This first edition of the Award is open to all European cultural institutions, public or private, regardless of size or budget.
Three prizes with a total value of 150,000 Euros will be awarded to support the development of projects aiming to promote the diffusion of art and culture to wider and more diverse audiences. The top prize will be worth €80,000, with second and third scooping €50,000 and €20,000 respectively.
The Art Explora & Académie des Beaux-Arts European Award has been conceived promote “proactive, innovative or particularly remarkable actions carried out by cultural institutions engaging the broadest possible audience”, such as digital innovation, external activities, the inclusion of people with disabilities, fighting against cultural exclusion, new mediations, cultural awakening for young audiences, and programmes for excluded audiences.
Eligible initiatives include existing projects that need to be renewed or expanded alongside new projects that could be launched with funding. Organisers say particularly close attention will be given to projects making use of digital technology and controlling their environmental impact.
The jury
The 12-person jury for the inaugural Award will be:
Agnès Alfandari, digital director at the French Institut
Anna Somers Cocks, journalist and founder of The Art Newspaper
Laurent Gaveau, head of Google Arts & Culture Lab
Frédéric Jousset, president and founder of Art Explora
Henri Loyrette, former director of the Louvre Museum
Sam Stourdzé, director of Rencontres d’Arles
Marie-Cécile Zinsou, president of the Zinsou Foundation
Patrick de Carolis, director of the Paul Marmottan Foundation
Blanca Li, choreographer
Muriel Mayette-Holtz, Nice National theater director
Jean-Michel Othoniel, contemporary artist
Jean-Michel Wilmotte, architect
The closing date for application is September 25th 2020, ahead of an awards ceremony set to be held by Art Explora at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris later in the year. All application information can be found here.
