Norwegian funds will once again help Czech cultural heritage

Prague - Until March next year, applicants can submit requests for grants from the so-called Norwegian funds for various projects in the field of art or cultural heritage. In four calls published today by the Ministry of Finance, over half a billion crowns is available, primarily for the revitalization of monuments. This is indicated by data published on the website of the Ministry of Finance.

Through the so-called Norwegian funds, that is, the EEA and Norway Grants, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway contribute to reducing economic and social disparities in Europe. The recipients of support are countries in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. The Czech Republic has been a recipient of these funds since 2004, when it joined the EU. Since 2004, the EEA and Norway Grants have supported over 1,000 projects in the Czech Republic with more than six billion crowns, according to the Ministry of Finance. Currently, the Czech Republic is the fifth largest recipient, after Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

One of the support programs is culture, during the programming period from 2014 to 2021, more than 800 million crowns is to be distributed for projects focused on the revitalization of cultural heritage and numerous cultural activities. Supported projects in previous years include the restoration of the St. Wenceslas rotunda in Malá Strana, Prague, the digital restoration of Czech film heritage including the very popular film in Norway, Three Nuts for Cinderella, and collaboration projects between the Wallachian Open-Air Museum and the Maihaugen Museum in Lillehammer in the field of folk architecture and folklore.

Currently, calls for projects in the areas of Revitalization of Cultural Heritage, Contemporary Art, Cultural and Artistic Criticism, and Building and Strengthening the Capacities of Sectoral Artistic Associations, Networks, and Platforms are being opened. The largest sum of 482 million crowns is designated for projects aimed at restoring and revitalizing Czech cultural heritage.

The goal is to support projects that connect the protection and restoration of a monument with modern and innovative ways of use that will be sustainable and have a positive impact on the development of the region and the lives of local residents. Applications are accepted until March 31, 2020, with project start dates anticipated in the fall of 2020 and completion no later than April 30, 2024.

The next three calls have a deadline for applications of March 16, 2020. For projects focusing on contemporary art, 77 million crowns is available. Applicants should respond to current societal challenges, base their projects on regional needs, open intercultural dialogue, or be open to interdisciplinary collaboration. The remaining two calls have 12.85 million crowns each available.