During recent times of confinement, the Valencia Community Museums Consortium launched a call in April 2020 under the Online Culture initiative to support contemporary creativity amid a pandemic. This effort gathered more than 800 digital proposals and selected a hundred for funding. Each chosen project received a grant of 1,000 euros to begin with, and the overall program operated on a budget aimed at sustaining artistic and cultural activity.
This year the Consortium expanded its approach. It increased the total allocation to 200,000 euros and redistributes it among a new group of one hundred projects. Every selected project within the Valencian Community now obtains 2,000 euros in assistance, reinforcing the commitment to accessible digital culture and audiovisual artistic creation.
According to José Luis Pérez Pont, director of the Consortium and the Center del Carme in Alicante, the goal is to demonstrate how digital access to visual culture can be effectively transmitted online. He notes that during the shutdown there was a clear reminder that culture can reach users through online channels, and the positive response suggested this path should be sustained. The aim is to provide visibility for audiovisual works and to broaden the dissemination of contemporary creative output.
Receivers of the 2020 call from Alicante, Castellón, and Valencia included a range of makers who demonstrated strong project quality and linguistic diversity. Notable works featured video dance pieces from the Alicante province, including works by Asun Noales and Suica Movies (Ritual), Carlos Penalty (When the Cells Turn Up the Volume), Lorraine Amorós with retrofuturist drawings (Cosmic Exile), Mercedes Muela Ripoll with virtual scenarios (Home Industries), and Monica Jover with collages (Learning).
One image from 2020 highlights the Alicante-based project by Mercedes Muela. This piece stood out for its inventive use of digital media to express artistic intent.
With a clearer budget plan for the current year, the Museum Consortium expects to sustain and possibly expand these offerings. The director emphasizes that a well-planned budget enables the channeling of digital artistic works and marks a significant opportunity for the development of the cultural sector. The effort seeks to bring contemporary culture closer to society while supporting artistic, creative, and intellectual activities.
Deadlines and requirements
The submission window for proposals, in digital format via the application available at the noted website, closes on February 15. Selected works will be showcased through the Consortium’s digital channels, including its website and social networks, and will culminate in a group exhibition at the Center del Carme in Valencia the following summer.
The call remains open to individuals and teams working in the arts, research, and thought leadership. Projects must originate in or reside within the Community of Valencia and engage in the field of visual arts in theory or practice within the autonomous region.
Applicants may submit both new and existing projects that arise from the theory and practice of the visual arts. Accessibility on digital platforms is a requirement, and only one entry per applicant is allowed.
Evaluation criteria focus on the innovative character of the proposal, the ability to explore diverse languages and discourses, the quality and relevance of the project’s dissemination, and the contribution to the Valencian creative scene.
Jury
The jury responsible for selecting projects will be led by the General Director of Culture and Heritage and the President of the CMCV Scientific-Artistic Commission. The panel includes prominent creators and professionals from multiple fields of contemporary creativity, including visual artists, fine arts scholars, and designers. Members provide recommendations from organizations such as AVVAC, AVCA, MAV, ADCV, APIV, and related Valencian art networks, ensuring a broad, cross-disciplinary assessment of each entry.