UniCredit Bank Austria expands support programme for young art and culture
- In the context of the "Bank Austria Studios", young artists will from now on be supported with an extensive programme, more visibility and financial expertise.
UniCredit Bank Austria is one of the largest private sponsors of art and culture in Austria. The bank pays particular attention to supporting the most promising young artists whose work makes a socially relevant contribution.
At a media talk on Wednesday evening, UniCredit Bank Austria CEO Robert Zadrazil presented the support programme for young art and culture, which is now being expanded in line with UniCredit Group’s reconfirmed commitment to support art and culture, and make it increasingly accessible to all: In addition to the Bank Austria Salon, the support of major summer festivals such as the Danube Island Festival, the Film Festival and the Vienna Summer of Culture, the Viennese club scene and the crowdfunding initiative, which has been carried out annually for the past seven years, young artists will in the future be supported on several levels with the Bank Austria Studios aimed at securing the infrastructure for young art and culture in Austria.
Thanks to crowdfunding, and with the help of around 2,300 supporters we were able to raise 340,000 euros to sustain 33 art and culture projects, this year. Since its launch in 2015, more than 230 initiatives have been launched throughout Austria with the help of around 19,500 supporters, making around 2.3 million euros available for the Austrian arts and culture scene.
The Bank Austria Studios are now making a further important contribution to the Austrian cultural scene, supporting young talent:
“The Bank Austria Studios are designed to provide sustainable support to young artists as they launch their careers - not simply with money or a publicity-boosting platform. With our tailored support programme we provide urgently needed working space, offer access to a national and international network, and last but not least equip participants with practical know-how through our financial training courses. Because, of course, we also want to support the promising young artists in becoming economically successful,” says Robert Zadrazil, CEO of UniCredit Bank Austria.
“The Bank Austria Studios are a very important initiative in the promotion of young artists. With their international aspirations, they promise to become a fertile ground for creativity and quality that will attract attention beyond Austria's borders,” says a delighted Lilli Hollein, Director of the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) and jury member of the Bank Austria Studios.
Bank Austria Studios: investing in the future of young artists
With the new Bank Austria Studios, UniCredit Bank Austria is setting a sustainable example. The programme, designed specifically for their needs, accompanies young talents in their first steps after completing their education and prepares them for the challenges of the future. In addition to providing affordable workspace and support in building a comprehensive network, the programme also delivers practice-oriented support as well as financial training to make the young talents economically fit for the future.
The participants of the Bank Austria Studios are chosen by a top-class jury, which includes Lilli Hollein (Museum of Applied Arts), Bettina Busse (Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien), Hedwig Kainberger (Salzburger Nachrichten), Hemma Schmutz (Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz and Stadtmuseum Nordico) and the cultural manager Christoph Thun-Hohenstein.
The artist collective Contemporary Matters, Bianca Phos and Julia Zastava are the first artists chosen by the jury and have already been able to move into the Bank Austria Studios at Seestadt Aspern, Vienna, two more studios at Seestadt will follow. Another two studios – hosting Jojo Gronostay and Sarah Rinderer – have already been moved into the Creative Cluster in the 5th district. In addition to national graduates, international graduates of Austrian universities are also invited to apply for the sponsorship programme. Public visibility is to be ensured by the BAK magazine (Bank Austria Kultur magazine), a digital media platform which provides information on UniCredit Bank Austria's commitment to culture and is aimed specifically at a young target group in the context of cultural education.
Further information on the Bank Austria Studios and the application process at:
https://www.bak-magazin.at/studios
Culture needs publicity, the Bank Austria Kultur magazine: https://www.bak-magazin.at/
Crowdfunding with Bank Austria: https://www.bankaustria.at/ueber-uns-verantwortung-kultur-crowdfunding.jsp
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Enquiries
UniCredit Bank Press Office
Matthias Raftl, Tel.: +43 (0) 5 05 05-52809;
E-Mail: matthias.raftl@unicreditgroup.at
UniCredit Bank Austria Events & Sponsorship
Katja Erlach, Tel.: +43 (0) 5 05 05-56839;
E-Mail: katja.erlach@unicreditgroup.at