FAQ

"Professionally active" means that you work full-time in the independent performing arts and usually make your living primarily from this profession (min. 51%) or have income that derives mainly from this profession.

"Professional curatorial" activities are those that have a significant influence on the programming and content-related design of the (framework) program of a venue, festival, professional or other event, within the independent performing arts.

The Fonds' funding programs - in particular production, revival and residency funding - are generally aimed at artists (groups) from the independent performing arts who carry out their projects or research projects independently and on their own initiative.  

In individual programs, such as network funding, funding is specifically provided for cooperation projects between at least two institutions from the independent performing arts. These must be organized as legal entities (GbRs are not considered legal entities in this programme).  

Only in the XZLLNZ funding program, which focuses on funding cooperation projects between artists (groups) from the independent performing arts and municipal and state theaters, can both the artists (groups) and the municipal/state theaters act as applicants.

The upcoming application deadlines are always updated on the Fonds‘ homepage and in the personal application area (online portal). You can also keep an eye on the Fonds‘ social media channels and sign up for the regular newsletter to stay informed about new programs and deadlines.
 

No, this is not possible. You can only apply with one project at a time to one Fonds Darstellende Künste funding program; parallel applications are not permitted.

Yes, it is generally possible to apply for different projects in different funding programs. However, there are exceptions. These exclusions are explained in the regulations of the individual funding programs. Please check these before submitting an application.

Yes, this is possible in many cases. However, you can only apply for certain programms at specific intervals. Therefore, always check the current regulations of the funding program before submitting an application.

No, it cannot. Funding cannot be granted if the project has already begun before the funding decision is made by the jury convened by the Fonds Darstellende Künste, i.e. if money has already been spent on it or contracts have already been concluded. However, co-financing for a planned project may already have been approved. Please note the expected decision dates of the application round so that you can estimate the earliest possible start date for your project.

Yes, students may apply to all programs as long as there is sufficient evidence of eligibility in terms of public funding/guest performances and years of professional activity.

No, it is not. You will find more detailed information on the application requirements in the regulations of the respective funding programs.

The Board of Trustees, which is presented on the Fonds website, decides on the applications submitted.

We publish the decision of the Board of Trustees as quickly as possible. As a rule, the review and decision process takes at least 2.5 months. In the regulations and the online database, we indicate when you can expect to start funded projects. We adhere to these guidelines as far as possible. Please refrain from contacting us by telephone or in writing.

The Fonds receives a large number of funding applications with each call for proposals. Each of these funding programs is accompanied by an interdisciplinary and broad-based board of trustees, consisting of representatives of the 17 member associations of the Fonds (board of trustees) and appointed experts from the art world. They discuss the project applications on the basis of the respective funding criteria and cast their vote, taking into account the available financial resources. Decisive factors for a federal funding institution such as the Fonds are aspects such as the model character of the project, a cross-state presence, remarkable content, aesthetics, formats and working methods, as well as the - also financially - proven professionalism of the applicants. Even if all of these points are met, not every application can be approved in view of the ratio of funding applications received to available funds and you may receive a rejection. An individual justification is not feasible with the aim of communicating the results promptly and in view of the application situation. Furthermore, the trusting discussion environment of the Board of Trustees must be protected. We ask for your understanding and trust in the members of the Board of Trustees who have agreed with the Fond's member associations and organizations.

If your application was rejected for formal reasons and not forwarded to the Board of Trustees, you will usually receive an e-mail informing you which criterion the application does not meet and under which circumstances you can possibly resubmit it.

Applications rejected by the Board of Trustees may not be resubmitted. If your application is rejected for formal reasons and not forwarded to the Board of Trustees, you can resubmit the amended and/or corrected application in one of the subsequent rounds. In this case, you will be informed of this option in the formal rejection by e-mail.

