L-R: Diane Tobes, national coordinator at Kultur | lx; Sam Tanson, Luxembourg's Minister of Culture; Catherine Decker, President of Kultur | lx; Valérie Quilez, international coordinator at Kultur | lx;
Credit: Kultur | lx / Sven Becker
Luxembourg's Ministry of Culture has announced the official launch of the cultural association "Kultur | lx".
Minister of Culture Sam Tanson, along with Kultur | lx President Catherine Decker and coordinators Diane Tobes and Valérie Quilez, unveiled this new structure at a press conference on Monday, almost a year after its creation.
Minister Sam Tanson emphasised that the creation of Kultur | lx is the culmination of a process that began with the preparatory work for the first "Assises culturelles" in 2016, and which resulted in the inclusion of two recommendations relating to the "Kulturentwécklungsplang 2018-2028" (cultural development plan). She noted: “The establishment of such a structure responds to strong demand from the sector to contribute to its development, dissemination and promotion. The unequivocal quality of our artistic scene deserves the implementation of substantial and appropriate means of support".
The appearance of Kultur | lx in the institutional landscape complements the missions of the Ministry of Culture, which will continue to play a central role in implementing cultural policy and structuring actions for the sector.
Catherine Decker summarised the missions and challenges of Kultur | lx: to act for and in line with the sector; to deploy new strategies to help with the visibility and dissemination of Luxembourg creation in the supported sectors (architecture, design, arts and crafts; multimedia and digital arts, visual arts; literature and publishing; music; performing arts); to be part of the long-term development of the sector; and to work hand in hand with the various cultural players while remaining attentive.
For the coordinators, work over the past few months has mainly taken place behind the scenes, between structuring, consultation of sectors, definition and development of financial support and communication tools.
Accessible on the website www.kulturlx.lu, artists and professionals in the cultural sector can now find a range of aid and grants centred around three priority areas: career development, promotion and dissemination. These new forms of support have been developed in a multisectoral spirit and in complementarity with existing tools. Two calls for applications are therefore being launched: one for all the sectors supported, the artists' publication and documentation grant (Bourse publication et documentation d'artistes); the other dedicated to musicians, the Global Project Grant. Aid is available throughout the year.
Other mechanisms will be added over the months and years as the structure grows, all the while ensuring he transition from other support mechanisms, particularly those currently managed by the national culture fund FOCUNA, such as artist and author residencies.
With a budget of €1,945,935 for the financial year 2021, including the allocations for Reading Luxembourg (€345,539) and music:LX (€595,935), and a team of seven people (expected to increase to thirteen people by the end of the year), the coordinators are ready to take on the first actions and develop new avenues for the months and years to come.
With Kultur | lx le, Luxembourg is setting up its first multidisciplinary and transversal platform with a strong international focus, ensuring both accompaniment, financial support, communication and promotion missions and addressing the various interlocutors of the cultural ecosystem.
