A funding program within the framework of "Kultur macht stark. Bündnisse für Bildung".

The GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS program facilitates projects at the interface between the liberal arts and cultural education. The program has two funding priorities: artistic projects in rural areas and artistic projects in digital spaces.

The project formats of GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS in digital spaces are intended to address children and young people from the age of 3, especially those in social, financial or educational risk situations, children and young people with disabilities as well as children and young people with refugee experience. We are looking for projects that open up digital and hybrid spaces and techniques in various genres and disciplines and enable artistic, empowering, conscious and critical access to digital media. Thematic questions can deal with decidedly digital content, such as the Internet of Things, digital meeting spaces, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, self-learning machines, games, social media, theater for digital natives, as well as other socially relevant topics that are implemented with digital means. The funding project takes into account both the needs of the steadily growing target group of digital natives and the interest of artists in this field of expression and its potential for innovation.

With the program "Kultur macht stark. Alliances for Education," the German Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth has been funding extracurricular cultural education projects for children and young people who have little access to them since 2013. 27 program partners from the education, culture and social sectors implement the program and support local projects applied for by alliances for education or carry them out together with local partners. The Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth provides up to 50 million euros annually for this purpose, thus contributing to more educational opportunities in Germany. You can find out more about the program and how to apply here: www.buendnisse-fuer-bildung.de.

What is supported?

#Cultural education 

Funding is available for open-ended artistic (including hybrid, analog and digital) projects, depending on the project duration, as well as artistic-participative approaches with children and young people between the ages of 6 and 18 in risk situations, in short, medium and long-term project durations, which are carried out by an alliance of at least 3 partners from art/culture, education and society.

Funding covers short-term laboratory projects with a total duration of at least 30 hours. Laboratory funding is particularly recommended for new alliances for testing and for smaller projects, e.g., holiday workshops. It can be designed to be open-ended.

Who can apply?

Alliances consisting of at least 3 partners from the arts/culture, education and society. All alliance partners must be organized as legal entities (e.g. associations, public or private institutions, limited liability companies, etc.) or civil law partnerships (GbR) and must have their headquarters and main focus of work in Germany.

Eligible to apply from the alliance are: Actors of all genres and branches of the independent performing arts (including performance, acting, dance, musical theater, figure and object theater, theater in public space, contemporary circus, digital performing arts). Individuals are not eligible to apply. Schools and daycare centers are not eligible to apply, but can be alliance partners. All alliance partners make their own contributions.

How much can you apply for?

As of March 1, 2026, laboratory funding can be applied for with an application amount of €5,000 up to a maximum of €15,000 (including a 7% administration fee).
This is full financing.

Application and funding deadlines

Applications to the Fonds Darstellende Künste for the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS program are submitted exclusively online via the external database kumasta.

The next application deadline is March 1, 2026 (project start date no earlier than May 1, 2026).

The possible project duration for approved laboratory projects begins with the positive funding approval and ends no later than two weeks after the last day of the project. For all laboratory projects, the project duration ends no later than November 30, 2026. Complete proof of use must be submitted no later than four weeks after the end of the respective project, no later than December 31, 2026.

Further assistance can be found in the regulations, FAQs and the online application form.

Prevention and child protection

Projects funded by GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS are committed to sensitive, non-discriminatory and respectful interaction and to measures that protect underage participants from all forms of violence, especially sexualized violence. In the case of funding, it must be ensured that the alliances inspect and document the extended certificates of good conduct of all persons who have direct and regular contact with participating children and young people.

As the inspection of extended certificates of good conduct is only one component of comprehensive protective measures, further steps are also required, in particular a protection concept.

Information on this can be found here:

• Website of the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues: https://beauftragte-missbrauch...
• Exemplary protection concept of the Federal Association for Cultural Child and Youth Education: https://www.bkj.de/grundlagen/praevention...

The most important at a glance

• An alliance consisting of at least three alliance partners, all of whom are organized as legal entities, is eligible to apply. GbRs are also formally eligible to apply.
• The alliances and the honorary staff involved should be as local as possible.
• Funding is available for projects that work with children and young people between the ages of 3 and 18 who are at risk, with children and young people who have experienced flight, and with children and young people with disabilities.
• This is a full funding.
• Only artistic work and related expenses done directly with children and youth are eligible.
• More detailed information and calculation tools can be found in the guidelines.

Forms

All necessary information provided in the section forms.

FAQs

Consultation

If you have any questions about the GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS funding program or need individual advice on your project, please contact Eva Stöhr and Marlene Kunath. We will be happy to advise you before you submit your application. We are also happy to arrange individual digital appointments.

Advice via mail:

gvk*fonds-daku.de

Advice via phone:

030 6293126-52/-54

GLOBAL VILLAGE KIDS is a funding program of the Fonds Darstellende Künste, supported by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth within the framework of Kultur macht stark. Bündnisse für Bildung.