Whether this grant is subject to income tax depends on whether the conditions for tax exemption (in accordance with Section 3 no. 44 sentences 1 and 2 EstG) are met. The legal assessment of tax exemption is the responsibility of the recipient's tax office. This office must issue or refuse to issue a certificate regarding the requirements of Section 3 no. 44 sentence 3 letters a and b EStG at the request of the grantee. Upon request, the tax office of the Fonds Darstellende Künste does not assume that the requirements of § 3 no. 44 sentence 3 letter b EStG are met.

Whether the funding is subject to VAT in accordance with Section 1 (1) no. 1 UstG depends on whether it is a genuine or non-genuine grant. A taxable turnover exists if the service provided by the cultural project sponsor is in return for payment, i.e. as part of an exchange of services (a consideration was agreed in the project funding agreement = non-genuine grant). The submission of a proof of use does not constitute consideration. The mere reference to the Fonds in the publication of the project does not constitute an exchange of services within the meaning of the Value Added Tax Act.

However, the final legally binding examination of the VAT treatment of a grant is the responsibility of the tax office of the grantee. If there are any doubts, please contact the tax office for information.

You can download the logo of the Fonds (and any special programs) from our homepage; the exact wording of the funding line (dt/eng) can also be found there. 
A print release from the Fonds is not required.

A direct invitation is not possible. Please enter the relevant data in your online area. The Fonds uses this information for announcements, invitations, etc.

A local alliance for education consisting of at least three legal entities can apply for funding if they jointly implement an artistic project for children and young people affected by risk situations. One of the alliance partners is responsible for submitting the application. Schools or daycare centers can be alliance partners, but are not eligible to apply.

An Alliance for Education consists of three partners, usually from the fields of culture, society and social affairs, who are committed to improving the educational opportunities of children and young people in Germany. The concrete project is carried out by artistic specialists. For the administrative and organizational work in the alliance, the alliance receives a lump-sum payment in the form of an administrative allowance after the successful completion of the project.

Social space means a space that is constructed not only spatially, but also through social components, in which the participants are located. The social space is an essential indicator for reaching the target group and can be proven by appropriate social data.

When collaborating with schools or daycare centers, the criteria of extracurricular, voluntary, and non-profit must be met.

Extracurricular means a clear demarcation of the project from the compulsory teaching offer. The participation in the projects of GLOBAL VILLAGE must be voluntary for the participants, they must not be graded. The GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS project may also not replace an already existing offer. See also Guidelines for Cooperation with Schools and Kitas

Volunteering plays a central role in GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS and is an important part of achieving greater educational equity and improving community cultural education opportunities. Within the framework of the alliance, all alliance partners are obliged to contribute to the project free of charge. These are usually of a non-material or material nature, e.g. access to the target group, provision of spatial or technical infrastructure, assumption of administrative and organizational work in the alliance or support in public relations work. In addition, further voluntary activities (e.g.: support with travel services or during workshops) can be remunerated with a lump-sum expense allowance. Applicant GbRs cannot receive and pass on expense allowances.

Networking activities of alliance partners with municipal structures can be funded with so-called event flat rates for networking meetings and workshops. These formats serve to consolidate, evaluate and transfer knowledge between alliance partners and external experts. Workshops serve in particular to establish a sustainable basis in the social space and the municipality. In any case, external representatives should also be invited. Meetings and workshops in which only the alliance partners involved in the project take part are generally not eligible for funding. Networking activities can also be used to coordinate and implement child protection measures.

Projects that wish to apply for the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS Rural program priority must be located in rural areas. The classification is based on the Thünen Atlas (see: www.landatlas). In it, rural areas are divided into 4 categories, which also include socio-spatial criteria. Categories 1 - 4 describe different rural areas in Germany. Category 5 is not a rural area. Within categories 1, 2 and 4, supra-regional alliance partners can also be consulted if necessary. For an independent search, a list of all districts can be found on the website. If necessary, the project office of GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS can be contacted.

