Strengthening popular culture sustainably: Saarland supports seven amateur cultural associations with more than 132,000 euros
The Ministry of Education and Culture is strengthening popular culture in Saarland and in 2026 is supporting seven amateur cultural associations with a total funding amount of 132,400 euros. The funds will promote the further professionalization of association work, particularly to ensure sustainable youth work and to plan and implement cultural projects throughout the state.
Minister of Education and Culture Christine Streichert-Clivot:
“Our popular culture is the foundation of cultural life in Saarland. It brings people together, creates community, and enables cultural participation – in cities as well as in rural areas. Behind this commitment are thousands of volunteers who bring choirs, music clubs, theater groups, carnival clubs, or traditional costume and dance groups to life. With the funding, we support the associations in making their important work future-proof and especially in inspiring young people for cultural engagement.”
The funding serves the further professionalization of association work. It helps the associations develop their organizational structures further, plan projects in the long term, and expand their offerings for members as well as young talents. Especially given the increasing demands on club work, digitalization, volunteer management, and recruitment of young people, reliable structures are an important prerequisite for popular culture to continue unfolding its social significance in the future.
The associations receiving funding are:
Saarland Choir Association (33,800 euros):
“The professionalization funds are an important cornerstone for a future-proof further development of the associations. They make it possible to consistently bring cultural youth work regionally and to specifically support clubs on site in their volunteer work. Especially with a view to future challenges, reliable support through these funds remains of great importance,” said Jutta Schmitt-Lang, President of the Saarland Choir Association.
Association of Saarland Music Clubs (33,800 euros):
“The state's professionalization funding strengthens our association work – so we can support our clubs even better in the future,” said Max Raber, President of the Association of Saarland Music Clubs e.V.
Association of Saarland Carnival Clubs (33,800 euros):
“Thanks to the renewed promise of professionalization funds from the Saarland Ministry of Culture, we can make our structures fit for the future. Specifically, this means for us: efficient support and assistance for our over 180 member clubs through a full-time office and qualified training as well as sustainable promotion in the youth sector with our VSK Youth,” said Stefan Regert, President of the Association of Saarland Carnival Clubs e.V.
Association of Saarland Amateur Theaters (17,000 euros):
“The allocation of professionalization funds is a very helpful support for our association work by the Ministry of Culture, with which we can carry out excellent projects again this year, especially in the area of youth work, for our member clubs,” said Thomas Redelberger, President of the Association of Saarland Amateur Theaters.
Association for Plucked and Folk Music Saar (7,000 euros):
“The professionalization funds enable us to carry out association work faster and with higher quality, which leaves more time for the core tasks of musical-cultural education,” said Dr. Marcel Wirtz, President of the Association for Plucked and Folk Music Saar e.V.
Saarland Folk Dance and Costume Association (7,000 euros):
“The Saarland Folk Dance and Costume Association e.V. is pleased about the funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture, especially to strengthen popular culture within our association,” said Andrea Mark-Fuchs, President of the Saarland Folk Dance and Costume Association e.V.
Saarland Accordion Association (7,000 euros):
“The Saarland Accordion Association e.V. thanks the Ministry of Education and Culture for the grant to purchase children's instruments and Pixi books, which we want to provide to kindergartens and music schools for early musical education, to present the accordion as the ‘Instrument of the Year 2026’ and hopefully attract interested young talents this way,” said Claudia Emmrich, Managing Director of the Saarland Accordion Association.
The funding is simultaneously an important component of Saarland’s cultural policy guidelines, which were developed in a broad participation process together with cultural professionals, clubs, municipalities, and other partners. The guideline “Popular Culture” emphasizes the special importance of voluntary cultural engagement as the foundation of a vibrant democratic cultural society. With the professionalization of the associations, Saarland is specifically setting impulses to secure the future viability of popular culture.
