Creative Europe 2024: Slovenia’s Imprint on the European Cultural Space

From Culture.si

The EU’s Only Dedicated Funding Programme for Culture and Film

Creative Europe is the only specialised programme of the European Union devoted to supporting the cultural and creative sector (CCS) as well as the audiovisual (AV) sector. The programme enables artists, producers, organisations and institutions to collaborate on projects, reach wider audiences and engage in European networks and international exchanges. At the same time, it encourages the development of innovative, culturally and linguistically diverse practices that respond to contemporary social, digital and environmental challenges.

The programme is structured into three thematic strands, forming a unique European platform for the sustainable, inclusive and digitally oriented development of creativity. The Culture Strand supports all cultural and creative sectors, except for the audiovisual sector (for instance, performing arts, literature, and cultural heritage). The MEDIA Strand, targeting the film and audiovisual sector, supports AV project development, distribution, promotion, professional training, and more. The Cross-Sectoral Strand fosters collaboration between different sectors and also includes support for the news media sector. Slovenia continuously achieves above-average results in Creative Europe, and 2024 was no exception. Slovenian organisations were successful across all three strands, both as project leaders and partner organisations. Creative Europe has proven to be an exceptionally important mechanism for positioning Slovenian actors within the European cultural space.

Outstanding Achievements of Slovenian Organisations

In 2024, Slovenian organisations once again surpassed the results of previous years: 54 different organisations, acting as either leaders or partners, participated in 52 projects. Across all three strands of Creative Europe, they received 61 grants totalling 7.4 million EUR, representing a significant investment in the national creative and cultural ecosystem. Total EU funding for projects involving Slovenia amounts to approximately 17.3 million EUR.

New emphases, new coordinates

In 2024, Slovenia’s strong representation in the Cross-Sectoral Strand added a vital dimension to its multi-year success in the Culture and MEDIA strands. Despite its small size, Slovenia is effectively developing European projects at the intersection of media, culture and new technologies. Supported projects reflect the thoughtful engagement of Slovenian cultural actors in shaping the future through cross-sector connections and digital innovation.

Whereas in the past, Slovenian participation in the programme was almost exclusively represented by organisations based in Ljubljana, today the Creative Europe map for Slovenia looks quite different. We now find not only those from Ljubljana, Maribor, Kranj and Koper, but also from smaller towns such as Trbovlje, Velenje, Vojnik, Murska Sobota, Nova Gorica and Črni Vrh nad Idrijo. For the first time, places like Cerknica, Dobrovo pri Brdih, Jesenice, Lenart, Podgorje pri Slovenj Gradcu, Radomlje, Slovenska Bistrica, Škofja Loka, Šmarje pri Jelšah and Zagorje ob Savi have appeared on the map – locations rarely seen in the European context are now becoming co-creators of international cultural exchange.

Alongside this marked decentralisation, another notable feature in 2024 is the increased representation of public institutions. Of the 65 participating organisations (including Associate Partners without EU funding), nearly half (30) were public institutions, followed by NGOs (23), which previously led the participation. Businesses were involved in smaller numbers (10). This variety of institutional types demonstrates that the programme is accessible to and needed by both micro-organisations and major national cultural institutions.

EU grants by sector

Projects involving Slovenian organisations cover a broad spectrum of cultural and artistic fields. Among the 61 EU-supported projects, the most numerous are film and audiovisual activities (16), performing arts including music (11), and cultural heritage (10). Interdisciplinary projects (7), literature (6) and news media (4) also feature significantly, while multimedia and new technologies, applied arts and design, and architecture appear with one or two grants each.


Due to the wide variation in grant sizes across calls, the number of grants does not necessarily correspond to the total funding. Performing arts with music received the largest amount (1.52 million EUR), followed by film and AV (1.37 million EUR), interdisciplinary projects (1.18 million EUR), and literature (1.15 million EUR). Cultural heritage received 750,504 EUR across 10 grants, while architecture received around 700,000 EUR, entirely through a single grant for a European platform.

Culture: Cooperation and Networking

The Culture strand is the primary mechanism supporting diverse artistic and cultural practices, encompassing visual arts, music, cultural heritage, and book publishing. In 2024, 38 Slovenian organisations participated in 33 projects within this strand. They received 40 EU grants, totalling approximately 5.3 million EUR.

