In Lithuania, several institutions provide financial support for artists and culture through funding programmes: the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute.
The Ministry of Culture allocates the biggest share of state financing for culture through direct institutional funding. It also implements a range of special programmes designated to support various fields of culture: the Programme of Libraries Development, Programme of Lithuanistics Traditions and Heritage, Funding Programme of Projects Implementing Initiatives to Preserve Historical Memory, Programme of Partial Compensation of the Cost of Dissemination (Venue Hire) of Professional Performing Arts Projects, Programme for the Partial Funding from the State Budget of Professional Performing Arts Institutions that Are not National, State or Municipal Theatre or Concert Institution (see chapter 3.3 for more about the last two programmes). The Ministry, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Film Centre and Lithuanian Culture Institute, also coordinates the participation of Lithuania in EU funding programmes Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens.
Other institutions – the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute – implement financing programmes and allocate funding through calls for tender. Their budget consists of appropriations allocated by the Ministry of Culture.
The Lithuanian Culture Institute implements the Translation Grant programme. The Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation implements 6 funding programmes: 1) periodicals of culture and art; 2) national periodical press; 3) regional periodical press; 4) national radio and television broadcasting, 5) regional radio and television broadcasting; 6) Internet media. The Lithuanian Film Centre allocates subsidies for the development, production and distribution of Lithuanian films and international co-productions.
The Lithuanian Council for Culture implements the greatest number of funding programmes and allocates the biggest share of programme financing. The Council implements two types of financing measures: funding of projects by cultural programmes or arts fields, and funding of individual grants for artists. Financing of arts fields includes projects of architecture, design, visual arts, photography, interdisciplinary arts, theatre, music, dance, circus, and literature. Projects funded by the arts fields programme have to be targeted at the following activities: 1) professional creation and its dissemination in Lithuania and abroad; 2) events; 3) accumulation of information (archiving, documentation) and its dissemination; 4) publishing; 5) professional criticism and analysis; 6) networking and mobility; 7) co-production. Cultural programmes financed by the Council in 2019 were the following: Periodical Events of Amateur Arts, Cultural Education, Artists’ residences in Lithuania, Strategic Funding for Artistic Organisations, Memory Institutions, Civic Education, Cultural Heritage, Ethnic Culture, Strategic Funding of International Events, Cultural and Creative Industries, Protection of Copyright and Related Rights, and Creative Initiatives of Communities.
Table 42: Amount of programme funding allocated by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation, the Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute in 2018
| Institution | Allocated amount, in EUR |
| Lithuanian Council for Culture | 17 896 581 |
| Press, Radio, and Television Support Foundation | 2 741 000 |
| Film Centre | 6 423 000 |
| Lithuanian Culture Institute | 1 444 448 |
Sources: data is compiled on the basis of the Annual Budget Reports of Ministry of Culture, 2018, Reports of Press, Radio and Television Support Foundation, statistics of Lithuanian Film Centre and statistics provided by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
Besides Lithuanian funding programmes, the artists can also apply for funding to international programmes, e.g. Nordic-Baltic mobility programme for culture: support to artists’ residencies. The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture aims to strengthen artistic and cultural cooperation in the Nordic region and Baltic States. The programme focuses on increasing the exchange of knowledge, contacts, presence and interest in Nordic and Baltic art and culture. The Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme comprises three forms of funding: mobility, network and funding for artist residencies.
Comments are closed.