The main work programme of Horizon Europe for the period 2021-2022 outlines the objectives and specific topic areas that will receive a total of €14.7 billion in funding (out of the 95.5 billion for the 7-year period until 2027). Culture is one of those, being specifically addressed by a dedicated Cluster of the programme.
On 7 December, the European Commission presented the 2022 calls of the cluster 2 – “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society”. The cluster aims to contribute to the green and digital transitions and the post-COVID 19 recovery, while matching European Horizon Strategic Plan (2021-2024) priorities on democracy and governance, cultural heritage, and social and economic transformations.
A substantial part of the calls, with a total amount of 93 million euros, tackle challenges in the cultural ecosystem, with a special focus on heritage and industries.
Most calls are Research and Innovation actions (RIA) and have a deadline coming up on 20 April 2022. One refers to the “Effects of climate changes and natural hazards on cultural heritage and remediation” with an estimated budget of 12 million euros for the exploration of innovative and sustainable ways to protect cultural heritage. Similarly, the call “Protection of artefacts and goods from anthropogenic threats” aims at the development of non-destructive methods and digital tools for the protection, identification, traceability and safeguarding of cultural goods and for the research of European endangered cultural heritage with a budget of 12 million euros. In addition, the call “Safeguarding endangered languages in Europe”, with a 3 million budget, aims to support the revitalisation of endangered languages.
The creation of new knowledge and ways to reinforce the common action to promote Europe’s culture and address the role of values and socio-political behaviour in perceiving and dealing with emergencies and economic crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in interacting with politics and political legitimacy in the EU, are encouraged by the “Europe’s cultural heritage and arts promoting our values at home and abroad” and “The role of perceptions, formed by traditions, values and beliefs, in shaping European societies and politics in the 21st century” calls with a budget of 9 million euros.
Furthemore, Horizon does also fund a call in the framework of the New European Bauhaus initiative : “The NEB shaping a greener and fairer way of life in creative and inclusive societies through Architecture, Design and Arts”, with a budget of 6 million euros
Finally, Cluster 2 also includes more sector-specific (RIA) calls such as the “Games and culture shaping society” (9 million euros), “Towards a competitive, sustainable European music ecosystem” (9 million euros budget), “Increase the potential of the international competitiveness of the European filmmaking industry” (12 million euros budget) and “Traditional crafts for the future: a new approach” (12 million euros budget) with the purpose of creating knowledge for the potential of games, the European music and filmmaking industry competitiveness and sustainability as well as the development of methodologies to combine traditional crafts with new technologies.
