbeitsgemeinschaft österreichische Privatverlage (private publishers) or the seminars organised by the Hauptverband des Österreichischen Buchhandels (book trade).
This funding system is based on what is called a “reference film” (cinema film), i.e. a film produced by a production company that fulfilled all the conditions for funding. On the basis of this prior reference film, the production company is awarded a non-repayable grant (reference grant) which can be used to produce or develop another cinema film or, in exceptional cases, to pay for the losses from the reference film. The success of the reference film is assessed on the basis of artistic and/or economic criteria. Participation in international film festivals or prizes/awards which are listed in an annex to the Funding Guidelines of the Austrian Film Institute (Österreichisches Filminstitut) can be used as criteria to assess the artistic success of a film. The annex is updated continually.
The 1998 amendment to the Film funding act simplified the application for reference grants to the extent that the Project Commission does not have to be involved a second time. Once it has been established that the necessary conditions have been met, future reference grants can be awarded “automatically”.
Resale right is a right designed to ensure that creative workers and artists and their legal successors benefit from the economic profit that resellers (auctioneers, art dealers) generate from the increase in value of a work of art.
After years of negotiations between governments, the European Commission and the European Parliament, the 2001 Directive on the resale right for the benefit of creative workers and artists provides for a regulation at European level. There was no prior provision for resale rights in four countries (Netherlands, Portugal, UK, Austria); in other countries there was no appropriate implementation.
In order to prevent sales of high-priced modern art from being organised only outside of the EU, the directive introduces a sliding scale of rates which was transposed into national law in 2006. Artists receive between 4% and 0.25% of the sales price subject to the following rates: 4% of the portion of the sales price up to € 50,000; 3% of an additional portion amounting to the sales price from € 50,000 to € 200,000; 1% of the portion of the sales price from € 200,000 to € 350,000; 0.5% of the portion of the sale price from € 350,000 to € 500,000 and 0.25% of the portion of the sale price exceeding € 500,000. In addition, the directive provides that the total amount of the annual royalty may not exceed € 12,500. Artists are entitled to resale remuneration only if the sales price is at least € 3,000 and if an art market agent, such as an auction house, art gallery or art dealer, is involved as seller, purchaser or intermediary. The artist’s resale right also applies to the resale of artworks by deceased persons, up to 70 years after their death.
The directive provides for the member states to enact transposition into their national law by 1 January 2006. Countries that do not apply resale rights at the entry into force of the directive shall not be required, for a period expiring not later than 1 January 2010, to apply the resale right for the benefit of those entitled under the artist after his death.
Scholarships and contributions
Grants to individual artists in the various disciplines are the responsibility of the respective departments. They are granted in the shape of short-term, medium-term and long-term working and travelling scholarships, and are intended to enable the artists in question to devote themselves more intently to their artistic development during the term of the scholarship. Short-term scholarships are designed to aid in weathering temporary financial difficulties, or to facilitate stays abroad. Long-term scholarships aim to support artists in devoting an extended period of time to a particular project without having to seek other remunerated work.
Other individual grants exist in the shape of contributions towards travel and subsistence expenses, foreign exchange scholarships to promote the mobility of young Austrian artists, contributions towards further education in music and the performing arts, scholarships for authors of literature for children and young people, contributions towards professional fees and material costs as well as money prizes. Some departments of the Arts Division have developed specific grants schemes using their own nomenclature – e.g. foreign exchange scholarships for dancers, contributions towards professional fees and state scholarships for composers, grants for planned compositions if their repeated performance by especially qualified ensembles appears warranted. The relevant grants schemes are described in the service part of the Art Report and on the homepage of the Arts Division.
The number of scholarships that can be awarded per year is usually limited. Grants that run for a period longer than one year are rather the exception - such as the Robert Musil Scholarship granted by Department 5, which has been awarded for major literary projects in the shape of three long-term scholarships every three years since 1990. The scholarships have a maximum term of three years and are paid in 36 monthly instalments of € 1,400 each. The Advisory Board for Literature serves as their jury (next award 2005).
