KALEIDOSKOP -
Award for Cultural Variety
A new funding initiative for North Rhine-Westphalia.
Art and culture foster encounters, open up new perspectives and strengthen social cohesion. Through the KALEIDOSKOP programme, the Cultural Association of German Business – made possible by TARGOBANK – promotes collaboration between the arts, culture and social institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The aim of the award is to strengthen cultural participation, promote dialogue between different life experiences and highlight the social impact of art and culture.
An overview of the programme
KALEIDOSKOP supports projects that combine art with social engagement. We are looking for initiatives that bring people together, broaden cultural horizons and explore new forms of collaboration.
Funding is provided for projects that
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strengthen cultural and social participation,
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bring together people from different backgrounds, generations or life circumstances,
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create new ways of engaging with art and culture,
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develop creative collaborations between the cultural and social sectors,
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and provide lasting impetus for social cohesion.
Projects that reach people who have previously had limited access to cultural activities are particularly welcome.
Call for applications 2027
For the 2027 call for applications, KALEIDOSKOP is awarding three grants to projects that address social challenges through the medium of art and culture and create new spaces for encounter, exchange and active participation.
Applications may be submitted by partnerships comprising a non-profit artistic partner and a social organisation. Both partners develop and implement the project jointly, contributing their respective expertise on an equal footing.
A total of 100,000 euros in funding is available:
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50,000 euros for a large-scale project
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30,000 euros for a medium-scale project
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20,000 euros for the DU_Kultur|en_Award for a project with a significant impact in Duisburg
The call for applications will be available online from mid-November, and applications can be submitted from then on. The deadline for applications is 31 January 2027.
Kaleidoskop 2026
In collaboration with TARGOBANK, Kulturkreis (the cultural lobby of German Business) is awarding three grants through the KALEIDOSKOP program to projects in North Rhine-Westphalia that use cultural initiatives to address social issues. The focus is on collaboration between a nonprofit artistic partner and a social institution. Both partners contribute their strengths to the funded project and work together as equals.
With a total budget of 100,000 euros, three projects will be funded: Large and medium-sized projects based in North Rhine-Westphalia could apply for project grants of 50,000 or 30,000 euros. For projects based in Duisburg, there was an additional funding opportunity: They may have also been considered for the DU_Kultur|en_Award, which specifically supports local projects in Duisburg with 20,000 euros.
Find more information here.
Awards Ceremony and Festival
The awards ceremony for the first KALEIDOSKOP prize-winners took place as part of the DU_Kultur|en_Festival in Duisburg. The award-winning projects exemplify the diversity of cultural initiatives in North Rhine-Westphalia and demonstrate how art and culture can promote social participation and bring people together.
News
The winners of Kaleidoskop 2026 have been announced
With the “KALEIDOSKOP – Award for Cultural Diversity”, the Cultural Committee of German Business and TARGOBANK are honouring three outstanding collaborative projects that demonstrate how artistic practice and social work can work together to strengthen social cohesion:
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KuKst Du Erzählcafé, Duisburg (DU_Kultur|en-Award, 20.000 Euro)
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Da müssen wir gemeinsam durch – Das Barbaraviertel, Neuss (30.000 Euro)
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go(o)d kitchen, Oberhausen (50.000 Euro)
A total of €100,000 in funding was awarded, opening up new avenues for participation, interaction and cultural engagement.
Our funding partner TARGOBANK
KALEIDOSKOP is a programme by the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft made possible by TARGOBANK. The partnership combines cultural engagement with social responsibility and supports projects that promote art and culture as catalysts for participation, dialogue and social cohesion in North Rhine-Westphalia.
TARGOBANK is part of TARGO Deutschland GmbH and has nearly 100 years of experience in the German banking market. It serves approximately 4 million private, business, and corporate customers.
The range of products and services for private customers includes accounts and cards, loans, investment and wealth management products, and insurance (through ACM Deutschland). The business model is complemented by offerings for business and corporate customers, including an auto bank. Through its corporate banking division, TARGOBANK provides corporate and specialized financing for upper-mid-market companies, as well as financing solutions in the areas of factoring, leasing, and investment financing
To stay close to its customers, TARGOBANK operates approximately 340 branches in more than 250 cities across Germany and is available online and by phone 24/7.
TARGOBANK is headquartered in Düsseldorf. It employs 7,700 people across Germany, approximately 3,000 of whom are based in Duisburg, where the customer service center and IT department are located. The company also has offices in Mainz (factoring) and Frankfurt (TARGOBANK Corporate Banking).
TARGO Deutschland GmbH is a subsidiary of the cooperative Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, one of the largest and financially strongest banks in Europe.
Your Contact Persons
If you have general questions about KALEIDOSKOP, the application process, or other topics, please feel free to email us at kaleidoskop@kulturkreis.eu at any time.
