Guide to Cultural Funding

Cultural funds granted by Studentenwerk Leipzig are financed from the students‘ semester fee (Semesterbeitrag) – that means they are financed by all Leipzig students paying the “Semesterbeitrag” together. Cultural funding is granted subject to the Cultural Funding Guideline (Kulturförderrichtlinien) as defined by the Studentenwerk Leipzig Board of Administration.

The Culture Committee appointed by the Board of Administration and responsible for allocating cultural funds is obligated to ensure compliance with the Cultural Funding Guideline, which apply equally to all applicants. In doing so, the Committee is working as non-bureaucratically as possible.

From the very beginning, applicants should definitely also look for additional sources of funding (student councils and student representatives of the different universities, foundations, sponsors, crowd funding, and the like) as only a maximum of 49 percent of the total cost of any project may be funded by means of cultural funds provided by Studentenwerk Leipzig. However, the percentage of funding granted may also be distinctly lower.

Applicants should read the Studentenwerk’s Cultural Funding Guideline closely. For your application for cultural funding you will then have to

• fill out the form „Application for Cultural Funding“, and
• add the necessary attachments.

The following guide will help with that.

In the application, all the information must be disclosed in full and to the best of your knowledge and belief. If you as the applicant are not willing to do so, you will have to do without funding provided by Studentenwerk Leipzig.

Applicants may be groups of students from all universities and academies Studentenwerk Leipzig is responsible for; students may not apply individually, as cultural funding is not supposed to be used for supporting the interests of individual students.

Here are some examples for possible applicants:

• student project groups,
• student associations,
• student cultural companies,
• student clubs,
• associations of foreign students,
• student councils and student representatives, etc.

Non-students are not eligible to act as applicants and are not allowed to constitute the majority of a project team!

Cultural projects are eligible to receive funding if

• they are first and foremost addressed to students of all universities and academies Studentenwerk Leipzig is responsible for;
• they have first and foremost cultural content and are of predominantly student nature;
• the financing plan shows the non-commercial mode of operation of the students involved as well as the responsible handling of financial funds.

Here are some examples of projects that are eligible for funding:

• exhibitions,
• carnival events,
• performances,
• film projects,
• concerts,
• cultural event series,
• country-specific events,
• readings,
• semester parties,
• theater productions, etc.

Work in cultural companies may also be funded.

Projects that cannot be funded are projects that are

• closely connected to any course of studies,
• serving the personal interest of one or only a few students,
• falling within the area of responsibility of a university or one of its institutions,
• predominantly geared towards sports, or
• predominantly pursuing political or religious purposes.

Here are some examples of projects not eligible for funding:

• institute and graduation celebrations,
• faculty balls,
• alumni projects,
• work of university ensembles,
• exhibitions regarding graduation,
• events concerning political and religious issues.

Applications must be filed with the Culture Committee of Studentenwerk Leipzig in due time, but no later than four weeks before the project starts and/or before the event takes place, the first show is held, or the like.

An application is deemed as filed in due time, if

• the application is filed with Studentenwerk Leipzig at the same time you are also seeking other sources of funding,
• after funding is granted, there is still enough time to point out that funding is provided by Studentenwerk Leipzig in all advertising materials prepared for the funded project (see section “What else is important” at the end of this guide).

If you file your application after the four-week deadline, you will have to state your reasons for doing so in writing. The Culture Committee will decide on allowing exceptions.

The rules concerning the filing deadline apply regardless of meeting dates. Meeting dates will be published on the Studentenwerk Leipzig website.

The Culture Committee meets once a month. The intervals between meetings may be longer during semester break.

In order to apply, use the form “Antrag auf Kulturförderung des Studentenwerks Leipzig” (Application for cultural funding of Studentenwerk Leipzig). Furthermore, you will have to enclose certain attachments in addition to the application form (see section 4).

We cannot accept informal applications.

Events that are connected with regards to content can be summarized as one series of events and applied for using only one form. In this case you will have to prepare a common financing plan for the entire series of events. Accounting (and subsequent payout of the funds granted) can then only be completed after the last event of the series has taken place.

Below you will find advice to help you fill out the form including explanations of the individual subsections.