Department 1 has been managing the Federal Studio House in Vienna since 1995. As part of an artist-in-residence programme, it provides studios for foreign visual artists. Since its launch, the programme has accommodated more than 90 artists from five continents. Department 6 and KulturKontakt AUSTRIA each maintain two studios in the Federal Studio House, where creative artists can work for up to three months within the scope of the UNESCO-Aschberg Bursaries for Artists programme, based on the currently valid cultural protocols and cultural agreements, or on the invitation of the Republic of Austria. KulturKontakt AUSTRIA extends invitations exclusively to young artists from East and Southeast Europe.
As a particular form of individual grants, Departments 1 and 3 have rented a number of studios abroad, the use of which is granted to Austrian free-lance visual artists and photographic artists in combination with monthly scholarships. Candidates are proposed by juries. This measure is both structural and focused on the individual artist, and serves to promote the international exchange of experience in the visual arts and photography. In 2003, Department 1 awarded scholarships for use of its studio apartments in Rome, Český Krumlov (Czech Republic), Chicago, Fujino (Japan), Mexico City, and for two studios each in Paris and New York. Department 3 awarded scholarships for use of its studios in Rome, Paris, London and New York.
The Trainee Programme of Department 8 (Cultural initiatives), which serves to promote the qualifications of art and culture managers, has invited applications every two years since 1992. Based on a public tender, a jury selects young art and culture managers for fully funded stays abroad of three to six months as trainees at international institutions.
The Austrian model of arts support includes a wide range of art-promoting social measures both for individual cases and in the form of overall subsidies (Artists' Social Security Fund). The Artists' Aid Fund, endowed from the Federal Arts Support Charges, accepts applications from artists for non-recurrent or recurrent payments in case of financial hardship.
Similar social benefits are paid to creative artists in theatre and music. Department 2 (music and performing arts) supports the associations IG-Netz für freie Theaterschaffende (theatre) and Verein zur Förderung und Unterstützung österreichischer Musikschaffender SFM (music), which use these funds to grant artists means-tested contributions towards health, accident and pension insurance.
As regards literature, Literar-Mechana manages a Welfare Fund endowed exclusively from federal funds. In cases of neediness, the Fund grants contributions towards old-age, disability and surviving dependants' pensions. In special emergencies, the Welfare Fund also disburses non-recurrent grants-in-aid; in addition, it pays contributions towards working and travel expenses, as well as reimbursing legal costs for tax and copyright litigation. A six-member commission decides on the allocation of means. The Artists' Social Security Fund Act (Künstler-Sozialversicherungsfondsgesetz) served to embody the Welfare Fund of the Literary Copyright Collecting Society in legislation.
The Labour and Social Law Amendment of 1997 (ASRÄG 1997) provided for all incomes derived from the exercise of a trade or from self-employed work to be subject to compulsory social security for trade and industry. The entry into force of the Act was postponed by three years for artists, so as to allow time for the creation of a system of third-party co-financing for social security contributions.
Since 2001, self-employed artists have therefore been classified among the so-called "new self-employed" and covered by the compulsory health and pension insurance scheme of the Social Security Institution for Trade and Industry (SVA), as well as the accident insurance scheme of the Austrian Social Insurance for Occupational Risks (AUVA). At the same time, the Artists' Social Security Fund Act (K-SVFG) came into force, providing for contributions towards creative artists' pension contributions under certain circumstances.
Compulsory social security for the "new self-employed" applies – also with retroactive effect as of January 2001 – if the assessment basis derived from a free-lance artist's earned income exceeds the applicable insurance liability income limit. There are two such limits (year of reference 2007):
€ 6,453.36 per year if no other remunerative occupation was exercised during that same calendar year, and if none of the benefits listed below were received.
