European Region of Culture allocates 3 million to festival projects

At European Region of Culture's festival in June 2019 you can amongst other things experience the stage art project "Rethink Ageing" by Svalholm – Danish cultural exchange & performing art with dancers in the age 60+. Here, a couple of the dancers are doing a work demonstration at European Region of Culture's stage in the Light Forest at the Cultural Summit 2018. Photo: Rune Borre-Jensen.

European Region of Culture announces grants with a total of 2,797,000 DKK for festival projects in June 2019.

Performance art in bunkers, lighthouses and migration stories from the sea, UN's global goals as art, a rolling cultural institution in an old London bus, lots of children's culture and an "art ambulance" that combines culture and health. This is only a small part of the many events that will take place in week 23 and 24 next year. The new cultural collaboration after European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017 now presents the first 13 grants for festival projects – a total of 2,797,000 DKK. Besides innovation and quality, collaborative elements, geographical reach, cultural diversity and international perspectives have also been taken into account as priorities in the selection of projects.

"We are proud to present a big group of different projects which will contribute in creating an exciting festival that clearly shows the great range of European Region of Culture both culturally and geographically," says chairman of the Regional Council in Central Denmark Region, Anders Kühnau.

Big festival will unite the region and rediscover culture
"Rediscover" is the theme of European Region of Culture's festival which combines the slogan of Aarhus 2017 "Let's Rethink" with a focus on cultural heritage and cohesion in Central Denmark Region. The 13 projects all interpret the theme in different ways through cultural activities.

"The festival will be a strong manifestation of our great collaboration between region, municipalities and cultural institutions and is yet another prove that we can achieve fantastic results when we work together," says chairman of The Municipality Contact Council in Central Denmark and mayor of Randers Municipality, Torben Hansen.

European Region of Culture and the festival makes it possible to continue excisting partnerships from Aarhus 2017 and at the same time create brand new ones across the region.

"We are very excited about the support and looking forward to visiting lighthouses in Central Denmark Region as part of the festival," says Sandra Pasini, artistic leader of Teatret OM in Ringkøbing that have received a grant for LIGHTHOUSES – a theater project about migration and local communities, which takes place in several of the region's lighthouses.

Projects receiving grants in this round:
- "Water of Life" applied by Hakkehuset og River Art with activities in Silkeborg, Viborg, Favrskov og Lemvig (470.000 DKK)
- "Betonkadaver" applied by Foreningen Skjulte Steder with activities in Aarhus, Lemvig og Ringkøbing-Skjern (200.000 DKK)
- "United Change" applied by Teatret Svalegangen with activities in Aarhus, Norddjurs, Viborg og Holstebro (400.000 DKK)
- "POV Filmfestivals 2019" applied by Biffen Odder with activities in blandt andet Odder, Ringkøbing-Skjern, Favrskov, Lemvig, Norddjurs, Skanderborg og Viborg (200.000 DKK)
- "The prophecy of Høje Stene – A hidden cultural heritage" applied by Favrskov Municipality med aktiviteter i blandt andet Favrskov (250.000 DKK)
- "MONSTER – Culture out of the closet and into the classroom" applied by Horsens Municipality with activities in among others Horsens, Odder og Hedensted (200.000 DKK)
- "Art on Call – The Festival" applied by Kunstpartiet with activities in Holstebro, Herning, Ringkøbing-Skjern, Syddjurs, Skanderborg, Odder og Struer (150.000 DKK)
- "Line S" applied by Magistraten with activities in amongst others Silkeborg, Aarhus og Syddjurs (152.000 DKK)
- "LIGHTHOUSES" applied by Teatret OM with activities in amongst others Ringkøbing-Skjern og Samsø (150.000 DKK)
- "Multichannel Festival" applied by Radar with activities in Aarhus og Struer (125.000 DKK)
- "Day of the Theater" applied by SceNet with activities in Randers, Herning, Viborg, Syddjurs, Ringkøbing-Skjern, Holstebro, Odder og Aarhus (150.000 DKK)
- "While we await more spectacles" applied by Randers Egnsteater with activities in amongst others Randers (200.000 DKK)
- "Children's Culture Festival in Aarhus" applied by Børnekulturhuset og Aarhus Musikskole with activities in amongst others Aarhus (150.000 DKK)