Art and culture at the foundation of our society

Fondation de France works to make culture accessible to everyone, and to encourage young artists in every artistic discipline, including graphic arts, fine arts, music and literature.

In 2020, during the health crisis, the culture sector came to a halt. Many artists and creators found themselves without resources, and citizens had no access to culture. To help them face this challenge, Fondation de France set up a fund to help young artists – whether students or graduates – in the fine arts, dance, music and cinema. It also created an emergency fund for older artists in difficulty.

Today, while we are seeing the beginning of a return to normalcy, it is still essential to support the arts. Culture is a powerful vector for social cohesion. It transmits knowledge and understanding, and encourages cooperation between creative artists and local populations. Culture also helps us imagine and build the world of tomorrow, asking us to examine our relationship to space, or to nature, for example. In this way, culture fosters a more just and inclusive society.

In 2021, the Arts and Society program continues its support of:

• Patron of the Arts program Nouveaux commanditaires, currently running in France and Europe. This project allows citizens to sponsor a work of art that addresses a social or regional issue;
• the IADU (Urban Dance Initiative), in partnership with a public venue, Parc de la Villette. This program aims to help dancers and choreographers working in this discipline (hip-hop and street dance in all its forms) to advance their professional careers. Assistance comes in many forms, such as training, production, publicity and networking;
• the “Switch (on Paper)” platform, which analyzes society through the prism of art. At the end of March 2020, the platform adapted its editorial policy, with new content linked to the pandemic.

The program has also committed to key change stakeholders in nonprofits that play an important role in cultural mediation. Facing difficulties due to the health crisis, these nonprofits serve an important social, educational and societal function in the regions where they operate. Often working with other institutions and actors in other domains, they are aware of the needs of the local population and can act accordingly.