€ 4,093.92 per year if some other remunerative occupation (even short-term) was exercised during that same year, or if pension benefits, retirement pay and/or annuities, child-care allowance or benefits from statutory health or unemployment insurance were received.
The instant onset of coverage and liability under compulsory social security can also be brought about by filing an (“affirmative”) statement to the effect that income is expected to exceed the insurance liability income limit. Coverage and liability will remain in effect even if actual income remains below that limit. If no such statement is submitted, or income below the insurance liability income limit is predicted in such a statement, insurance liability is subsequently reviewed on the basis of income tax assessment notices. If income was above the insurance liability income limit, contributions have to be paid retrospectively, including a 9.3% surcharge; however, there is no retrospective entitlement to health insurance benefits.
Contributions to health and pension insurance are calculated according to the formula: assessment basis x rate of contribution = contribution. Until actual income is known, contributions are calculated on a provisional assessment basis. Once income tax assessment notices are available, readjustment determines whether there is a refund of contributions, or additional contributions have to be paid. In the first three years (2006 to 2008), provisional contributions are calculated on a minimum assessment basis, die im Jahr ausmacht which in 2007 amounts to € 537.78 and € 341.16, respectively. As of the fourth year of compulsory social insurance, the provisional assessment basis depends on the income declared in the tax assessment notice of the three preceding years. The final assessment is based on the income earned from self-employment in the year in question as stated in the tax assessment notice. That income is augmented by the health and pension insurance contributions payable that year. The result is the final assessment basis, which must however be located between the minimum and maximum assessment basis levels.
In 2007, 15.5% of the (..) assessment basis was payable as contribution to pension insurance, and 9.1% as contribution to health insurance. As of 1 January 2007, accident insurance costs € 7.48 a month (i.e. € 85.76 for the entire year).
Assessment bases Contributions in €
health ins. (9.1%) pension ins. (15.5%)
minimum contributions
537.78 48,94 83.36
341.16 31.05 52.88
maximum contributions
4,480.00 407.68 694.40
Source: Social Security Institution for Trade and Industry
Act on the Federal Arts Support Charge - German Version
Act on the Artists’ Social Security Fund - German Version
Coined in the 1970s, the term refers to the blurring of boundaries between art and everyday life. Both the Council of Europe and UNESCO have taken a socio-anthropological approach in defining culture, based on the conviction that the right to culture is a human right (Art. 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Contrary to a purely aesthetic definition of culture, a global comprehension of the term considers culture to comprise all material, intellectual and moral features by which a society or a certain social group can be characterised and distinguished from others. Across Europe, socio-culture stood for a change in perspectives and paradigms in cultural policy. Recent trends both within UNESCO and the Council of Europe centre on European as well as global cultural diversity and the dialogue between cultures, also including religions. Communication, publicity and self-determination have become central issues in this context. Within the Arts Division, Department 8 is responsible for supporting regional Cultural initiatives which work primarily in the socio-cultural sphere.
The Finance Ministry's Sponsoring Decree of May 1987 and the Federal Art Grants Act (Bundes-Kunstförderungsgesetz) of 1988 explicitly stress the need for private funding of creative artists. The Sponsoring Decree sets down the conditions under which the sponsorship of cultural events has a sufficient publicity effect to be tax-deductible as a business expense. However, this poses a major problem, as sponsoring funds are only deductible if the sponsorship is reported in the mass media, or if a broad public is informed by means of commercial publicity (advertisements, posters). It is not enough for the sponsor to be listed in the programme. Neither is the individual sponsoring of an artist out of an entrepreneur's personal inclination tax-deductible. In view of these restrictive rules, many companies hesitate to act as sponsors for cultural events. The initiative Wirtschaft und Kunst ("Business and the Arts") has therefore called for all kinds of sponsorship to be made fully tax-deductible, and predicts that such a step would cause sponsoring to double in volume. Spending on cultural sponsoring is estimated to come to some € 40 million per year. KulturKontakt AUSTRIA provides free advice on cultural sponsoring and establishes contacts between businesses and artists. A study commissioned by the Federal Chancellor's Office and carried out by the Austrian Institute of Economic Research is to serve as a preliminary basis for implementing long-voiced demands to improve conditions for cultural sponsorship in Austria.
