FOCUS INTERNATIONAL
FOCUS INTERNATIONAL
FOCUS INTERNATIONAL is a program of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport (BMWKMS).
With FOCUS INTERNATIONAL, the BMWKMS focuses on a specific cooperation country in terms of content and cultural policy for a period of three years.
With this program, the BMWKMS promotes international artistic and cultural exchange by bringing artists and cultural workers to Austria within the framework of the program.
At the heart of FOCUS INTERNATIONAL is the Trainee Program for Cultural Workers, which offers young experts from the cultural field the opportunity to complete a two-month internship at one of Austria’s leading cultural institutions.
The FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Trainee Program is organized in the form of an open call, which is published every autumn on the website of the BMWKMS. Fellows are selected by a jury of experts.
In addition, FOCUS INTERNATIONAL is involved in connecting Austrian cultural institutions with potential partner institutions in the respective priority country.
In principle, the countries selected for the FOCUS INTERNATIONAL program are primarily those with which bilateral cultural agreements exist or will be concluded in the near future. In this context, the present program sees itself as an instrument to bring these agreements to life.
Calls for application
Europe’s place in the world, but also the big questions about the future of the planet, whether it is about democratic coexistence or overcoming the climate crisis, these elementary questions can only be solved in relation to and with the African continent. Also in purely artistic and cultural terms, Africa is an inexhaustible source of talent and inspiration. At the same time it is a region of the world with which there are still far too few horizontal relationships. This is exactly where FOCUS INTERNATIONAL South Africa wants to get involved. Over a period of three years, young South African cultural workers will be invited through an open call to each spend two months in Austria to gain work experience in leading Austrian cultural institutions. The aim is to establish personal and professional contacts.
It is intended to be a journey of artistic discovery in Austria and South Africa, from which new cultural relationships and concrete projects will emerge.
Open Call FOCUS INTERNATIONAL South Africa 2026
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Moldova is one of the most exciting candidate countries for accession to the European Union and a country with a particularly dynamic art scene.
After three years of FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Kosovo, the program will now focus on this culturally and politically important country in Southeastern Europe. The Cultural Work Trainee Program for Cultural Managers Austria – Moldova aims to make a concrete contribution to this. For three years, talented Moldovan cultural workers will gain work experience at leading Austrian art institutions, enriching Austria's cultural landscape and local art scene through their work.
In parallel to FOCUS INTERNATIONAL South Africa, there are six internship positions available each year, each lasting two months. FOCUS INTERNATIONAL trainees will also be involved in the international Artists-in-Residence program of the MuseumsQuartier, Austria's largest cluster of cultural institutions in the heart of Vienna. They will live in one of MuseumsQuartier’s spacious studios and can participate in its programs.
The Republic of Moldova is the target country for our ambitious project, precisely because we think of culture in an international, especially European context. European solidarity and initiative should not be left to the new partner countries but can also come from Austria.
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Advice
More information can be found at the website Focus International.
Contact:
Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport
Directorate of Arts and Culture
Department for European and International Cultural Policy
Head of Section International Cultural Policy
Ms. Karin ZIMMER
Concordiaplatz 2, 1010 Vienna
Phone: +43 1 71 606-851113
E-Mail: karin.zimmer@bmwkms.gv.at