The Lithuanian Council for Culture extended an invitation to the cultural community for its annual Equal Cultural Development forum. The forum focused on issues concerning regional cultural funding, including Estonian funding policies, grants for local artists, and the untapped potential of creators in Lithuania. The forum was moderated by the Council’s peer assessor Julijus Grickevičius.
Director of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia: “Funding freelance artists is our priority”
Margus Allikmaa, director of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, told the forum that investing in freelance artists and non-institutional culture is a priority for them. “Much like 100 years ago, we aim to support freelance artists and projects that do not receive direct state funding. We place emphasis on supporting amateur artists, folklore, and sports—areas that depend on private initiatives. Additionally, we provide funding for the renovation and construction of cultural facilities.”
Margus Allikmaa, director of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia. Photo by V. Budrys
He noted that the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, with a budget of €46 million this year, only covers 12% of the nation’s total cultural and sports expenditures. The funding comes from excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco, as well as gambling revenues; however, the increasing number of applications and the evolving economic landscape pose considerable challenges. “In recent years, we have observed a consistent rise in funding demands that significantly exceed the available resources. Though we strive to maintain the quality of the projects we fund, we frequently have to request that applicants lower their costs,” he added while stressing that ensuring quality is the Endowment’s primary focus. M. Allikmaa stated that the Endowment now aims to support fewer applications but allocate more funding to each.
He then went on to introduce the Endowment’s peer assessment model, which includes peer assessors who are identified beforehand but do not offer comments or explanations regarding funding decisions, and commented on how “local funding is becoming a hallmark of quality that not only encourages applicants but also draws in additional resources from local municipalities.”
Martynas Tininis on the advancements in regional cultural funding and the challenges facing local artists
Analyst Martynas Tininis discussed the Equal Cultural Development programme, highlighting its significant impact on regional cultural funding. He noted that 28% of the funds are allocated to regional institutions. “Targeted interventions in the regions enable smaller cultural institutions to gain a competitive edge, as they are no longer vying for funding in larger cities,” he explained.
Analyst Martynas Tininis. Photo by V. Budrys
M. Tininis revealed that regional creators struggle to compete in the Council’s grant competitions and expounded on the statistics: “Lithuania has almost 14,000 registered professional artists. Over the past decade, the most active applicants in the Lithuanian Council of Culture’s grant competitions have been from circular municipalities (87%), resort municipalities (63%), creators residing abroad (74%), and those living in Vilnius (68%). Before the pandemic, approximately 15% of regional creators applied, a figure that increased to 19% during the pandemic and has continued at that level since. However, only a small percentage—about 13–14%—were awarded a grant. Unfortunately, creators in the regions are statistically less likely to be awarded a council grant.”
M. Tininis provided a brief overview of creator funding within the Council and local municipalities. He pointed out that creators in Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Kaunas, Alytus, and nearly the entire coastal area have received grants from the Council and local municipalities; however, creators registered in Telšiai and parts of the Šiauliai district, where there are no grant programmes, have not received grants from the Council.
He suggested the concept of equitable grant development—a priority funding programme within Equal Cultural Development that could offer direct support to regional creators. He also talked about how municipal grant programmes and funding from the Council could be integrated to more effectively address the needs of local artists and emphasised the importance of finding solutions for regional municipalities to increase their involvement in financing cultural projects and allocate more resources to local creators.
Regional cultural communities anticipate improved collaboration, workshops on writing grant applications, and funding opportunities for local creators
Participants also engaged in discussions about the key elements of successful cultural applications and the significance of NGOs and local artists. They also addressed the complexities of peer assessment and the crucial role of the cultural community in identifying the most effective methods for fostering collaboration among applicants, the Council, and municipalities.
Regarding NGOs, the participants recognised that they address the gaps between budgetary bodies, particularly in the realm of local culture, but they also encounter significant challenges. There is a shortage not only of local artists but also of organisations, effective cooperation models, and the participation of young people in the creative process. The participants in the discussion questioned what the primary objectives of NGOs should be—whether they should function as a hobby, a source of income, or a social initiative.
Equal Cultural Development forum 2024. Photo by V. Budrys
The Peer Assessment Panel examined the difficulties related to evaluating applications for the Equal Cultural Development programme. The primary identified challenges included time constraints, issues with the quality of applications, and problems in formulating consolidated feedback. The scale of the projects complicates peer assessors’ ability to evaluate various artistic fields, and many applications are frequently incomplete or poorly articulated. In this context, the panellists proposed organising a workshop on writing applications, where applicants could practice preparing applications as well as assessing them. There was also a suggestion to incorporate more independent peer assessors into the Regional Councils for Culture.
The Cultural Cooperation Group discussed the necessity of enhancing collaboration among municipalities, applicants, and the Council. Informal communication methods could facilitate a better understanding of each other’s needs and goals, with the Council serving as a mediator to promote transparency and build trust. Municipal representatives emphasised the importance of using funding effectively, ensuring that projects are customised to meet the needs of local communities and reflect the unique characteristics of the region. They also highlighted the need to enhance application preparation skills in order to achieve higher-quality outcomes.
Equal Cultural Development forum 2024. Photo by V. Budrys
Participants in the Successful Application Group emphasised the significance of clearly defining the objective and providing a rationale supported by objective data. They discussed the importance of targeted communication, ensuring the project’s relevance to the community, providing a realistic budget estimate, and ultimately believing in the project’s concept. Recurrent projects often showcase their significance to the local community and are thus more likely to secure funding.
The discussion on the significance of local artists highlighted that despite their importance to their communities, their value is often only acknowledged after they have successfully participated in competitions organised by the Lithuanian Council for Culture. The panellists also noted that providing grants for local artists would be a highly suitable measure, one that could initially be implemented at a municipal level. This would empower artists to take initiative in creating projects rather than merely responding to project calls.