Steering Committee for Cultural Development
Subsequent to the evaluation by the Council of Europe 2000/01 and the resulting structural reform, the field of culture (education, cultural heritage and science) was integrated into the newly founded Directorate General IV together with youth, sport and natural heritage. Following the third summit of heads of state and government of the Council of Europe’s member states in Warsaw in 2005 and the conference of ministers of culture marking the 50th anniversary, held in Faro, the decisions taken at both conferences will now be implemented by CD-CULT. In substantive terms the work of the Council of Europe will in future focus on the intra -European cultural dialogue and the intercultural discourse with Europe’s neighbouring countries as well as on the theme “Europe for Citizens” (civil society) .
Derived from Catholic social philosophy, this principle holds that any activity exercised by society or the state is of a subsidiary (supportive or substitutive) nature, so that the higher-order entity of the state or society should refrain from lending assistance to or taking over any functions of the lower-order entities unless the latter's powers are not sufficient to assume these functions. Directorate-General EAC, responsible for EU measures in support of the arts, essentially awards grants only in accordance with the subsidiarity principle.
Owing to the distribution of competencies among the Austrian administrative bodies stipulated by the Federal Constitution, the Länder are primarily responsible for art and culture, while the Federal government can act only in a subsidiary manner or in explicitly defined fields (e.g. Federal theatres, monument protection).
While competencies are thus distributed in public administration, the local authorities can act in private sector administration without exercising sovereign powers and regardless of the distribution of competencies set down in the Federal Constitution. In view of the importance of art for Austria's stature as a nation of art and culture, the Federal government also supports the arts by means of private sector administration, but always in a subsidiary position vis-à-vis the primary administrative responsibility of the Länder. Federal arts support is governed by the Federal Art Grants Act of 1988, which puts an emphasis on contemporary art, and supports projects "which are of supra-regional interest or exemplary, have an innovative character or are supported within the scope of a uniform grants scheme."
At EU level, the Directorate General for Education and Culture (EAC) is responsible for EU programmes that support culture. As a matter of principle, DG EAC only awards funding in line with the subsidiarity principle.
Tax measures for creative artists
In accordance with § 1 of the Federal Art Grants Act (Bundes-Kunstförderungsgesetz), it is one of the duties of the Federal government to seek to improve the conditions that determine the socio-economic situation of creative artists. Preparatory to warranting socially just pension insurance for creative artists (Artists' Social Security Fund), it proved expedient to offset irregular peaks in income by averaging income over a three-year period. This serves to prevent unrealistic income tax prepayments based on high income in the previous business year, but disproportionate to low income in the current business year.
The objective was achieved by means of an amendment to the Income Tax Act as well as the so-called Regulation on Flat-Rate Taxation of Artists and Writers issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance. The amendment to the Income Tax Act provides for profits to be carried backward. This means that the profit achieved in a high-income year is distributed between that year and the two preceding low-income years. The purpose of the procedure is to offset peaks in income and to prevent high tax prepayments in times of low income. The Regulation on Flat-Rate Taxation of Artists and Writers aims to reduce the complexity of tax administration for the liberal professions. Those artists not required to keep accounts may deduct average rates of 12% of turnover for business expenses and input tax, up to a maximum of € 8,725 annually.
Moreover, Federal Act No. 142/2000 introduced tax privileges for foreign artists taking up residence in Austria. Until that time, creative artists who transferred their fiscal domicile to Austria had been at a tax disadvantage compared to artists who continued to reside abroad but claimed double taxation relief for their guest performances in Austria. This inequality has been remedied. Foreign creative artists can now apply for the partial or full cancellation of tax liabilities in Austria that are in excess of tax liabilities in their country of origin if their establishment of residence serves to advance art in Austria and is therefore in the public interest.
