The most important source of funding in Slovene culture is governmental. At the state level cultural funding is distributed by the Ministry of Culture and at the local level by the Government - municipal government departments. The Ministry of Culture has initiated two funds: the Slovene Film Fund for film funding and Public Fund for Cultural Activities of the Republic of Slovenia (JSKD), the fund specifically aimed at supporting amateur culture around the country and what is called youth culture. The latter is also financed by the Office for Youth a body within the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.

The Ministry of Culture funds the capital and artistic programmes of 25 public cultural institutions - including museums, theatres and arts centres, the Slovene Philharmonics, the Cankarjev dom Culture and Congress Centre, the Slovenian Cinematheque, the National and University Library (NUK), the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia (ARS) and its seven regional archives, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS), Viba Film Studio, and Arboretum Volčji Potok - as well as an additional 40 municipal cultural institutions (museums, galleries and theatres of regional importance).

In 2004 the Ministry of Culture introduced a three-year programme to support NGOs in all artistic disciplines. The funding scheme for artistic projects is announced every Autumn. Some additional special projects (particularly participation at selected international biennials or Slovene cultural presentations abroad) are announced through special calls. Recently the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its Division for International Cultural Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been engaged in the funding of international cultural exchange in co-operation with the Ministry of Culture.

Municipal funding of arts and culture plays a more prominent role only in the case of eleven urban municipalities. The Culture and Research Activities Department, Ljubljana Urban Municipality has annual open call for artistic projects and it introduced also a three-year programme support for NGOs in all artistic disciplines. Annual funding for selected projects is available also from cultural departments of other urban municipalities (Maribor, Celje, Murska Sobota, Ptuj, Slovenj Gradec, Velenje, Novo mesto, Kranj, Nova Gorica, Koper), while in smaller muncipalities primarily local amateur culture and cultural center's programmes are supported.

The Open Society Institute (or Soros Foundation), which supported artistic projects and cultural programmes and initiatives in the 1990s, was closed in 2000. However, its visual arts centre SCCA-Ljubljana Centre for Contemporary Arts, has continued as an information, documentation and educational centre. SCCA houses the Cultural Contact Point Slovenia for the European Commission's funding programme Culture 2000.

Another information point for EU funding is housed at the Media Desk Slovenia; here one can obtain information about the EU Media funding programme. Slovenia was eligible for EU funding even before its accession in May 2004 - see the International cultural exchange introductory text for more information.

A few Slovene foundations offer stipends and scholarships, for example Slovene Human Resources Development and Scholarship Fund. Some Embassies and Consulates located in Ljubljana announce grants from various foundations in their home country for which Slovenia is eligible (eg the the Fulbright Program, Slovenia). The Chevening and Valvasor-Chevening Scholarships, aimed at people engaged in creative industries and arts management, are co-funded by the British Council and the Ministry of Culture. The French Cultural Institute Charles Nodier, Ljubljana in Ljubljana offers some funding for collaborative projects, primarily in the field of literature and translation. The Goethe-Institut office, which opened in Ljubljana in 2004, provides new possible funding opportunities for cultural collaboration projects with Germany.

Individuals and cultural organisations are increasingly engaged in finding international sources for funding, either project collaborations or grants and bursaries. In order to cater for this demand, the Slovene website artservis.org (available also in English) has become an important tool for arts practitioners. The website has weekly updated news of funding opportunities, calls for participation and job offers.

Please also see the section on Competitions and awards for information on bursaries, awards and stipends.

Make direct contact with organisations and individuals working in this sector through our KEY CONTACTS database.