1.1 Name of project group

Enter the name of the project group, association, etc.

1.2 Status of project group

Enter whether the applicants are a group of private individuals or whether they are a registered association, a student council work group, student representatives, or the like.

1.3 Full address of project group

Enter the full postal address of the project group, association, etc.

1.4 Contact person of project group

In order to file an application, the project group has to name a contact for the Culture Committee to call in case of any questions; this is where you enter the current contact details of said person.

1.5 Full address for sending the notice of cultural funding

Enter the complete postal address the otice on the granting of funds is to be sent to, if it deviates from the address given in section 1.3.

2.1 Project title

Enter the name of the event/project. You should also state the nature of the project.
Example: photo exhibition “Vista” or theater production of “The Merchant of Venice” or concert with the band “Blaugrün” or simply “semester opening party”.

2.2 Further information

Specify in a few keywords what your project will be about if the project title is not self-explanatory.

2.3 Date/s

Enter the dates of the events planned and/or the overall duration of the project.

2.4 Place/s

Enter the place where the event or the project is going to take place and/or where the project is to be realized. If there is more than one venue (maybe also outside of Leipzig), also enter this information.

3.1 Overall cost

Enter the total amount of all scheduled expenses calculated in the financing plan.

3.2 Amount requested in your application

Which amount of cultural funding is being requested from Studentenwerk Leipzig? Please enter the amount of the requested funds here! The amount you are applying for to us should be justified by a reasonably calculated financing plan. However, the Culture Committee reserves the right to possibly reduce the requested amount if granted.

Keep in mind: only a maximum of 49 percent of the overall cost may be funded by means of cultural funds provided by Studentenwerk Leipzig.

3.3 What do you want to use the cultural funding provided by Studentenwerk Leipzig for?

This is where you enter which items of your financing plan the requested cultural funding is to be used for.
Examples:

• rent of technical equipment,
• printing costs for advertising material,
• GEMA (German Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights),
• musicians‘ fees,
• rent for the location of the venue, or the like.

However, it is also possible that the Culture Committee chooses other items to spend the funding on (this will then be communicated in the Notice on cultural funding (Kulturbescheid)).

4. Attachments

Tick off in each line whether the respective attachment is enclosed with the application. Please keep in mind that most of the attachments are mandatory!

Attachment “Evidence of the student status of applicants “

It is mandatory to enclose this attachment!

The student status of the applicants must be evidenced in a suitable form, i. e. most simply as an informal list of the names of all students involved in the project including matriculation numbers. (Providing evidence for only a few persons involved is not sufficient!).

Attachment “Description of function of applicants “

It is not mandatory to enclose this attachment.

If, however, the student group filing the application is a permanent group, it may be helpful to explain in a few sentences what the group does and/or which purposes the group pursues with its joint work. For associations, extracts from the articles of association should be presented.

Attachment “Description of Project”

It is mandatory to enclose this attachment!

Here you should describe the content of the project in a short and concise way. Specify on not more than one page, what makes the project described eligible for funding for the purpose of the Cultural Funding Guidelines. In order to do so, please use the following clues:

• Who are the persons involved in the project?
• Who is the main target group of your project?
• Is your project about student culture?
• Why is your project important for Leipzig students?

Attachment “Financing Plan”

It is mandatory to enclose this attachment!

In addition to the information specified on the application form, the Culture Committee needs all details concerning the project’s financial planning. Preparing the financing plan with as much exact detail as possible will prevent you from being financially misjudged! When providing such details, please note:

• The financing plan should be consistent and free from errors in terms of calculation.
• It must contain all expenditures and revenues necessary and scheduled for the project.

Here are some examples for expenditures:

•  advertisement,
• rent for rooms,
• rent for technical equipment,
• musician’s fees and other fees,
• expense allowances,
• GEMA,
• decoration,
• insurance, etc.

Here are some examples for revenues:

• other subsidies*,
• funds originating from sponsoring or donations*,
• funds originating from crowd funding**,
• sale proceeds,
• ticket sales,
• own resources.

