Belgium/ 8.1 Direct and indirect support to artists  

8.1.2 Grants, awards, scholarships

Flemish Community

In addition to subsidies provided to arts organisations, there are also measures to stimulate the creativity of individual artists. Commissions are given out in the fields of music and the performing arts, for compositions and for plays, under certain conditions. Bursaries are awarded to creative artists. The Flemish Community purchases works of art for the collection of the Flemish museums of contemporary art and for its own collection. There is also a purchasing policy for literature. The Flemish Community, provinces and municipalities also award prizes.

In the framework of the Arts Decree, subsidies for artists are a special point of interest. From 2006 subsidies that were implemented in certain sectors are now expanded to others. Support is given in three ways: development grants for artists who already enjoy a certain degree of recognition; subsidies for artists' projects (creation, presentation or reflection) and subsidies to commission artistic works.

The minister of Culture has recently declared that direct support to artists will be one of his policy priorities for 2008-2009. This has already been implemented by recently raising the budget for project subsidies and artists' grants. The ministry is currently developing new instruments, such as micro credit for artists and special pension rights for writers.

French Community

Scholarships are available for individual artists in the fields of the visual arts, contemporary literature and music. The Ministry of the French Community has an acquisition programme for works of art which are exhibited in the municipal or provincial museums, in art centres and in public administration buildings.

Cinema: direct financial support is provided for script writing and for short, medium or full-length productions. The Ministry also allocates support for creation and production via specific structures and units.

Contemporary theatre and dance: project grants are available for companies not regularly subsidised. Programme contracts are available for theatres. Emphasis is placed on young creators in the evaluation of applications for project funding and co-funding.

Music: in addition to the main institutions in this field, individual practitioners receive specific grants for composing work.

Literature: several awards are presented: quinquennial award for literature; triennial award for poetry, novels and essays; award for a first work; award for translation; award for the promotion of Belgian literature abroad.

New initiatives are undertaken to create and develop artists' workshops, structures (theatre, dance, and cinema) and residencies (mainly for the performing arts, but also for translation) in various cultural institutions.

German-speaking Community

• Eastern Belgian Art Prize (every three years);
• Ceramics Prize (annually); and
• Prize awarded by the Council of the German-speaking Community for literary publications or publications dealing with topics relating to the German-speaking Community (annually).