Ministry of Culture of Colombia 2019

Beginning on February 28, with an investment increase of 50 percent, the Ministry of Culture of Colombia (aka MinCulture) calls all citizens of Colombia to apply for scholarships, internships, national awards, recognitions, and national and international artistic residencies offered in the 2019 portfolio of the National Stimulus Program. The increment of resources for the Program responds to a commitment by the national government to "the cultural empowerment of the regions and the strengthening of cultural and creative undertakings," said Carmen Inés Vásquez, Minister of Culture of Colombia, and added, "This year, the Stimulus Program of the Ministry will not only give fifty percent more resources in stimulus, but also offer a 37.5 percent increase in calls compared to the previous year." The calls will open this year in two phases: the first, beginning on February 28, will offer 85 calls with more than COP$7.296 million. In addition to this investment from MinCulture, more than COP$1.123 million from the call Fulbright-MinCultura Grants will support the education of Colombian artists interested in attending master's degree programs in North American universities. The second phase will occur in April and offer 136 calls, with an investment of over COP$12.664 million . This second part includes new stimulus aimed at strengthening creative and cultural undertakings across Colombia. The new offer results from the development of the National Orange Economy Policy spearheaded by MinCulture and will have resources totaling COP$4.855 million. With this offer, the Ministry of Culture seeks to guarantee Colombia's cultural sustainability and to contribute to the economic dinamization of the national territories through creative and cultural industries. The Minister of Culture, Carmen Inés Vásquez, invites the artistic and cultural sectors to participated in this call that offers stimulus in the following categories: archives, visual arts, dance, literature, music, early childhood, theater and circus, libraries, cinematography, communications, cultural undertaking, regional promotion, linguistics, heritage, populations, museological projects and Orange Economy. Some novelties of the portfolio for 2019 are: A Visual Arts Chapter offering five new stimulus: grant for non-digital techniques applied to posters; support grants for participation in art fairs; national grants for galleries and foundations; grants for independent editorials; and grants for the education of new art collectors. For the development of the National Orange Economy Policy, this year MinCulture included in the stimulus portfolio several calls for all cultural agents who make possible the circulation, access, promotion, production, and, in general, the enjoyment of cultural expressions through innovation and cultural and creative industries. This portfolio consists of thirty-nine calls that will grant about one hundred stimulus and research initiatives, aimed at strengthening technical abilities, innovation, the development of products and product portfolios, programs, and sustainable infrastructures. Anyone interested in participating is invited to check the rules of the calls of the 2019 stimulus program offered by the Ministry of Culture of Colombia at www.mincultura.gov.co