Projects that would like to apply for the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS Digital program priority should be able to demonstrate a connection to digital issues or an involvement with digital tools.

The login button on our homepage will take you to the two application databases that are currently used in parallel. Select the online portal in which you would like to log in. Below the fields for the login address and password, you will see the “Forgotten password” button. You will be redirected from there and can have your password reset.

Yes, further processing of the application at a later date is possible until the application deadline if you have not yet submitted it bindingly. The application is divided into individual modules, which are displayed on the left-hand side (project title, applicant institution, etc.). Always save your entries once you have completed a module.

Applications can only be submitted online. Please use the Fonds‘ new online portal for this purpose. You can access it on our homepage via the “Login” button. If you have not yet created or submitted an application in the online portal for funding programs from 2024, please create a new user account. You will then use this account for further applications and to process approved applications.

As we will conclude the relevant contracts in the name of the applicant if funding is approved, please enter your name in the “Authorized signatory responsible for the project” field as it appears on your identity card/passport. If you have a dgti supplementary ID card, the application can be submitted using this data. 
Please let us know how you would like to be addressed in direct communication.

Since we will conclude the corresponding contracts in this name if funding is approved, we ask you to enter your name in the “Authorized signatory responsible for the project” field as it appears on your ID card/passport. You are welcome to enter your artist's name in another field of the application (e.g. in the fields “Information on the performer” and/or “Short description intended for publication”) if it is not entered in your identity card/passport.

Yes, it is possible to submit an application in English. In such cases, we recommend formulating your application very precisely and as concisely as possible, in order to enable the jury members who do not speak English at a native level to understand it. However, a prerequisite for funding is that the applicant's place of residence and main focus of work must be in Germany.

We strive to make the application process accessible and barrier-free. If you have any questions or requirements, please send an e-mail to anna-sophie.lueke@fonds-daku.de or call us on 030 6293123-24. We will also be happy to arrange an individual consultation.

The “approval period” of the funded project specifies the period in which you can implement the project and spend funding on it. The approximate period is specified in the funding program regulations. It is finally specified in the project funding agreement that you conclude after you have received a funding commitment.

You will find all samples on the forms page under the heading “For the application process”. Please use the sample for the program in which you wish to apply. All the documents required for submitting applications are also linked again in the online portal.

In most funding programs, secured co-financing is a prerequisite for submitting an application. In this case, “secured” means that written proof of co-financing, including the amount of funding promised and the period of funding, must be submitted with the application to the Fonds Darstellende Künste. 
The additional conditions that the co-financing must meet are explained in the respective regulations of the funding program. 
In principle, co-financing through grants which - like the financial resources of the Fonds- are awarded by the federal government is excluded. Institutions that award federal funding include Kulturstiftung des Bundes, the Hauptstadtkulturfonds, the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, the Fonds Soziokultur, the Tanzpakt, the Musikfonds, usually the Goethe-Institut and co-production funding through the Nationales Performance Netz (NPN).

Public funds fulfill the requirement for the necessary co-financing if they come from German municipalities and federal states. These can be contributed in direct or indirect form. In addition, the Fonds considers funds from certain foundations to be public within the meaning of the application requirements. These include the Lotto Foundation(s), the foundations of the savings banks and Volksbanks as well as the art and cultural foundations of the federal states, such as the Kulturstiftung des Freistaats Sachsen, the Kunststiftung NRW, the Stiftung Niedersachsen or the Hamburgische Kulturstiftung.
As this list does not claim to be exhaustive, it may be useful to discuss individual cases with the Fonds' advisory team.

In the case of direct, i.e. direct funding, the artist(s) group itself is the recipient of the proven co-financing. Indirect funding can, for example, be provided by a theater that contributes money to the project as a co-producer. In order to provide evidence of these funds, it is important that the theater states both the amount provided to the production and the source from which the theater itself receives the funds in its letter of confirmation of the co-production funds. It must be clear that these are German public funds. In the event of funding, the funds must be transferred by the theater to the artists' project account and managed and spent by them independently.

