UniCredit Bank Austria: Sponsorship activities are being reorganized, with greater emphasis placed on promoting Vienna's cultural scene
- Changed economic conditions do not allow a forward-looking continuation of the Kunstforum
- UniCredit Bank Austria has long been a supporter of Austrian and Viennese art and culture and will continue to be so
- An additional cultural million for Vienna's diverse cultural scene
In recent weeks, we have made every effort to reach an agreement with the landlord on a long-term lease for the Kunstforum. It is with great regret no longer possible due to the changed economic conditions. We hope to be able to reach an agreement on an orderly termination of the lease.
Loss of sponsorship and necessary investments in the millions
Signa was not only the landlord of the location, but also the most important partner and largest sponsor of the Kunstforum for many years. The consequences of the loss of Signa sponsorship do not allow the Kunstforum to continue operating for economic reasons either. In addition, a forward-looking continuation of operations would require substantial additional investments that cannot be realized under the given conditions.
UniCredit Bank Austria will reorganize its sponsoring activities and expand its support of the Viennese cultural scene
UniCredit Bank Austria allocates a considerable amount of its marketing budget to the promotion of cultural activities. This commitment will be continued without restriction and even expanded with an additional “culture million”. The changed economic conditions at the Kunstforum have made it necessary to reorganize our sponsorship. In the future, we no longer see our role as directly operating a museum, but rather focus on financially supporting cultural and social initiatives.
Additional million for culture: UniCredit Bank Austria is expanding its support for the diverse cultural scene
UniCredit Bank Austria will significantly expand its support for Vienna's diverse cultural scene, providing a further million for culture to the numerous existing funding projects from 2025. This is intended to support and promote Vienna's diverse and vibrant cultural scene.
Overall, UniCredit Bank Austria will continue to support cultural projects in Vienna and throughout Austria and remain a reliable partner for cultural institutions. UniCredit Bank Austria will inform the public in the coming months about which projects will benefit from the million for culture.
One example is the UniCredit Bank Austria Park, curated by André Heller, which will open in 2025 and is an important collaboration with the City of Vienna. The park will present sculptures by renowned Austrian and international artists, which are financed by UniCredit Bank Austria together with partners.
A reliable partner for art, culture and social initiatives
UniCredit Bank Austria remains a reliable partner for art, culture and social initiatives and will continue to support over 100 very different cultural and social projects in the future. The following are a few examples:
- Albertina and Albertina Modern
- UniCredit Bank Austria's cultural crowdfunding - since the launch of our annual “Reward Based” crowdfunding program in 2015, UniCredit Bank Austria has already raised more than EUR 3 million thanks to the participation of well over 20,000 supporters, supporting around 300 local cultural projects.
- The Bank Austria art collection is to be presented prominently in future and important works will continue to be made available to museums on loan
- Bank Austria Park, curated by André Heller, will open in 2025 and is an important cooperation with the City of Vienna. Sculptures by renowned Austrian and international artists, financed by UniCredit Bank Austria together with partners, will be presented in the park
- Bank Austria Salon located in the “Altes Rathaus” is a venue for young artists and a permanent fixture in the cultural life of the city of Vienna
- With the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Academy, we support the next generation of one of the most important orchestras in the world
- UniCredit Foundation – the winning projects from the “Call for Education 2023”, the CAPE 10 educational academy and the Hobby Lobby educational initiative will receive a total of over €600,000 in funding for their multi-year projects
- Teach for All – Teach for Austria: As part of a three-year pan-European partnership, the UniCredit Foundation is supporting Teach For All with 5.5 million euros for projects to achieve greater educational equity. As part of the cooperation, Teach for Austria will receive 600,000 euros in support. This will enable 85 teachers to be trained by 2026, allowing them to teach at 80 partner schools and kindergartens in Austria to more than 11,500 students
- Junior Achievement: In July 2023, the UniCredit Foundation and Junior Achievement Europe launched the EUR 6.5 million “Re-Power Your Future” program in ten European countries. In Austria, this initiative primarily benefits young people after they have completed their compulsory schooling, who will benefit most from targeted support, especially at schools in disadvantaged areas. 'Junior Achievement' programs prepare young people for the world of work in a targeted manner at an early stage. Over 330,000 euros will be made available to Junior Achievement Austria over three years
- As part of the Gift Matching Program, numerous social initiatives are also supported by the UniCredit Foundation – from SOS Kinderdorf to Care Österreich, CliniClowns to Caritas, to name just a few
- Bank Austria Social Award in nine federal states – UniCredit Bank Austria will present the Bank Austria Social Award for the sixteenth time in 2025, supporting local charitable initiatives with a total of 90,000 euros each year
- Extensive Bank Austria financial education programs, e.g. “MoneyMatters”
Enquiries:
UniCredit Bank Austria Media Relations
Matthias Raftl, Tel.: +43 (0) 5 05 05-52809;
E-Mail: matthias.raftl@unicreditgroup.at