The Federal government supports theatre at three levels: in performance of its mission in cultural policy, it makes basic payments stipulated by law to the Federal Theatre Companies; based on the Financial Equalisation Act and the distribution proposals of the Association of Theatre Funding Organisations of the Austrian Länder and Cities, it supports the theatres operated by the Länder and cities; and, based on the Federal Art Grants Act, it supports privately operated theatres as well as independent theatre companies and individual artists. Department 2 (music and performing arts) plays a substantial role in funding private theatres in Vienna (e.g. Theater in der Josefstadt, Volkstheater, Theater der Jugend, Wiener Kammeroper). Theatres which receive more than € 150,000 annually in federal grants are counted among the major theatres in the Federal Art Report, and are subject to debate by the Advisory Board for Theatre, as are the small theatres and independent theatre groups. Since 2001, dance has been given special consideration by means of a separate Advisory Board for Dance.
Pursuant to Federal Arts Grants Act (Bundes-Kunstförderungsgesetz) 1988, § 3 para.1, the following types of grants exist
- project-related grants ( money or in-kind),
- the acquisition of artwork (especially with a view to contemporary art),
- loans at favourable interest rates or pay-back schemes,
- contributions towards annuities, interest rates or credit repayment,
- the award of scholarships (especially for studies abroad),
- the award of commissions for contemporary works of art,
- the award of prize monies and bonuses for excellent artistic achievements, and
- other cash or in-kind allocations
Although the Arts Grants Act also mentions the options of loans and providing liability for non-collection, these instruments are very rarely made use of.
The following options exist, inter alia, for the individual arts disciplines:
- annual subsidies (e.g. for theatres, art associations, concert organisers, houses of literature, cultural initiatives),
- project-related subsidies (e.g. for film productions, literary events, workshops, presentations – contributions towards printing costs and translation cost,
- contributions towards artistic production and reproduction,
- investment grants,
- funding of culture mediation,
- scholarships, contributions towards travel costs, costs of sojourn, tour expenses, publishing grants, contributions towards studio rental, contributions towards exhibitions, screenplay grants, gallery grants
- grants towards expenses for studios, continued education, material costs, funding of working equipment
- exhibition costs, contributions towards festival participation
- composition grants
- grants to concert organisers
Grants in a wider sense of the word include the provision of artists’ studios and the bestowing of awards. Art acquisitions are not grants or subsidies in the true sense of the word, because they involve some consideration that can be expressed in monetary terms. According to the Federal Arts Grants Act, grants can be awarded for creative production, the publication, presentation and documentation of works, the preservation of bodies of work and documents, as well as to institutions serving these goals. As arts grants fall under the state’s private-law activities -- based on self-committing laws at federal level and in most of the Länder – creative workers and artists do not have any general, legal claim to grants. Only the individual grant agreement creates rights and duties for both parties. All grants awarded within any one year are listed in the Federal Art Report.
UNESCO is the acronym of United Nations Eduational, Scientific an dCultural Organisation.
UNESCO has 190 member states. It is a specialised United Nations agency and has its seat in Paris.
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”, is
UNESCO’s guiding idea which is laid down in the preamble to its Constitution which was signed by 37 states in London on
16 November 1945. They learned a lesson from the experiences of the Second World War: “That a peace based exclusively
upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous,
lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the world, and that the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to
fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind.”
The purpose of UNESCO is to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations. (Article I.1 of the UNESCO Constitution). Hence, its aim is confidence building through peaceful co-operation.
As a forum of global intellectual co-operation, UNESCO probably has the broadest range of programmes of all UN specialised agencies. It comprises the following areas: education, science, culture, information and communication. The Austrian UNESCO Commission is the national agency for UNESCO matters and thus a link for domestic Austrian co-ordination and also for the co-ordination between the UNESCO Secretariat and the Austrian institutions.
Geändert am 03.08.2007