In addition to the long-standing international town twinning arrangements, there are now bi- or multilateral partnerships of regional actors (e.g. municipal communities) with comparable territorial authorities of other states in many German states, primarily but not exclusively in Europe. This cross-border cultural exchange is particularly lively in the so-called “Euregios” (Germany is involved in 26 European regions),
e.g. EuRegio Saar-Lor-Lux-Rhine, Euregio Egrensis, Euroregion Erzgebirge e. V., Euroregion Elbe / Labe and the Euroregion Spree-Neiße- Bober.
Since the 1970s, many private actors, professional associations (e.g. theatres, museums or libraries) and informal networks have begun to develop their own international relations and exchange programmes. The Federal Foreign Office is not directly involved in funding such programmes, but allocates most of its funds to mediators of foreign cultural policy such as the Goethe-Institut and the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen. The Goethe-Institut promotes knowledge of the German language abroad and fosters international cultural cooperation through, among other things, cultural events and festival contributions in the fields of film, dance, music, theatre, exhibitions, literature and translation. In addition, the Federal Foreign Office supports the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the funding organisation for the international exchange of students and academics, including its “Berlin Artists Programme”, which awards scholarships to foreign artists from the fields of visual arts, literature, music and film for one-year stays in Berlin. In addition, the Federal Foreign Office supports larger cultural projects of considerable importance to foreign cultural policy and with an international impact. In addition to artistic quality, it attaches particular importance to regional priorities, sustainability and cooperation in partnership with institutions and personalities in the host country. Another important area of work is the support of cultural projects from developing countries and the participation of artists from these countries in cultural events in Germany. Of particular importance in this area is the work of the House of World Cultures in Berlin, which is also supported by funding from the Federal Foreign Office for jointly organised programmes that include concerts, readings, exhibitions and symposia.
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