* enter the funding body, sponsor, etc. as well as the status (requested or already granted)

** enter the status of the crowd funding campaign (ongoing or terminated)

Regarding: Signature

The applications must be available to us in the original and must therefore also be signed in the original. The signatory thus guarantees the truth and completeness of all details specified in the application. We can therefore not accept applications submitted by E-mail. If the signatory is not specified on the front page of the application form, this is where you must specify who the signatory is.

5. Resolution

This field is to be completed by the Culture Committee!

6. Transfer of funds

Cultural funds are not paid out in cash; therefore, we need all account details necessary for bank transfer.

Please bear in mind that bank transfers made by us may entail tax inspections. If the account specified is the account of a private person, such person shall be obligated to keep all project documents on file with a view to later inspection by the tax authorities, as may be the case.

7. Processed by accounting dept.

This field is to be completed by the Culture Committee!

The application can be sent by mail to the Culture Committee, handed in directly at the Studentenwerk Leipzig offices or inserted into the Studentenwerk Leipzig mailbox situated at Goethestraße 6.

Postal address:
Studentenwerk Leipzig
Kulturausschuss
Postfach 100 928
04009 Leipzig

Direct Submission:

• with Tina Krenkel, room 205 (Goethestraße 6, 2nd floor)
  or
• at the Studenten Service Zentrum (Goethestraße 3-5, Studentenwerk counter).

In its next meeting after submission, the Culture Committee will discuss the application. The Committee will decide on the amount of cultural funds granted and may also determine the purpose the granted funds will be used for.

After the decision is made, the applicants will be informed about the result in writing in the Notice on cultural funding (Kulturbescheid). It includes the amount of cultural funds granted and also states any possible requirements to comply with.

If, during the meeting of the Culture Committee, any questions remain unanswered, the decision may be postponed and

• the Notice on cultural funding will specify which information is still needed, or
• a representative of the applicants will be invited to the next meeting.

It is, however, also possible that an application is rejected. In that case, justification for such rejection will usually be included in the Notice on cultural funding.

The applicants will usually receive the Notice on cultural funding one week after the meeting via mail.

An objection against the decision on whether or not cultural funds are granted can be filed with the Culture Committee within 4 weeks after notification. If the Committee does not remedy the objection, such objection will be presented to the Board of Administration which will then decide on it during its next regular meeting.

After the project has been carried out, you must present a full statement of revenues and expenditures personally to the Studentenwerk and provide evidence for the actual use of the cultural funding resources. Only then, and not in advance, the funding can be transferred.

For this purpose, please, contact us within 3 months after your project has been realized under krenkel@studentenwerk-leipzig.de. When doing so, please state the name of your project group, the project title and the date of your Notice on cultural funding.

We ask you to contact us within this 3-month deadline even if you have not yet collected all the documents needed or if you do not need cultural funding anymore.

Make sure to bring the following documents to your appointment:

• a full statement of revenues and expenditures,
• all supporting documents (receipts, bills, sales slips, etc.) in their originals,
• the original Notice on cultural funding (Kulturbescheid).

The bills and receipts should be glued/safely attached; every supporting document must be registered in the statement of revenues and expenditures and must be easy to match with the items in the statement.

Please absolutely make sure to also consider conclusive receipts for ticket sales! Possibly unfulfilled requirements specified in the Notice on cultural funding must be fulfilled, otherwise the funds cannot be transferred.

Cultural funding provided by Studentenwerk Leipzig is an important support for students‘ cultural work. This is what we also want to show to the students and the public. Therefore, cultural funding is subject to the condition to publish the logo for cultural funding in a way appropriate for the project (for instance on advertising material, in film credits, by verbal mentioning during an event, by applying a banner provided by Studentenwerk Leipzig or by mentioning the cultural funding when advertising on social media.).

Copies of posters, flyers, CDs, books and the like are to be submitted to the Culture Committee.

Displaying our logo in the context of discriminating, sexist and violence-glorifying contents and motives is not permitted and can result in a withdrawal of the allocation of funds.

It is also important to us that the persons involved in projects know that their project is supported by means of cultural funds provided by Sudentenwerk Leipzig. Therefore, we kindly ask you to communicate amongst each other about the funding being granted by Studentenwerk Leipzig!

The Culture Committee must be given the opportunity to see for itself that the cultural funding is used according to its purpose, if need be by occasionally attending events.