Italy

In the Netherlands, there are various funding opportunities available for artists, cultural practitioners and organisations with international ambitions. You can find a first overview on our Funding Support page. For a more extensive overview, see our Cultural Mobility Funding Guide.  

Heritage  

International Heritage Cooperation is part of the Netherlands’ international cultural policy. The embassies of the Netherlands in the partner countries have a budget for supporting local cultural heritage projects. DutchCulture manages a Matching Fund. Dutch legal entities (companies and registered freelancers) are able to apply for partial funding for an international heritage cooperation project.  

DutchCulture supports sustainable Dutch-European heritage cooperation by supporting and facilitating (international) expert meetings and exchanges while underlining the European context of heritage. The Europe + Heritage programme offers advice, a travel grant scheme and a support grant scheme for European heritage cooperation.

Embassy of the Netherlands in Rome and the Consulate-General in Milan

The Embassy in Rome and Consulate General in Milan can support cultural projects in the fields of architecture, design and literature. With their extensive network in the Italian cultural sector and knowledge of its cultural institutions, organisations and theatres, they can advise on opportunities for cooperation. In addition, they can provide grants to Italian cultural institutions that present Dutch cultural works in Italy, for projects that strengthen collaboration between cultural and creative organisations of both countries or that support the realization of new work by Dutch creatives in Italy. The Embassy and Consulate General can also advise Dutch cultural organisations about the do's and don’ts of cultural management in Italy. You can contact the Embassy here and the Consulate here.  

In Italy both public and private funding programmes are available. There are programmes on regional, municipal and city levels, and major private banks also offer funding. Therefore it is very important to research the opportunities for your art form or discipline in the different regions of Italy. In order to be eligible for financing opportunities within Italy, it is in most cases necessary to have an Italian partner. Only people or institutions registered in Italy can apply for funding unless it is noted to be otherwise. The different regions might have their own approach to culture and artistic cooperation and exchange, and it is recommended to have a look into the programmes offered.

Doing your research beforehand and finding Italian partners is essential. You can contact the Embassy or the Consulate General or use the DutchCulture Database by simply going to the search option in the upper left corner, and search for ´Italy ´ or any Italian city you are interested in. In this way, you will see which Dutch artists are already active in which areas.

DutchCulture also works closely together with On the Move, where you will find an elaborate mapping of funding opportunities.

Creative Europe

Creative Europe (2021-2027) is the seven-year support programme by the European commission for the cultural and audio-visual sector, and consists of two subprogrammes: Culture and MEDIA. The Creative Europe Desk of the Netherlands is part of DutchCulture. Be aware that there are many strict conditions to be considered before applying for this programme. The cooperation also has to consists of at least three European countries, e.g. a cooperation between only France and the Netherlands is therefore not eligible.

For an extensive overview of the funds available see the CulturEU Funding Guide.

Further funding opportunities

These two funding guides can help you on your way: Fund-Finder a guide to funding opportunities for arts and culture in Europe, beyond Creative Europe (published by IETM in English) and the
EU Subsidiewijzer (published by Creative Europe Desk NL in Dutch)

As an EU citizen, you do not need a visa to work in Italy. Dutch citizens can find up to date information regarding visas and permits on this website. If you have a passport from outside the EU, it is wise to check the rules with your country´s representatives in Italy, or you can ask the DutchCulture Mobility Info Point.

Disclaimer: The information given above is mainly provided by the Italian authorities. In case of any doubt or further questions, please contact the Italian Embassy in The Hague. 

It is important to prepare for different and sometimes stricter rules in Italy than you may be used to in the Netherlands. Processing forms concerning taxes, insurance and also funding conditions may be stricter, and may cost more time. Find out exactly what the rules are that a gallery, stage or theatre upholds, before engaging in a cooperation. If you find obstacles on your way, you will have enough time to apply for permits or find other solutions. Always make sure that your health insurance will cover you across borders.

Social security

PEARLE* Live Performance Europe, a European performing arts employers’ organisation, wrote a guide on social security in an international context, as part of their series The Ultimate Cookbook for Cultural Managers in 2016. The guide offers a detailed but accessible explanation of how social security works for namely those working in the performing arts within the EU, with a wealth of practical tips and illustrative examples. The guide can be found here.

The website of the Dutch Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) offers a lot of information on social security when working internationally, with specific information for artists. The information is available in five languages.

Your Europe. Your Europe is an extensive knowledge database about living and working in the EU, with specific information on working across borders. Specific information on social security cover in the EU can be found here, as well as a very useful Frequently Asked Questions page. Direct enquiries can be submitted to the team of legal experts from Your Europe Advice.

Taxation

As artists are highly mobile these days, there are specific rules to avoid that one would not pay taxes. Everyone needs to pay income taxes, but when you have earned your income in different countries in which country should you pay? And how can you avoid double taxation? The above mentioned organisation PEARLE also published a guide on artist taxation in an international context. This booklet provides information on special tax rules for (performing) artists, both for the country of work or performance and the country of residence.

Above that, the Netherlands has tax treaties with a number of countries. In many cases this means that the taxes you pay in one of the countries are deductible from the taxes you owe in another country, or that you are exempt from paying certain taxes. Here you can find an overview of the countries with which the Netherlands has a treaty. Very many matters in the EU are centrally regulated, but taxes differ in each country, and some countries have signed bilateral tax treaties. For information about existing tax treaties between specific European countries, go to the website of Your Europe.

It is a good idea to engage Italian professionals and publicists, that have an understanding of your art discipline, audience and region. It would also be wise to translate your promotion materials to Italian. Communication with websites or social media that could promote your project, will also be well-received if written in Italian; the same goes for local press. There are a growing number of Dutch people living in Italy and many cities have a Dutch network. Using these existing networks will also help you to promote your work.

The Embassy in Rome and Consulate General in Milan are happy to provide information on the various cultural sectors. Make sure to contact the embassy to let them know about your projects. Do not forget to create a My DC account, where you can add your activities to our Cultural Database. This way you will be included in our database and become part of our network.

Through the DutchCulture database, you can find out which artists from the Netherlands have worked at which venues, and start your research there. Go to the search icon on the upper left corner of the website, and search by discipline, country, and city.

For residencies, DutchCulture's TransArtists is a great research tool. In order to successfully build an international career, and in order to find sustainable partners in a country, it is always wise to spend more than a few days somewhere. Residencies, which can last from a couple of weeks up to several months, can help you achieve this.

The embassy of the Netherlands in Italy is active on different social media platforms. Follow them on one or more platforms and stay up-to-date about the latest news, new opportunities, and events.