Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) – Anchoring original art forms in the Ruhr area and making the cultural profile of the region more visible both nationally and internationally: The “New Arts Ruhr” funding program is intended to include projects in the fields of digital arts, urban art, new circus and electronic music with other 1.5 million euros will be funded, as announced by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Culture. “Straight and direct, international and down-to-earth, diverse, without frills: That’s how the ‘new arts’ are – and that’s the area,” said Culture Minister Ina Brandes (CDU) on Friday.
As a “metropolis of the arts”, more and more young artists and cultural workers are to be bound to the region through attractive working and living conditions. The program is part of the state government’s Ruhr Conference. The following are specifically funded: digital arts, which are intended to enable new aesthetic experiences and production methods in an interactive way. Urban arts such as hip hop, street art or urban dance – such as breakdance. In addition, New Circus, which combines artistic elements with modern dance, music, theatre, speech and visual arts. The scene of electronic music culture is also taken into consideration.
The Ruhr Conference is an XL process launched in 2018, which aims to shape the metropolis into an economically strong future region with the broad participation of partners from all areas of society. More than 70 projects are being implemented and further projects are being planned in five central fields of action such as mobility, diversity or education and research.
