"Creative Europe" is a framework program of the European Commission aimed at supporting and enhancing the competitiveness of the European cultural, creative, and audiovisual sectors, as well as preserving, developing, and promoting the cultural and linguistic diversity of European countries.
The total budget of the Program for 2021-2027 is €2.44 billion.
The goals of the "Creative Europe" program are:
● The protection, development, and promotion of European cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as heritage.
● Increasing the competitiveness and economic potential of the cultural and creative industries, particularly the audiovisual sector.
"Creative Europe" includes three subprograms:
1. "Culture" (33% of the budget) – promoting the cultural and creative sectors,
2. "Media" (58% of the budget) – supporting the development and distribution of audiovisual works and film productions,
3. "Cross-sectoral Cooperation" (9% of the budget) – promoting cooperation between various cultural and creative sectors, as well as covering the news media sector.
1. The "Culture" subprogram consists of the following directions:
- Horizontal competitions covering all sectors of the cultural and creative industries: support for international cooperation projects, networks of professional organizations, platforms for promoting European artists and works, as well as an individual mobility scheme.
- Support for individual sectors within the horizontal direction, including music, literature and publishing, cultural heritage, and architecture.
- Special support in the form of awards in literature, music, architecture, cultural heritage, as well as the European Capital of Culture and European Heritage Label awards.
2. The "Media" subprogram focuses on the following directions:
- Support for cooperation both along the entire value chain and at the EU level, to scale up enterprises in the audiovisual sector and promote European content worldwide.
- Support for talents from different countries, expanding participation and cooperation with other countries.
- Support for the use of new technologies to fully harness digital technologies.
- Promoting the greening of the industry, as well as achieving social goals such as gender balance and national diversity.
3. The "Cross-sectoral Cooperation" subprogram supports the following directions:
- Transnational strategic cooperation: disseminating knowledge about the "Creative Europe" program and supporting the distribution of its results.
- Creative innovation labs: promoting innovative approaches to content creation, access, distribution, and promotion among cultural and creative industry sectors.
- News Media: supporting media literacy, quality journalism, media freedom, and pluralism.
The entity responsible for the implementation of the program on behalf of the European Commission is the Executive Agency for Education and Culture of the EU.
Ukraine joined the "Creative Europe" program in 2016, and in December 2021, a new Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine on Ukraine's participation in the "Creative Europe" program (2021–2027) was signed.
To implement the Agreement and coordinate the involvement of Ukrainian participants in the Program, the National Bureau of "Creative Europe" operates in Ukraine. This bureau develops the Program at the national level, facilitates information exchange and partner search, provides consultative support to applicants, and cooperates with the national bureaus of "Creative Europe" in other countries.
Currently, Ukraine participates in the "Creative Europe" program within the "Culture" subprogram and partially in the "Cross-Sectoral Cooperation" and "Media" subprograms.
In response to Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the European Commission has taken several measures, including:
1) In the "Creative Europe" Work Plan for 2023 and 2024, assistance to Ukraine is defined as a cross-cutting priority in all Program projects, meaning that priority in competitive selection is given to projects involving Ukrainian artists or those aimed at supporting Ukraine.
2) In the fall of 2022, a Special Competition "Support for Ukrainian Displaced Persons and the Cultural and Creative Sectors of Ukraine" for 2023 was held with a total budget of 5 million euros. The projects will be implemented between 2023 and 2025. The three selected winning consortia with Ukraine’s participation will provide sub-grants to support Ukrainian art projects.
● The first winner is "(zmina: vidnovlennya) CHANGE:REVIVAL" by "(isolatsiya)ISOLATION. Platform for Cultural Initiatives." The project's goal is to support Ukrainian artists and cultural organizations in creating and showcasing works in Ukraine and in at least 12 other countries participating in "Creative Europe." The project will provide 1.4 million euros in sub-grants to support a minimum of 40 art projects related to the theme of recovery and aimed at increasing the visibility of Ukrainian art both in Ukraine and abroad. Consortium partners: TRANS EUROPE HALLES (TEH) (Spain) and MALY BERLIN (Germany).
● The second winner is "Culture Helps" by "(Insha Osvita) Other Education" The project will focus on helping Ukrainians, particularly families with children displaced by the war, integrate into new communities. The initiative will provide sub-grants to support mental health, organize online and offline workshops and meetings for displaced cultural workers both in Ukraine and abroad. Consortium partner: MitOst e.V. (Germany).
● The third winner is "Architects for Heritage in Ukraine: Restoring Identity and Memory." The project will address issues of assessment, preservation, and restoration of urban and architectural heritage in Ukraine during and after the war. Interdisciplinary teams of Ukrainian and European specialists will share their knowledge and experience to build competencies in heritage protection, reviving culturally significant plans and projects, and empowering local communities. The project has 11 participants, including the Association of Lithuanian Architects (main coordinator), the National Union of Architects of Ukraine, the Urban Coalition Ro3kvit, and unions of architects and artists from Germany, Denmark, Romania, Italy, and Estonia.
With Ukraine's acquisition of candidate status for EU membership in June 2022, Ukraine gained the right to participate in the "European Capital of Culture" competition, which is held annually within the "Creative Europe" Program. Starting from 2023, Ukrainian cities will be able to compete for this title and, if victorious, gain the opportunity to accelerate their cultural, social, and economic development, renew historic centers, implement creative projects, attract tourists, thereby contributing to the formation of Ukraine’s European identity.