In the Odesa and Sumy regions, new representatives of the Ukrainian Cultural Fund will be introduced to assist local cultural organizations in developing grant applications and finding partners. This information was confirmed in a press release received from Suspilne Kultura.
The launch of the network of regional representatives is aimed at enhancing collaboration between the fund and local cultural initiatives. The pilot phase will take place in the Odesa and Sumy regions.
Anastasia Obraztsova, the executive director of UCF, noted that the selection of regions was based on statistical data: applicants from these areas demonstrate high activity and submit numerous ideas, but only 1-5 projects are implemented. She emphasized that the main goal is to support local communities in enhancing their capacity and increasing the number of successfully implemented projects.
"We want every region to showcase its successful cultural project that inspires others and demonstrates that significant changes begin locally".
UCF representatives will help cultural communities understand the requirements of grant programs better, create higher-quality applications, find partners, and implement their ideas.
What is UCF
The Ukrainian Cultural Fund (UCF) is a state investor in the development of culture and creative industries. The fund was established in 2017 based on the Law of Ukraine "On the Ukrainian Cultural Fund".
The fund supports projects on a competitive basis within seven main sectors:
- audiovisual arts;
- visual arts;
- performing arts;
- cultural heritage;
- literary affairs;
- performative and stage arts;
- cultural and creative industries.
In its eight years of operation, the fund has financed 2951 projects. The total amount of investments exceeds 2 billion hryvnias, and the audience reached is 56 million people. According to the draft state budget for 2026, UCF plans to allocate 410.9 million UAH (in 2025 — 250.7 million). Next year, in the ninth grant season, it will create separate grants for audiovisual creators — these will be programs functioning separately from UCF's collaboration with the State Film Agency and the Ministry of Culture.
