Berlin plans to support artists fleeing political persecution

With the definition of professional artists, media and culture workers, local authorities cast a wide net, making the city a potential art heaven

On 12 August, Berlin announced plans to set up a fund in 2022 for refugee artists, fleeing political persecution. The Senate Department for Culture and Europe aims to establish grants for projects by artists, media and culture professionals from all sectors who have left their countries of residence due to the political situation there.

Casting a wide net to make an international art heaven

The end goal of the Senate Department of Culture is to speed up and ease the artists’ integration into Berlin’s cultural fabric. This programme is geared towards professionals who are fleeing their country because they:

• see themselves personally threatened (e.g. due to political persecution or armed conflict);
• are unable to continue their professional activity due to political conditions (e.g. due to general repression, a climate of intimidation or loss of professional opportunities);
• are in fundamental opposition to negative political developments.

At the same time, the Senate Department provides a somewhat liberal definition of the term ‘Professional artists, media and culture workers’, casting a wide net of interpretation. They define the term as people who have completed appropriate vocational training or have a degree and/or are professionally active in the arts, media and culture.

The projects should serve to create sustainable improvements in the professional opportunities for the targeted group in Berlin. The Senate Department plans to create specific offers and structures or to expand existing grant infrastructure to accommodate for the new goal. In particular, they want to focus on projects that:

• give information and advice on the Berlin cultural job market;
• provide support with positioning in the respective sectors;
• show networking opportunities in Berlin's cultural and creative industries.