European cooperation projects

The largest portion of the Culture Strand budget goes to European Cooperation Projects (COOP), where Slovenia excelled in 2024. A record 963 applications from across the participating EU countries were submitted, of which 159 projects were selected from 935 eligible ones. Impressively, 11 of these 159 had Slovenian project leaders, placing Slovenia third in the number of led projects, behind Italy (21) and Belgium (13). In total, 35 Slovenian organisations participated – as leaders or partners – in 30 projects, establishing 137 international connections across 33 European countries. Slovenia secured 3.8 million EUR in support, 6.3 % of the available budget.

Projects involving Slovenian partners address a range of contemporary challenges. For example, two projects led by the Faculty of Design (Multisensory Art) and Aspira Institute (ArtElevate) focus on accessibility and the inclusion of vulnerable groups. Similar themes are addressed in projects where Slovenian organisations participate as partners — such as Maribor Public Library (Heroes Unleashed), EPeKa Scientific and Research Association (Roma Soul Food) and Risa Institute (PAGE). A significant number of projects emphasise the role of culture in mental health and well-being, including the SPA Festival led by [[Bunker Institute] and projects involving Asociacija (CARE – Culture for Mental Health) and Kranj City Library (Libraries of Emotions for Good) as partner organisations.

Other key thematic priorities include the digital transformation and artificial intelligence (e.g., in projects led by the Institute for Transmedia Design (ITD) and Innovato Institute), as well as environmental sustainability and ecology (e.g. in projects led by the Trajna Collective and the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre). Several projects explore various forms of cultural heritage and local identity (e.g., those with partners such as ZRC SAZU, Carnica Institute for Culture and Tourism, Center Rog and the Upper Sava Valley Museum, Jesenice), use art as a tool for participation and social dialogue (e.g., partners like ZIZ Collective, KD IGLU, MoTA Museum of Transitory Art, the Young Dragons (Mladi zmaji) Public Institute and TiPovej! Institute), or link art with education and the development of young audiences (e.g., Ljubljana City Library and Pionirski dom Youth Culture Centre). Regardless of the thematic focus, international cooperation and the building of lasting partnerships are horizontal priorities across all projects.

Circulation of European literature

Under the Literary Translation and Book Promotion strand (LIT), among 34 selected publishers from 18 countries, the Slovenian publisher VigeVageKnjige was chosen for its project Word: Enhancing European Graphic Novel Perception, Circulation and Market Development. Its 200,000 EUR grant enables comprehensive promotion and thematic events to raise the visibility of graphic novels, including festivals, fair presence and librarian training.

European Platforms

In 2024, the European Commission selected 19 European platforms for co-funding from 2025 to 2029. Leaders come from eight countries, with two platforms from Slovenia – a remarkable achievement. The poetry platform VERSOPOLIS – Where Poetry Lives, led by Beletrina Publishing Institute with 33 members from 29 countries, supports young European poets and promotes mobility through European festival appearances. Total EU support for the four-year period exceeds 2.6 million EUR, including 667,577 EUR for 2024.

The architecture platform LINA – Learn, Interact, and Network in Architecture, coordinated by the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Ljubljana with 30 members from 24 countries, received 2.8 million EUR in total, including 700,000 EUR for 2024.

Other Slovenian members of European platforms include En-Knap (Aerowaves, dance), Asociacija (Culture & Health), Center Rog (Craftwork 4.0), SIGIC (Exchange music), Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture (Liveurope, UPBEAT), and Goga Publishing House and Beletrina Publishing Institute (CELA literature).

MEDIA: Slovenia’s AV Creators Make Their Mark

In 2024, Slovenian audiovisual organisations demonstrated their creative strength and international scope once again. Twelve organisations participated in 16 projects, securing 1.4 million EUR in EU support. Their efforts enhance the development, distribution and promotion of high-quality European audiovisual content, fostering connections between creators, audiences and markets.

