FOCUS INTERNATIONAL is a new program of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport (BMKOES). With FOCUS INTERNATIONAL, the BMKOES focuses on a specific cooperation country in terms of content and cultural policy for a period of three years.

With this program, the BMKOES promotes international artistic and cultural exchange – in both directions: It supports Austrian artists and art projects in the cooperation country, but is also committed to Austria’s internationality when it comes to bringing artists and cultural workers to Austria within the framework of the program.

At the heart of FOCUS INTERNATIONAL is the Trainee Program for Cultural Workers, which offers young experts from the cultural field the opportunity to complete a two-month internship at one of Austria’s leading cultural institutions.

The FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Trainee Program is organized in the form of an open call, which is published every autumn. Fellows are selected by a jury of experts.

In addition, FOCUS INTERNATIONAL is involved in connecting Austrian cultural institutions with potential partner institutions in the respective priority country. Furthermore, FOCUS INTERNATIONAL supports at least one specific bilateral art project that is presented in the priority country and in Austria.

In principle, the countries selected for the FOCUS INTERNATIONAL program are primarily those with which bilateral cultural agreements exist or will be concluded in the near future. In this context, the present program sees itself as an instrument to bring these agreements to life.