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1. Reducing obstacles to young people's access to culture

2. Disseminating information on cultural opportunities

3. Knowledge of cultural heritage amongst young people

Reducing obstacles to young people's access to culture

There are several programmes organised by top-level authorities that facilitate young people’s access to cultural environment.

The first programme is ‘Art and Culture for Children and Youth’, the title of the open call for proposals. The call’s aim was to address obstacles faced by young people in accessing cultural and artistic contents and to encourage their participation in the cultural community life. The competent authority is the Ministry of Culture and Media (MCM), and THE programme is funded through the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme ‘Effective Human Resources’. The call was closed in 2017, and ministerial decisions on project financing were made in 2018 and 2019, within three groups:

• Group A:  6 projects were awarded a total of HRK 2 968 221.00
• Group B:  12 projects were awarded a total of HRK 7 500 000.00
• Group C:  11 projects were awarded a total of HRK 7 500 000.00

The maximum duration of the project is 24 months, and therefore, the outcomes of this programme will not be known in the upcoming period.

The open call for proposals for programmes that enable access to cultural content for individuals with disabilities and children and youth with developmental disabilities in the Republic of Croatia for 2023 is a national policy organised and funded by the MCM. According to the list of awarded projects, the total amount of the award was € 352,300.00. However, there is no information available on how many projects specifically target youth with disabilities. The same situation exists in the awarded projects for 2022. According to the list, the total amount of the award was € 264 596.19.

The MCM opened the ongoing Call in 2020, funded through the European Social Fund. The Art and Culture Online call is aimed at enhancing the social inclusion of individuals under the age of 25 and those over the age of 54 by engaging them in cultural and artistic activities through the Internet. The call finances activities for the preparation and implementation of online participatory artistic and cultural activities aimed at the social inclusion of members of the target groups. According to the list of most recently awarded projects in June 2022, 9 out of 10 projects prioritise children and youth (up to 25 years of age). The vast majority of previous projects also focused on young people.

Disseminating information on cultural opportunities

A Backpack (Full of) Culture is a national complementary programme supporting the elementary and high school curriculum in art and culture. It will be implemented in Croatian schools by experts, including writers, fine artists, as well as theatre, music, and dance artists. The programme provides children and youth with access to and brings them closer to art and culture. It aims to develop their aesthetic culture and, in general, cultivate sensitivity to the field of art and culture. The pupils will receive training to foster a positive approach to all forms of art and culture.

A Backpack (Full of) Culture is a joint initiative of the MCM and the Ministry of Science and Education. It represents a joint investment in the realms of education and culture at the state level. The programme is funded through the state budget.

Knowledge of cultural heritage amongst young people

There are currently no policies, programmes, projects, or initiatives organised or funded by top-level authorities to support young people's discovery and appreciation of the cultural and artistic heritage of European countries.