Culture is an essential building block for a democratic, modern, open, tolerant and inclusive society. One of the objectives of cultural policy is to create the best conditions for artists and creative people to carry out their activities, to develop their creative potential, to freely produce their works and to develop their own expression of life in society. With this in mind, the State has implemented a series of measures and mechanisms to promote the development and expansion of artistic and cultural professions, such as the grant to support artistic creation, development and retraining.

The purposes of the grant are as follows:

• to promote research, creation and development by providing authors and artists with the necessary resources to create works and carry out various activities related to their artistic process throughout their career;
• to give authors and artists the opportunity to contribute to the development of their discipline through the exploration of state-of-the-art resources and technologies;
• support creative activities that can lead to production and dissemination;
• support actions for market development and artistic cooperation.

Who is concerned

The grants are intended for:

• professional artists, authors, designers and/or performers who:
  • come from or reside in Luxembourg; and
  • have a proven cultural link with Luxembourg;
• professional artists' collectives.

The grant can be awarded:

• for research, for the execution of a well-defined artistic creation project (support for artistic creation); or
• as support for further training (completion of a specific workshop or training).

Exclusions

Anyone whose main activity consists in:

• the creation of works intended or used for purely commercial purposes or for advertising;
  
• the creation of works that are pornographic, incite violence or racial hatred, condone crimes against humanity, and generally contravene public order and morality;

is excluded from receiving a grant.

Deadlines

Applications for grants are reviewed 3 times a year by a committee responsible for advising the Minister for Culture.

The 3 application deadlines for the year 2023 are:

• 1 March 2023;
  
• 1 July 2023;
  
• 1 November 2023.

The application for a grant must be submitted:

• before the start of the artistic work or the start of artistic development and retraining courses; and
  
• within at least one of the 3 application deadlines.

A grant cannot be awarded:

• for artistic work already underway at the time of application; or
  
• for artistic work already completed at the time of application.

How to proceed

Submitting the application

The application for a grant must be made online via MyGuichet.lu with or without a LuxTrust product (Smartcard, Token, Signing-Stick) or an electronic identity card (eID).

Procedure without authentication

Applicants may use this procedure if they do not have a LuxTrust product or an eID.

The applicant must include the following information in the application:

• their surname(s) and first name(s);
• their date of birth;
• their address;
• their bank account number.

Procedure with authentication

Applicants must have a private eSpace on the MyGuichet.lu platform.

The procedure with authentication using a LuxTrust product or an eID has many features that are not available with the procedure without authentication.

Applicants can save the form as a draft, pause the application process and resume it later.

In addition, applicants who have a private eSpace on MyGuichet.lu can:

• fill in their form automatically with data from their private eSpace;
• track their application online and view electronic messages from the administration in their personal dashboard;
• view the history of all their previous applications.

How do I get a LuxTrust product?

Tracking applications filed with or without authentication

With authentication, applicants can:

• complete their application without having all the required documents in advance;
• pause while filling in the form and then resume later, but they must have attached all the supporting documents required to send the application.

Once the application has been sent, applicants will receive an email notification and a message in their private eSpace on MyGuichet.lu in the 'My messages' section.

Without authentication, applicants will receive an email notification:

• after they submit their application;
• whenever there is a change in the application's status.

If they do not receive an email after submitting their application, applicants should check their email spam folder (junk email).

In the event of a technical problem, applicants can contact:

• the Guichet.lu Helpdesk for assistance on how to use MyGuichet.lu;
• LuxTrust for all questions regarding LuxTrust certificates.

Supporting documents

Applicants must upload the following documents and attach them to their application:

• a cover letter;
  
• a curriculum vitae (CV) with a description of the artistic process;
• a statement of intent, i.e. a description of the nature of the artistic work;
  
• a detailed budget;
• a project plan including the timetable with the steps for completion of the project;
  
• any other information deemed necessary for reviewing the application: financial plan, production and/or distribution contract, etc.

In the case of an application for a grant for artistic development and retraining, the applicant must also enclose a proof of registration or an invitation to an artist residency, workshop, master class, conference, symposium or similar event.

Review of the application

Grant applications are reviewed by an advisory committee which takes into account the comparative merits of the projects, the budget submitted, the eligible costs and the available budgetary resources.

Selection is based on the alignment of the submitted project with the following objectives and award/evaluation criteria:

• the artistic background of the artist or artists' collective;
• the artistic quality of the project (high standards, innovation, diversity of aesthetics, etc.);
• the contribution to the applicant's career development;
• the suitability of the artistic process;
• the coherence between the project and the means chosen for its execution;
• the quality of the application file: clarity of the justification, relevance of the documentation and support material provided.

Grant amount and payment

Successful applicants will be awarded a grant of up to a maximum of EUR 8,000.

The amount granted is determined on an individual basis by ministerial decision:

• on the basis of the relevance of the file submitted; and
• on the advice of the advisory committee, depending on the funds available, the budget submitted and the eligible costs. The members of this committee convene on this subject during the month for which the submission date is set.

Report on the use of the grant

Grant recipients - or coordinators in the case of a collective - commit to providing a detailed report on the use of their grant or on the results of their research. This report must be submitted within a maximum of 6 months after the completion of the project.

Mention of the Ministry of Culture

When the project leads to public activities (performances, exhibitions, etc.) or publications, the logo of the Ministry of Culture or a mention of its contribution must appear on information, promotional or advertising material, so as to account for the use of the money intended for cultural activities.

Forms / Online services

Who to contact