Please note: Non-cash services provided by theaters, e.g. the provision of rehearsal rooms free of charge, do not count as co-financing and cannot be included in the cost and financing plan.

The application must be submitted in full in accordance with the regulations by the application deadline. Please understand that only formally correct applications can be considered and submitted to the Board of Trustees.

If you have any questions about your individual case during the application process, you can use our telephone advice service: 030 6293126-26, the office hours can be found here. 
You can also contact us by e-mail: beratung * fonds-daku.de. 
The Fonds also offers regular online information events. You can find the dates here on the website.
 

After the Board of Trustees has decided on your application, you will be informed of the result by email.
If your application is approved, you will also receive information on the further course of the funding and contact details for the person who will supervise your project at the Fonds Darstellende Künste. 
As a rule, the first step is to submit an updated cost and financing plan and plan the transfer dates for the funding. The project funding agreement is then drawn up on this basis. During the approval period specified in the contract, you then implement your funded project and spend the funding. If there are any changes to the budget planning and/or fundamental changes to the content, please inform your contact person in the Fonds in good time for approval. 
Once the funded project has been implemented, the proof of use is due. The submission deadline is stipulated in the contract. In the proof of use, you document the course of the project and the associated expenditure and income. The evidence will be checked by the Performing Arts Fund. Finally, you will receive an audit report. This concludes the funding process. 

You can start your project from the date of the funding approval. Please note that funding is excluded if the project has already begun before the funding commitment is made.

Yes, a separate project account serves as proof that the funding has been spent on time. This makes it easier and clearer to present the transfers made with a bank statement and invoice. The project account can, but does not have to be a business account. It is important that no private expenditure or income is made via the corresponding project account. The specified project account can be an account used for other artistic projects, but only if it can be ensured that all cash flows, income and expenditure, can be clearly allocated to the respective project. The project account does not have to be available to you at the time of application, but must be available at the start of the project. The person or institution authorized to sign an application must also be the holder of the specified business or project account.

You will find all templates on the Fonds' homepage under the menu item Forms . Please use the template for the program in which you wish to apply. All the documents required for submitting applications are also linked again in the online portal. We regularly update the templates. Make sure you use the latest version of a template.

The prerequisite for a call for funds is the project funding agreement that you have digitally signed and returned to the Fonds. After concluding the contract, you confirm the pre-planned calls for funds in the online portal, i.e. you expressly request the planned transfer for payment. The Fonds disburses the funding on the 1st and 15th of each month. For a call for funds on the 1st of a month, the call for funds must have been submitted by the 15th of the previous month. If you need the funds on the 15th of a month, the call for funds must be submitted by the last day of the previous month.

The funds must be spent on the project within six weeks of being transferred by the Fonds Darstellende Künste. The use of the committed funds is earmarked and may only be used for the cost items specified in the funding agreement.
If the funds of the Fonds Darstellende Künste are not used to fulfill the funding purpose within the six-week period, interest will accrue, which the Fonds will generally have to request from you. It is not possible to extend the deadline.
If you are unable to spend the money on time, please transfer the remaining amount back to the Fonds Darstellende Künste within the six weeks. Please also state your project number in the reason for payment so that the payment can be allocated. After the repayment has been received by the Fonds, you can request the money again at a later date within the contractually stipulated approval period, taking into account the call deadlines. 

For changes in the project concept as well as changes in the cost and financing plan (except research funding and residency funding) of more than 20 percent of a main category (for example: “1. personnel costs, 2. material costs, etc.), a redesignation must be applied for in writing and expressly approved by the Fonds. For this purpose, an updated cost and financing plan with explanations of the changes must be submitted via the database. Please use the template on our homepage.

Yes, this is possible. Costs such as translations into German sign language, audio description or ramps can be applied for in terms of accessibility if they are clearly attributable to the project.