Fonds Darstellende Künste

The Fonds Darstellende Künste, founded in 1985 on the initiative of the German Cultural Council, is a central player in the promotion of the performing arts in Germany. As one of the six federal cultural funding funds, the fund works to strengthen the art and cultural landscape of the Federal Republic, with a particular focus on the independent performing arts[2].

The Fonds Darstellende Künste has been funding projects in all areas of the performing arts since 1988. The main funding lines include initial funding, project funding, and conceptual funding. The conceptual funding supports qualitatively outstanding professional groups with up to 200,000 euros over a period of up to three years to strengthen their artistic profiles, ensemble structures, and public perception[1].

In addition, the fund offers thematic special programs that address socially relevant issues, such as the HOMEBASE program, which deals with origin, home, and migration, or the GLOBAL VILLAGE LABS program, which strengthens the independent performing arts outside urban centers[1].

The main mission of the Fonds Darstellende Künste is to promote and support the diversity and innovative strength of the performing arts in Germany. The fund is committed to the further development of the performing arts and encourages necessary debates and studies on funding structures as well as the economic and social situation of theater and dance creators. The fund is also a service and consulting partner for independently producing artists, collectives, and institutions by providing advice on applications and structural issues[2].

In recent years, the Fonds Darstellende Künste has been striving for a dynamic expansion of its funding offerings. Since 2017, the fund has placed an emphasis on artistic research and inquiry and has increased the application deadlines from two to four per year to improve accessibility to the programs[1].

Additionally, the fund has initiated thematic special programs such as KONFIGURATION for puppet and object theater and AUTONOM for projects at the intersection of independent performing arts and artificial intelligence. These programs contribute to the sustainable strengthening of the independent performing arts and promote innovative and continuous ensemble work[1].

The Fonds Darstellende Künste is currently facing the challenges of massive budget cuts in the area of independent arts. The budget draft for 2025 proposes a reduction of the budgets of the six federal cultural funding funds by 50%, which could have significant impacts on the funding landscape. The fund and its partners are actively opposing these cuts and emphasizing the importance of culture for society[2].

Overall, the Fonds Darstellende Künste is continuously working to strengthen the performing arts in Germany, promote innovative projects, and preserve artistic diversity, despite the current financial challenges.

• 1 - https://www.fonds-daku.de/ueber-uns/verein/geschichte-des-fonds/
• 2 - https://www.fonds-daku.de
• 3 - https://darstellende-kuenste.de/sites/default/files/2022-05/BFDK-Handreichung1.pdf
• 4 - https://www.kulturpreise.de/web/preise_info.php?cPath=3&preisd_id=3069
• 5 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fonds_Darstellende_K%C3%BCnste