Co-productions with a European mark of quality

Production companies from countries with varying levels of production capacity apply to the call for Group of Projects Development. Staragara’s project was one of only six selected from countries with lower production capacity. This is a truly remarkable achievement, as this award-winning Slovenian production company secured funding in what was the most competitive round to date – with as many as 208 projects submitted. The selection of Cvinger Film in the call for Mini-Slate Development, which is specifically aimed at producers from countries with lower audiovisual production capacity, confirms Slovenia’s stable presence in this segment.

Connecting and nurturing creators

Slovenian AV organisations are helping to shape the European space, promoting quality film and the development of creative capacity. The Slovene Animated Film Association (DSAF), as leader of the CEE Animation Workshop and partner in two complementary international initiatives, significantly contributes to animation in Central and Eastern Europe.

Slovenia on the European film festival map

Otok Cultural Institute staged the 20th anniversary Kino Otok - Isola Cinema Festival and leads the Young4Film network of youth film festivals, both of which are supported by EU funding. The network’s reinforcement through fresh approaches and a new partner from Spain secured it an additional two years of EU support in the 2024 call.

2 Reels - Association for Reanimation of Storytelling continues their successes with support for the 21st Animateka and as a partner in the international Animated Film Festival Network. In 2024, Kraken Film Society received EU support for the FeKK Ljubljana Short Film Festival for the first time, securing a place among prominent European festivals, and joined the European Network of Film Discourse. Cankarjev dom, Film Programme was supported as a partner of the Adriatic Region Festival Network.

More European film highlights for Slovenian audiences

A major MEDIA achievement is ensuring the circulation of European films beyond production countries. Slovenian distributors Blitz Film and Video Distribution, Fivia and Demiurg have secured funds to reinvest in the promotion and exhibition of European films domestically. Alongside Cinemania Group, they collaborated within the Films on the Move initiative, working with major European sales agents to increase access to European films across the continent.

European films could not reach the public without the cinemas that screen them. The Art Cinema Network of Slovenia, comprising 28 cinemas in 27 Slovenian towns, ensures that quality and art films, as well as film education, reach audiences. Most (22) are members of Europa Cinemas, the only European network dedicated to promoting European film screenings. Slovenian members of Europa Cinemas also received support in 2024 for screening European films and film education activities.

What about youth, accessibility and new audiences?

Creative Europe strongly supports socially engaged projects that use film to address socially relevant themes and reach younger audiences. Since 2023, Kinodvor Cinema, Šmarje pri Jelšah Library, ZRZ EPEKA and Notranjski Regional Park have formed 22 partnerships across 16 countries through multi-year initiatives that matured in 2024 – linking film with hospital environments, access needs, sustainability and even gaming culture.

Cross-Sectoral Strand: At the Intersections of Media, Culture and Technology

2024 brought exceptional results for Slovenia in the Cross-Sectoral Strand. Five Slovenian organisations succeeded in three projects through highly selective calls – Creative Innovation Labs and Journalistic Partnerships. These initiatives generated over 730,000 EUR in grants and established 27 partner connections across 10 countries.

Among them is Beletrina Digital, an innovative multimedia platform by Beletrina Publishing Institute offering e-books, audiobooks, films, podcasts and journalistic content. It was one of only ten Creative Innovation Labs projects funded – and the only one from Slovenia.

On the Journalistic Partnerships call, only six projects were selected. Remarkably, two were led by Slovenian organisations. RTV Slovenia leads ENACT, aiming to develop easily accessible audiovisual news for web, radio and TV. Salomon as a leader along with Večer Newspaper and Primorske novice as partners in MEDEXCHANGE24 – focused on improving the use, management and sharing of digital content among European media.

The Unprecedented Scale of Slovenia’s International Cultural Networking

Slovenian organisations supported across all strands of Creative Europe (if we count only platforms led by Slovenian organisations in Culture, not mere membership) have forged 240 international partnerships across 35 countries. Slovenian organisations cooperate the most with organisations in Spain (17), Italy and Serbia (each 16), followed by Croatia and Poland (13 each), and Belgium and Austria (10 each). Out of the 40 European countries currently included in the Creative Europe programme, Slovenian organisations have not cooperated with only four countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Tunisia. Creative Europe remains immensely significant for Slovenia’s international cultural engagement.


Alphabetical List of EU Grant Recipients in 2024 (leaders and partners)

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