The Creative Europe Project, "Comics: A New Language for Europe", the European project initiated by France’s Lyon BD Festival, alongside Belgium’s Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, Spain’s Escola de Comic Joso, Denmark’s Forlaget Fabel/ Arts Bubble and Britain’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival, has been selected for support by the European Commission.
The new three year programme aims to increase artists mobility in Europe and encourage talent development.
The European Commission’s Creative Europe programme was originally approved by the European Parliament in 2013. With an budget of €1.46 billion over seven years, the programme seeks to provide a boost for the cultural and creative sectors, which are a major source of jobs and growth.
In its initial phase, Creative Europe aimed to provide funding for at least 250,000 artists and cultural professionals, 2,000 cinemas, 800 films and 4,500 book translations. A new financial guarantee facility enabling small cultural and creative businesses to access up to €750 million in bank loans was also launched.
Projects it has supported include backing for libraries, the “Un-Label – New grounds of inclusive performing arts” project, the Animateka International Animated Film Festival, Artcycling Coop: Sustainable and inclusive decorative arts, the Witcher 3: Blood and Wine video game, and much more.
Details of UK projects that have previously benefited from the Creative Europe scheme, such as Leeds Film Festival, the animated short film The Snail and the Whale and more can be found here, and a database of all Creative Europe-supported projects can also be found on the European Commission’s website.
Although the UK is leaving the European Union, the Creative Europe Programme stipulates that countries other than EU Member States may participate in the Programme.
• Look out for further developments on the LICAF web site at www.comicartfestival.com
WEB LINKS
• Lyon BD: www.lyonbd.com
• Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée: www.comicscenter.net
• Escola de Comic Joso: escolajoso.es
• Forlaget Fabel/ Arts Bubble: art-bubble.dk
• European Commission: Creative Europe | Creative Europe on Facebook | Join the conversation on Twitter #CreativeEurope
