European Cultural Foundation: Closing of APEXchanges

[anna balint]

Closing of APEXchanges
The ECF has decided to rethink its strategy for supporting mobility in the cultural sector. We have reached this decision because of two factors: firstly, our limited 
budget cannot cope with the large increase in the number of applications to APEXchanges; secondly, the programme in its current form does not fit our redefined 
priorities. Our new policy on mobility will be presented in early 2002.
Because of these changes all applications to the APEXchanges fund have been refused since 1 August 2001. If you received an APEX grant during 2001, your final 
deadline for claming payment is 15 December 2001.

The ECF launched the APEXchanges programme in February 1994 targeting short time span artistic projects to further the cause of mobility in the cultural sector. In its 
seven years existence APEXchanges awarded more than 800 mobility grants 
to artists originating from 23 Eastern and Central European countries: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech republic, Estonia, 
Georgia, Hungary, Kazahstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Yugoslavia.
The programme offered support on two levels: general mobility grant for talented young artists and arts organizers, aimed at establishing international contacts; and 
longer term support for concrete projects organized by both Eastern and 
Western European artistic organizations. Travel costs for artistic meetings, seminars, exhibitions, network meetings, festivals, trainings, conferences, productions and 
their preparations, workshops and placements were covered. The programme supported cross border projects in the visual arts, performing arts, arts management, and 
new media. It facilitated cultural cooperation and initiated artistic collaboration and dialogue through artistic planning, exploring and 
implementation. APEXchanges sustained innovation and quality by encouraging simultaneous artistic development in different artistic disciplines.