The Commission has adopted the 2022 work programme of Creative Europe, which will be followed by the launch of the relevant calls for proposals. With a budget of around €385 million, nearly €100 million more compared to 2021, Creative Europe strengthens its support to creative and cultural partners taking due account of the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 crisis and the growing global competition.

The culture strand of the programme will include new calls and initiatives for the music, cultural heritage, performing arts and literature sectors. In addition, it will launch a mobility scheme, offering opportunities to artists, creators or cultural professionals to go abroad for professional development or for international collaborations, and to find new audiences, co-produce, co-create or present their work.

The MEDIA strand focuses on audio-visual and several novelties are introduced in 2022. Support to the development of innovative video games and virtual reality experiences will be funded.  A new action, ‘MEDIA 360 degrees' will target leading industrial fora engaging with businesses across the audio-visual value chain. To further boost innovation the Media Market Gateway will be launched for promising start-ups. Collaboration between film festivals will be strengthened through networks.

Finally, the cross-sectoral strand will increase funding for the Creative Innovation Lab for joint-innovation projects involving several creative sectors, contributing also to the New European Bauhaus. It will also widen support to the news media through additional measures to nurture media freedom.

Creative Europe will also address key issues affecting the cultural and creative sectors. MEDIA funded projects will be required to implement strategies for greening and diversity, including gender balance. Creative Europe will therefore contribute significantly to the political priorities of the Commission on sustainability and inclusion. The programme will include initiatives that cover additional EU priorities, such as the contribution to the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life - as well as the European Year of Youth.

Cultural and creative sectors are also encouraged to use CulturEU, the recently launched online guide to all EU funding available to them. The interactive website gathers a total of 75 funding opportunities from 21 different EU programmes, from Creative Europe and Horizon Europe to structural funds and InvestEU.

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